CELEBRITY MASTER CHEF DR KAVIRAJ KHIALANI
Jammu and Kashmir is a region administered by India as a union territory and consisting of the southern portion of the larger Kashmir region, which has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947, and between India and China since 1962. Kashmir is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term “Kashmir” denoted only the Kashmir Valley. Popularly known as the “Paradise on Earth”, Jammu and Kashmir is world famous for its scenic splendour, snow-capped mountains, plentiful wildlife, exquisite monuments, hospitable people and local handicrafts. Best time to visit Kashmir is during the months of March to August. Tourists come to Kashmir valley so they too can witness this ‘heaven on earth’ and enjoy all that it offers. During this period two seasons are covered in Kashmir. Spring (March to early May) and Summer (early May to late August).
- The most important and frequently used Kashmiri eatables are haakh (collard greens or kale), monj Haak (knolkhol), nadur (lotusstem), praan (shallots), aubuj (sorrel), tila gogul (mustard) and gor (water-chestnut).
- Wazwan is a multi-course meal in Kashmiri cuisine, the preparation of which is considered an art and a point of pride in Kashmiri culture and identity
Kashmiri cooking is the cuisine of the Kashmir Valley in the Indian subcontinent. Rice is the staple food of Kashmiris and has been so since ancient times. The most important and frequently used Kashmiri eatables are haakh (collard greens or kale), monj Haak (knolkhol), nadur (lotusstem), praan (shallots), aubuj (sorrel), tila gogul (mustard) and gor (water-chestnut). Kashmiri cuisine is the cuisine of the Kashmir Valley in the Indian subcontinent.
Rice is the staple food of Kashmiris and has been so since ancient times. Meat, along with rice, is the most popular food item in Kashmir. Wazwan is a multi-course meal in Kashmiri cuisine, the preparation of which is considered an art and a point of pride in Kashmiri culture and identity. Almost all the dishes are meat-based using lamb or chicken with few vegetarian dishes. It is popular throughout the Kashmir. Some of the most popularly well-known dishes served under Wazwan include waza palak, rishta curry, safed kokur, ruangan chaman, muji chetin, rogan josh, Yakhni, gustabha, tabak maaz, aab gosht, dum aloo to name a few.
Here is my favourite recipes from Kashmiri Cuisine
KASHMIRI DUM ALOO
Ingredients
Baby potatoes- 400 gms, washed.
Water-3-4 cups
Oil to deep fry as needed
For the dum aloo masala
Oil- 2 tsp
Ghee- 2 tsp
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
Cinnamon stick- 1-inch piece
Black cardamom- 2 no
Cloves- 2-3 no
Hing- ¼ tsp
Kashmiri red chili powder- 1 and a half tsp
Water- 1 cup
Curd- 3/4rd cup well beaten
Ginger powder-1/2 tsp
Fennel powder/saunf powder ½ tsp
Salt to taste
Garam masala powder- 1/3rd tsp
Coriander leaves- 2 tbsp. chopped
Method
- Prepare all the ingredients for the Kashmiri dum aloo recipe and keep aside.
- To start with firstly, in a kadai heat 2 tbsp. oil and saute ½ tsp cumin, 1-inch cinnamon, 2 black cardamoms, 2 cardamoms, 5 cloves and pinch hing.
- Turn off the flame and add 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder. Further, add ½ cup water and ¾ cup curd. Mix well till the curd combines well without getting curdled.
- Now add 1 tsp ginger powder, 2 tsp fennel powder and ½ tsp salt. Mix well making sure the spices are mixed well. Add in fried potato and mix well. Add ½ to 1 cup water adjusting consistency.
- Cover and simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionally after 30 minutes, the curry will separate oil and also thicken. Now add ¼ tsp garam masala and mix well. Finally, serve the piping hotKashmiri dum aloo with roti or rice as desired.
GOSHT YAKHNI PULAO
Ingredients
900 grams Rice (4 cups) (good quality long grain basmati)
A Pinch of Saffron soaked in ¼ cup Milk
To prepare a good Yakhni stock
Cumin Seeds- 1 tbsp.
Fennel seeds-3/4 tsp
Rose petals, dried- 1 tbsp.
Medium sized Onions, sliced- 2 nos.
Garlic cloves- 8-10 no
Ginger, sliced 2-inch piece
Star anise- 1-2 pieces
green elaichi- 4-5 no
cloves- 4-5 no
javitri- 1-2 pieces
coriander seeds-2 tsp
mutton or lamb meat with bones- 750 gms
1-and-a-half-liter water
Salt to taste
For cooking the Yakhni pulao
Pure ghee/ oil- 100ml
Bay leaves- 2-3 no
Onions- 2-3 med sized, sliced
Green chilies-2-3 no, slit
Salt to taste
Curd/yogurt- 1 cup, well beaten
Yakhni stock- 5-6 cups, as prepared above
Garam masala powder- ½ tsp
Fried onions- ½ cup
Fried nuts- ¼ cup
Coriander leaves- 2-3 tbsp.
Method
- Firstly, clean and soak the long grain basmati rice for at least 30 minutes. Also, soak a pinch of saffron in ¼ cup of milk.
- Now, tie it well with the string to secure all the whole spices into it to form a potli.
- Put cleaned and washed mutton pieces in a pressure cooker along with the prepared potli and 7 cups of water. Add some salt, put it on the heat and bring it to a boil.
- Once the it starts boiling, pressure cook until the mutton is just done. Do not over – cook it. Now, once the mutton is done, allow it to release the pressure to its own.
- Gently, separate the mutton pieces and the stock. Also, squeeze the potli very well in to the stock to extract all the flavours of spices, discard the potli now.
- To prepare the pulao finally heat ghee (or oil) in handi or pan, once the ghee is hot, add bay leaves and fry for few seconds. Add sliced onions and fry until they start picking up golden color.
- Add green chilies slit and fry for another few seconds, then add boiled mutton and gently sauté it on high heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Add salt and whisked yoghurt and mix, cook for a minute, now drain the water from the rice. Add rice and mix gently.
- Then add, the Yakhni (mutton stock) counting to the exact 6 ½ cups. If the Yakhni is less in amount, then add some water along with Yakhni but it should be 6 ½ cups in total. For the reason that we are adding a cup of curd, it will also add the liquid to the rice, so we are adding 6& ½ cups of Yakhni stock only. Add garam masala powder, lemon juice, kewra essence/water and mix, bring it to a boil. Allow it to cook on high heat until 90% water dries up.
- Now, pour the saffron soaked milk over the rice. Cover the pot with foil and put it on Dum for 15 minutes. The Lucknowi Mutton Yakhni pulao is ready. Garnish it with birista (golden fried onions) and serve with raita, yogurt or salad of your choice.
MUTTON ROGAN JOSH
Ingredients
Mutton- 750 gms with bones
Oil- ½ cup
Ghee-2 tbsp.
Kashmiri red chili powder- 2-3 tsp
Fennel powder/ saunf- 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Ginger powder-1 tsp
Cumin powder-1 tsp
Black cardamom powder-1/2 tsp
Hing-1/2 tsp
Green cardamom-2 no
Cinnamon stick-1 piece
Bay leaves-2 no
Peppercorns- 4-5 no
Curd- 1 cup thick and beaten
Water / stock as needed to cook.
Fresh coriander sprigs to garnish
Ginger juliennes to garnish
Method
- Clean, wash the meat pieces retain a little fat and bones on the flesh.
- Place the mutton pieces in a thick bottomed pan or use a pressure cooker and cook the meat with a few whole spices as listed above until almost half cooked and little tender, remove the meat pieces, retain the stock as well.
- Heat oil and ghee in a pan, add in the whole spices add in the meat pieces and bhunao for a few minutes, add in the chili powder, salt and all powdered spices and mix well.
- Add in the stock/ liquid used to cook the meat and allow to boil, simmer and continue cooking on a low flame for 10-12 mins. add in the beaten thick curd and salt to taste and simmer for another 5 mins.
- Finally add in the ingredients for garnish and serve the rogan josh curry with rice or Kashmiri breads, some sliced onions, a splash of lime juice. Note- some recipes also used sliced onions, ginger- garlic and red chili paste as well which can be done as well.
PANEER CHAMAN
Ingredients
Paneer cubes- 500 gms
Oil-2 tsp
Ghee- 2 tsp
Garlic paste-1 tsp
Ginger paste-1 tsp
Sliced onions-1 cup
Salt to taste
Green chilies- 2-3 deseeded
Cloves- 3-4 no
Peppercorns- 3-4 no
Curd- 1 cup thick and beaten
Saffron- 2-3 strands
Turmeric-a pinch
Water-1/4 cup
Cashew/almond paste-1 tsp
Kasuri methi-1 tsp
Ajwain-1/2 tsp
Fresh cream-1/2 cup thick
Mint leaves- 10-12 no for garnish
Coriander leaves- 1-2 tsp chopped for garnish
Method
- Prepare all the ingredients for the paneer chaman recipe as listed.
- Cut the paneer cubes and keep them immersed in some warm water with a little salt in it.
- Heat up a little oil and ghee in a pan and add in the paneer cubes and lightly fry them all over to a light golden color and carefully remove them and keep aside.
- In the same pan, add in the ginger, garlic, chilies, onions and saute them to a nice golden color, add a little water along the way not to over brown it. Add in the salt, all powdered spices, add curd, cashew paste and cream as well and simmer for 3-4 mins.
- Add kasuri methi, ajwain, paneer cubes and a few strands of saffron and mix. Simmer for 2-3 mins and add mint, coriander leaves and serve it hot with rotis, naans, phulkas, sheermal / Kashmiri breads.
RAJMA RASMISA
Ingredients
Kashmiri rajma- 150 gms, soaked in water for 4-5 hours
Oil-2 tsp
Ghee-2 tsp
Hing-1/2 tsp
Ginger paste-1 tsp
Garlic paste-1 tsp
Onions-1 cup sliced
Tomato puree-1/2 cup fresh
Curd-1/2 cup thick and beaten
Salt to taste
Cumin powder-1/2 tsp
Coriander powder-1 tsp
Red chili powder-1 tsp Kashmiri
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Kasuri methi-1 tsp
Water- as needed
Garam masala powder-1/2 tsp
Fennel powder-1/4 tsp
Clove powder-1/4 tsp
Coriander leaves- 2-3 tbsp. chopped
Ginger juliennes- 2-3 tsp for garnish
Method
- Prepare all the ingredients for the curried style rajma recipe.
- Heat oil, ghee in a pan, add in the hing, ginger, garlic paste, sliced onions and slightly brown them add a little water as needed. Add in the tomato puree fresh and salt, bhunao with all the spices for 2-3 mins.
- Add kasuri methi, and the drained rajma and combine it well with the spices in the pan, need to bhunao the rajma for a few minutes, add curd and cook for 2-3 mins, now add water and simmer the rajma, cook on the low flame or pressure cook until done, remove check for seasonings, add in the fresh coriander leaves, ginger juliennes and enjoy the rajma Rasmisa with some hot steamed rice/ jeera rice/ pulao etc.
- In some recipes we also get to see that the rajma is half boiled or fully cooked as well sometimes separately with a flavour of some whole spices and once the curry is ready the rajma is added and cooked for some more time, which can also be tried out. The important part to note is soaking of the rajma which enables faster cooking, while some people also add a little soda bi carb while boiling rajma, I prefer doing it without it in my recipe.
CHAWAL KI KHEER
Ingredients
For the rice mixture
Raw basmati rice- 1 cup, soaked for 30 mins, ground to a paste using
1 cup water.
For the kheer recipe
Ghee-1 tsp
Green cardamom powder-1/2 tsp
Milk- 1 liter
Sugar- 1 cup or as per taste
Condensed milk-1/2 cup
Mava- 2-3 tbsp. grated
Cashew powder-1-2 tsp
Almond powder-1-2 tsp
Raisins- 1-2 tsp
Fine chopped nuts for the layering and garnish
Almonds-1-2 tsp
Walnuts- 1-2 tsp
Pinenuts- 1-2 tsp
Dates- 2-3 no
Saffron- few strands
Chandi ka varq/ silver leaf for garnish
Method
- To start with choose the good quality rice and start making a raw paste of the same by soaking it first and then adding water little at a time and making a coarsely smooth paste.
- Now to start with the cooking of the kheer, start with milk, reduce it a little and then add in the ghee, rice paste, sugar and green cardamom powder. Keep stirring it and ensure it doesn’t stick at the bottom of the pan.
- Keep stirring constantly and as the rice paste keeps cooking in the milk mixture it gets thick. Add in the condensed milk, nuts and mava and cook for another 8-10 mins on low flame. Now turn off the flame.
- Check for sweetness in the rice kheer and adjust as needed. Choose between serving cups and dessert bowls and start layering the sweet in between with nuts and dry fruits and decorate the kheer with a number of options like chocolate chips, cherries, saffron, dates and walnuts, praline or crushed chikki. And allow the glasses to set in the fridge for 2-3 hours and then enjoy it.
Celebrity Master Chef Dr Kaviraj Khialani is a Mumbai-based hotel-restaurant and food consultant. He is specialised in over 33 international cuisines and has quality experience with hotels and airlines as a part of his long journey of over two decades in his chosen field. Chef Kaviraj is a renowned author, academician, food designer, writer and has also been awarded several national awards and global recognitions for his talent & outstanding achievements. Besides having been featured on several food shows on ColorsTV and Star Plus he is a mentor, coach and guide to aspiring to be future chefs and hoteliers of tomorrow.
He can be contacted at twitter: @kaviraj_chef, Mobile: 91 9820939336.
