Specialities

Harissa

Harissa is one of the valley's most notable Kashmiri dishes. Harissa is a winter treat that needs 16 hours of careful preparation. Pulverizing the rice and mutton, adding whole spices for a peppery texture and creamy milk for lusciousness, and stirring it all night to let the flavors develop are just a few of the steps in the lengthy cooking process. At breakfast, it's tempered with hot boiling oil, fried onions, and a few strands of saffron, making it the ideal companion for a chilly Kashmiri morning.

Take a scoop of Harissa on Girda (flat tandoori bread) and enjoy the rich explosion of flavors and royal smoothness in your mouth as the tempering sound is heard. Harissa is rarely cooked at home and is frequently purchased from Harrisa stores due to the time and work required to create it. The majority of these Harissa stores are located in Srinagar's historic downtown district.

Methi Maaz (a lamb intestine and fenugreek dish) and Kabab are garnished on Harissa platters at the Harissa shop (lamb skewers). This gives the royal delicacy a richer flavor and a more subtle scent. The heated Harissa keeps the sentiments warm during the severe, harsh winters of Kashmir.

Kulcha

Kashmiri kulcha is a popular morning dish. Kashmiri Kulchas are huge biscuits with a crumbly and crispy texture, unlike Kulchas (flatbread sandwiches) found in other northern states of India.

Kashmiri Kulchas are produced using a blend of wheat and refined flour and are only available in the valley. This mixed wheat dough contains no water and is made entirely of clarified butter. This dough is shaped into little discs and baked in an old-fashioned kiln.

These treats are best enjoyed spread with butter and served with Nun Chai or Kehwa (traditional Kashmiri teas).

Sheermal

Kashmir's Bakery's Darling Sheermal is a flatbread with a saffron flavor that melts in your tongue and makes you want more. Sheermal is made up of two Persian words: 'Sheer,' which means milk, and 'Malidan,' which means to rub. As a result, Sheermal's literal translation is milk rubbed, which is accurate.

Saffron and cardamom flavor this savory tea snack, which is made from refined wheat and sweetened milk. Sheermal has a light buttery texture and a satisfying crunch, thanks to its baking in a traditional tandoor (clay oven). In the valley, there are many different kinds of Sheermal, but the best is dusted with sesame seeds and dried fruits.

Kehwa

Kehwa, the exquisite soul-warming green tea of Kashmir, is known as the "Tea straight from heaven." Kashmiri green tea leaves, crushed almonds, cardamom pods, saffron strands, cloves, star anise, and cinnamon bark are blended into this delicious native beverage of the valley. Rose petals, flaked nuts such as almonds, walnuts, and cashews, and dried fruits such as cherries and apricots are added to the caffeine-free Kehwa to make it more flavorful.

Kahwa, which is traditionally brewed in copper or brass kettles known as 'Samovars,' has more to offer than just a beautiful taste and aroma. It's good for your health in a variety of ways. It promotes energy, burns fat, improves digestion, serves as an antioxidant, enhances immunity, heals the common cold, nourishes skin, and even helps with stress. This golden-tinged green tea from Kashmir is a whole package: a healthy tonic, a flavorful beverage, and an aromatic concoction.

Lala Shangram

Lala Shangram is Kashmir’s all-time-favourite tea time snack. These are made by mixing semolina, refined flour, milk, sugar and clarified butter, giving the mixture nugget shapes and deep-frying them. It is a win-win goody with a crispy texture and melts into soft sponginess as you take the first bite.

Noon Chai

Kashmir's romance with tea is well-known, but Noon Chai's pink preparation stands out among all the tea preparations. In numerous Indian languages, including Kashmiri, the word noon signifies salt, hence noon chai literally translates as "salt tea."

Noon Chai is primarily taken in the morning and afternoon, and is made with native gunpowder tea (green tea leaves packed into little balls), milk, salt, and baking soda. Because of the exquisite pink color, Noon Chai is also known as pink tea. Because it contains baking soda, it has a wonderful pink color.

The preparation of Noon Chai takes several hours. The tea is steeped for at least an hour in sodium bicarbonate. This produces a red-brown extract known as 'Tueth,' which is diluted with water. Finally, according to personal preferences, milk and salt are added to the diluted solution. Edible rose petals, butter, fresh cream, and nuts such as pistachios and almonds can be added to the Noon Chai to make it even more delightful.

It's accompanied by Tchot (flat tandoori bread). It offers a wide range of therapeutic properties. It aids digestion, alleviates anxiety, and lowers bloating and heartburn. Nun Chai is a delicious drink that may be enjoyed at any time of the year. In the winter, it provides much-needed warmth, while in the spring and summer, it refreshes the mind. Nun Chai is heaven in a cup, a wonderful complement to the paradise on earth, with its floral scent, exquisite texture, unusual viscosity, and unique flavor.