Kashmiri Wazwan, the 36-course meal wonder that’s responsible for the peeping bellies of Kashmiris, and the answer to the oft-repeated question, ‘Why do Kashmiris love mutton so much?’

Yes, for all these Kashmiri Wazwan is guilty as charged!

Among other attraction of Kashmir such as beauty, the landscape, the kangri, pashmina, paper mache, the kahwa and the pheran, Kashmiri Wazwan is a world-renowned cuisine.

It is one of the most loved and cherished offering of the valley. Kashmiri Wazwan has mesmerized everyone who has ever tasted it. It is prepared and served by a team of professionals called waza in large copper pots, commonly called a deygh. Needless to say that it is prepared with a lot of hard work, skill, precision and lastly immense love.

We Kashmiris are obsessed with our culture, we just love it. And we love our food. Why shouldn’t we? Such tasty food is seldom found in any other culture. 

 

The History of Kashmiri Wazwan

Kashmiris are predominantly non-vegetarians. The special banquet meal that all of us cherish is the Kashmiri Wazwan. It is prepared on special occasions like marriage ceremonies and even on professional and business events. 

Predominantly prepared with Mutton, you might find chicken and fish along with a multitude of vegetables and dry fruits as key ingredients. Some accounts suggest that Wazwan came to Kashmir in the 14th Century when a Mongol invaded India. 

Some historians say that this Mongol invader was Taimur. He was instrumental in making some skilled professionals like artisans, carpet weavers, pashmina experts and cooks migrate from Samarkand to Kashmir. This is why the culture of Kashmir resembles that of Kashmir to a great degree.

The main reason for the popularity of Kashmiri Wazwan in the valley was due to the influence of Persian and Central Asian immigrants to Kashmir. Even today a large portion of the population of Kashmir draws its roots back to Central Asia. 

   

The Preparation of Kashmiri Wazwan 

The word wazwan, although generally used as a name for the traditional Kashmiri 36-course cuisine, is actually a mixture of two separate words. Waz (pronounced as waze’) meaning ‘cook/chef’ and wan meaning ‘shop’. A team of Wazas comprises of a head chef, called the Wouste Waze along with a number of junior chefs.

The main ingredient of Kashmiri Wazwan is freshly-slaughtered lamb meat. Remember, it needs to be freshly slaughtered for the Wazwan to taste right. In many cases, you can’t just cook some dishes of Kashmiri Wazwan without the mutton being fresh.

If the people who are to be served are more in number like at weddings and similar occasion, Wazas start preparing the dishes a day before. Kashmiris cook Wazwan all night and spend their day preparing and eating Wazwan.  

All the spices used in preparing the Wazwan are processed at home by the Waza himself. Wazas are very specific about the brands of creme, yoghurt, ghee, butter, oil and rice they would use. They argue that in order to get the perfect taste of wazwan, the ingredients need to be extremely precise.

The mutton obtained is grouped on the basis of its origin. Different parts of the body of the animal taste different and each has to be differently cooked in wazwan. So, the waza groups the mutton and starts some initial preparations.

Some of the mutton is minced on a stone with the help of a wooden hammer while another lot is minced with a sharp knife on a wooden table. Once the mutton is prepared at a basic level, the wazas then go on to process it further. 

The Seven Important Dishes of Kashmiri Wazwan  

Although Kashmiri Wazwan comprises of 36, there are seven main dishes that stand out. Whenever you would order Kashmiri Wazwan in a restaurant, or even in a 5-star hotel, the serving will be based on these 7 dishes only.

These majestic 7 dishes are:

• Tabakh Maaz
• Koshur Kabab
• Riste
• Aab Goash
• Rogan Josh 
• Naate Yakhin  
• Goshtabe  

Manner of Serving the Kashmiri Wazwan 

Kashmiri Wazwan is cooked to precision. It is not like any other food in the Indian Subcontinent which is deeply fried. Rather, Kashmiri Wazwan is cooked at a low flame for hours together. The general preference is that it is cooked in an open area and not in a kitchen, and personally, I find the taste of the Wazwan cooked in an open area to be very different from that is cooked in a restaurant’s kitchen.

Below are some short descriptions of the main dishes that are pre-placed on a Kashmiri Wazwan platter:

• Seekh Kabab – A long tasty kababs roasted to perfection. All that we say about the ultra delicious Kashmiri Seekh Kebabs is an understatement. They are awesome, and everyone must try them at least one. They are best taken with onions dipped in vinegar and Kashmiri chilli powder.

• Tabak Maaz – Crispy ribs of lamb simmered in yogurt till tender, then deep-fried turning the fat hard and crunchy. If you talk to any Kashmiri, this is the dish that he loves. Cooked on rare occasions, it has an ultimate crispy feeling that leaves your mouth buttery for hours after the meal.

• Meethi – Small servings of finely chopped mutton bits mixed with a spice containing dried methi leaves.
• Daen – Medium shaped very soft full piece of mutton which is said to have been eaten by the Prophet Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) himself.
• Chicken – There are two types of chicken dishes on the platter (trami). The much loved spicy red chicken made with the red sauce and the sweet and tender white chicken made in the white sauce.

We enjoy eating our food while sitting down on the floor in groups. You would need to sit in groups of 4 to enjoy this delicacy. Before eating there is a ritual of the washing of hands in a mobile basin called the Tash-t-naer, which is taken around by attendants, this ritual is called Dast-Paak.

Once, the platter full of these delights comes to you, you may get started with eating. Then one by one the waza brings in more dishes that are a cure for the growling tummy and a treat for the tasting buds.

These dishes are:

• Rista – A juicy meatball prepared in a paprika-saffron-fennel spice gravy coloured with dyer’s alkanet.

• Rogan Josh –  Tender lamb cooked deeply in spices, it is the patriarch of the meaty items.
• Daniwal Korma – Exquisite lamb roasted with yoghurt, spices and onion puree, topped with coriander.
• Mushroom – It is one of the vegetarian items of the trami cooked with onions and special Kashmiri spices.
• Waze’ Palak and Baby Ristas – Spicy spinach cooked with small meatballs.
• Martsewagun Korma – A spicy and hot version of the Rogan Josh.
• Paneer – Soft pieces of juicy cheese squares cooked with a spicy tomato gravy.
• Al – Strips or pieces of sweet pumpkins cooked to balance the spicy and sourness of the meaty items.
• Lahab Kabab – Flattened sour and spicy mutton kababs cooked in yoghurt.
• Quince Apple–Another vegetarian delight cooked to add some sour flavour to the platter, part of an elaborate variety.
• Doudh Ras – A big lamb chunk cooked with a fennel-based spice mixture, cardamom and partially evaporated milk.
• Yakhnee – The most loved and savoured gravy of the trami made of cooked milk with a perfect blend of salt and mint giving a perfect end to an exotic meal.
• Goshtaba – A big meatball cooked in a spicy yoghurt gravy mixed with the yakhnee.

These are the main dishes that are served usually with the Kashmiri Wazwan, but there are some items that are a part of the grandeur but not served as frequently as the above-mentioned food items. These items are the shami kabab, nadru, dum aloo, tsok wangun (sour brinjal) etc. They are served on request.  Sometimes the trami is covered with a rumali roti to enjoy the vegetarian delights.

Over to You 

The old saying “the way to someone’s heart is through his stomach” is best suited when the food in question is the ever tempting Kashmiri Wazwan. The wholesome meal fills the stomach and the heart with lots of joy. Its taste remains in the mouth hours after relishing it and the impact remains forever.

This is the story of Kashmiri Wazwan. I am excited to know if you have ever tasted the Kashmiri Wazwan or if you would like to taste it in the future? Catch you in the comments below : ) 

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