Jammu & Kashmir Cuisine

About Jammu & Kashmir Cuisine

Jammu & Kashmir boasts being flavoursome and diverse. The union territory with its variety of dishes makes an excellent destination for culinary tourism and attracts food lovers from around the world. The food of Jammu & Kashmir can be divided into two- Jammu Cuisine and Kashmiri Cuisine; each of which is unique in their own way.

The Kashmiri food is further categorized into two - Kashmiri Pandits/Brahmins Cuisine and Kashmiri Muslim Cuisines. While the Pandits use generous quantities of curd along with asafoetida and ginger in their food, Muslims use all these ingredients in liberal amounts for food preparations along with ginger and garlic. However, one can find some commonality between the cuisine of Jammu and Kashmir regions.

Traditional Dishes in Jammu Region

In Jammu, the dishes of Dogra cuisine are quite popular. This region is famous for rajma chawal, with rajma (kidney beans) being a local crop. Dishes like Ambal, Khatta Meat, Kulthein Dal, Dal Patt, Maa da Madra, and Auriya mark the prominence of Dogra cuisine in Jammu. 

The other traditional dishes that are a must-try in Jammu Region are Morel (Gushi) Palov, Madra (lintel cooked in curd), Oria (Potato/Pumpkin in mustard sauce), Maani, Khameera, Katha Meat (Sour Mutton), Shasha(raw mango chatni), Kasrod and Timru-di-Chatni,Shiri Pulav, and Mitha Bhat (Sweet Rice).

As desserts, Jammu offers dishes like Chocolate Barfi, Sund Panjeeri, Patisa for food lovers You cannot overlook the street food of Jammu comprising Gol Gappas, Kachaalo, Gulgule, and Rajma Kulche.

Traditional Dishes in Kashmir Region

The beautiful valley of Kashmir reflects a rich influence of Persian, Central Asian and Afghan food in its cuisine. In Kashmiri cuisine, spices like cardamom, cinnamon, fennel, and cloves are used, making the food delectable and aromatic.

The highlight of the Kashmiri cuisine is Wazwan, a collection of 32 veg and non-veg dishes. Wazwan is considered a mandate in every celebration, be it weddings or any other significant events.

Some of the important dishes in Kashmir are Tabakhmaaz, Shab Deg, Dum Olav/Dum Aloo, Aab Gosh, Goshtaba, Lyader Tschaman, Runwagan Tschaman, Riste, Nader ti Gaad, Herath, Novroze, Yakhni, and the widely acclaimed Rogan Josh.

The valley is also famous for its bakery tradition, and thus you can find here various kinds of bread. Tsot and tsochvor, sheermal, baqerkhayn (puff pastry), lavas (unleavened bread) and kulcha are some popular bakery items in Kashmir. The locals of Kashmiri are also fond of tea; hence, Kahwa and Noon chai/Sheer Chai comes into the picture.

Popular Dishes to Try in Jammu & Kashmir

Both Jammu and Kashmir regions have delicious dishes on offer, however, some of them have become quite popular even for the tourists. The region of Kashmir, in fact, with its variety of dishes on offer, has become a hub for culinary tourism. Here are the top dishes from Jammu & Kashmir to try on your holiday:

• Dumaaloo
• Chaaman
• Rogan Josh
• Rista
• Gushtaba
• Rajma Chawal
• Kalaadi Kulcha
• Khatta Meat