The valley of Kashmir tore apart by militant insurgency, has a cuisine that many have fallen in love with. But even within the Kashmiri food, there is a stark difference between the popularly known Muslim Wazwaan and the food of the Kashmiri Pandits. As the Kashmiri Pandits have always consumed meat be it in the form of fish or mutton, their cuisine also contains some delectable servings of meat. But the taste of their dishes especially the non vegetarian ones stand out from the rest of India, simply because they avoid the usage of onions and garlic. Instead they base their dishes around a lot of tomatoes and other Indian spices.
Now finding this cuisine in Delhi is a rarity indeed. Only a few food festivals in some of the hotels quench you thirst for this beautiful cuisine. But the grandeur of ITC Maurya is the perfect solution for all those cravings with it’s good work of promoting heritage and forgotten cuisines shining through. With festivals promoting the likes of Kayastha, Parsi and Moplah cuisines, the hotel endeavours to preserve the lineage of our vast and wonderful nation under ITC Hotels’ Responsible Luxury philosophy. These promotions are held regularly across the chain under the aegis of Kitchens of India. The Pavilion, the 24 hour coffee shop of ITC Maurya hosts some Kashmiri Dishes in their buffet(INR 2400++) every Wednesday lunch and Friday dinner. Under the able guidance of Chef Suman Kaul, the home styled Kashmiri dishes have garnered quite a loyal fan following in just about a year. Chef Kaul’s story is also worth a mention. From being a housewife without any training in Hotel kitchens to working in one of the largest Hotel chains in the world, her simplicity and honesty reflects in the food she serves. If you’re planning to visit Kashmir, check out Kashmir Tour Packages.
Three vegetarian dishes that do stand out include the Tamatar Wangun(Brinjal with Tomatoes), Methi Chaman(Cottage Cheese with Spinach) and Knol Khol. It is the rich embodiment of sour flavours enveloping the humble Brinjal that will make you go back for seconds. Rajma Chawal lovers will again rejoice with softer flavours bubbling on the palate in contrast to the ones you find on the street and more in tandem with your home. But it’s two dishes that will really surprise you. The first one being the relatively known Tabak Maaz where the meat has been soaked in milk spiced up with saffron amongst other giving it a soft, almost velvety texture.
Fried up in ghee, the Tabak Maaz will surely enthral you with it’s flavours. The second one is relatively unknown. A rice flour Jaali roti made up along with walnuts and mint. The net like rice flour flat bread might remind you of South India but the flavours remain exclusively North Indian. She serves it out with some Radish chutney to further accentuate the flavours.
So next time your taste buds lust for some Kashmiri food, check into The Pavilion of ITC Maurya.
