The history of rich Kashmiri cuisine can be traced back to the fifteenth century migration of cooks from Samarkand to the valley of Kashmir. The descendants of these cooks, the Wazas, are the master chefs of Kashmir. Therefore, a 36-course wedding banquet is called Wazawan in Kashmir. The cuisines of Kashmir are made rich and delicious with the flavor of the spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, saffron, etc.

Wazwan

is the ultimate formal banquet in Kashmir is the royal Wazwan. Of its thirty-six courses, between fifteen and thirty can be preparations of meat, cooked overnight by the master chef, Vasta Waza, and his retinue of wazas. Guests are seated in groups of four and share the meal out of a large metal plate called the trami.

Roghan Josh

is the juiciest curried mutton, cooked in Yoghurt with a careful blend of exotic spices and added ingredients.

Yaknee

is also quite similar to Roghan Josh. It owes its rich red color to the generous use of Kashmiri chillies.

Gushtaba

are pounded and spiced meat balls cooked in a yoghurt sauce. The meat is usually mutton or goat. Rista are rice balls and very similar to Gushtaba but with less meat and less spice in the sauce.

Dam-Aaloo

Dam-Aaloo and chaman are the commonly served vegetarian dishes - to serve more than this would indicate an unseemly tendency on the part of the host to economize.

Marchwangan Korma

is a hot mutton curry, usually served with rice and Nan Methi Kurma is vegetables with chopped intestines.

Korma Sag

is made from the popular Dal Lake vegetable known as Lak - it's a bit like giant Spinach.

Kashmiri Nan

is the usual flat Indian bread but with sultanas and nuts baked into it. Sweets do not play an important role in Kashmiri cuisine. Instead Kahva or green tea is used to wash down a meal. The Kashmiris also make a good blend of Camomile and Cardamom tea, which is very good for settling stomach-upsets.