5 Must-try Food Dishes on Kashmir Tour

Kashmir is known as heaven on earth not only because of its landscapes but also the delicacies it offers to its people. Kashmir cuisine contains varied flavors and options. In fact, the food offered here finds its origin nestled in spices like saffron, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. There are around 30 different varieties of dishes.

Mughals mostly influence the mouth-watering delicacies of Kashmir. So, if you are a meat lover, you will enjoy your Kashmir tour package to the fullest. But there are also many dishes that have the signature of pundits on them. However, as it is a lifetime opportunity to taste the best of Kashmir, make sure you pick the most famous delicacies of Kashmir. To avoid any wrong choices, we have suggested some for you down here. 

• Modur Pulao

Modur Pulao is one of the favorites of Kashmir and is made using the goodness of milk, cinnamon, a little saffron, ghee, and sugar. On top of it, it is garnished with almonds, cashew nuts, green cardamom, and others. The dish is sweet in flavor and healthy, with saffron as its prime ingredient.

Saffron, grown in Kashmir itself, gives the pulav a very beautiful color and taste, making it super tempting. It is a unique creation as it’s sweetened in taste which people mostly have not tasted before. But as they put one spoon in their mouth, they want more. It is a must-try Kashmir delicacy if you are a rice lover. Also, it is one of the famous traditional foods of Kashmir. 

• Shab Deg

Shab Deg is an old and forgotten delicacy of Kashmir which generates nostalgia by just reading its name. If you are a Kashmiri, you will get this. Shab Deg is a popular meat delicacy that is prepared overnight with patience and richness of different spices. In fact, the meaning of its name is cooking overnight (Shab means night and Deg means in a large vessel). 

The cook put together a rooster, turnips, and spices overnight to enhance its flavor in the dish, then sealed the vessel with dough. It is mostly made in large family gatherings or a big celebration. So, if you plan a trip to Kashmir, make sure to try this one. It will fill you with tantalizing flavors. Hands down, this is one of the best things you can have in Jammu and Kashmir. Also, if you are planning to throw a party or celebration, this is the first thing you must have on your menu. 

• Rogan Josh

Inarguably the most famous food of Kashmir is Rogan Josh. It is an iconic and aromatic lamb curry dish introduced by the Mughals. It is a dish that no lamb lover can pass. Moreover, this toothsome meat dish is served with naan or rice as you like it. The curry is a staple at dinner parties and special celebrations in Kashmir. The robust meat is prepared with flavors of caramelized brown and crisp onion, yogurt, and various spices. Plus, everyone loves it because it is a healthy low-fat dish. 

So, if you are a non-vegetarian, we would suggest you try this Kashmiri Dish. It is a crown jewel of Kashmiri Cuisine, and it will be a shame to miss it for anything else. 

• Goshtaba

Kashmir has such a stronghold on non-vegetarian cuisine because every Kashmiri loves meat, even the Kashmiri pandits. So, it is obvious that you will find an array of options in non-vegetarian Kashmir dishes. However, among those, the most favorite is Goshtaba. This classic delicacy was specifically originated as the dish of the kings thus has a royal taste in it. Therefore, it is also made on royal occasions in different households of Kashmir. 

This traditional delicacy is prepared by mincing mutton and flavoring it with yogurt gravy and the goodness of spices. Just one bite of it is enough to tease your appetite and want to have more. In Kashmir, Goshtaba earns a reputation as a dish for the aristocracy and is the most flavorsome dish anyone can have. So, on your trip to heavenly Kashmir, make sure to try it at least once. 

• Dum Aloo

While most of the dishes in Kashmiri cuisine are focused on non-vegetarian, there is something special for the pure vegetarians. This is magic prepared with potatoes and is one of the dishes without which a menu is incomplete. Ideally, this is the best dish you can have if you want to savor the real authentic taste of Kashmir food culture. 

For preparing the dish, baby potatoes are cooked with the richness of hot spices, yogurt, fennel, and ginger paste. It is a dish whose aroma alone can increase your appetite. So make sure to have this aromatic and flavorful dish with chapatis or naan. It is basically the apple of the eye of Kashmir.