DRIED VEGETABLES OF KASHMIR-PART TWO

DRIED VEGETABLES OF KASHMIR-PART TWO

DRIED VEGETABLES OF KASHMIR-PART ONE

DRIED VEGETABLES OF KASHMIR

DIFFERENT SPICES USED IN KASHMIR

KASHMIRI GARLICS

     
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN KASHMIRI GARLIC AND OTHER GARLIC VARIETIES


The cloves of the kashmiri garlic are thick in size unlike the other varieties.When we are peeling the dried upper layer,we get the typical strong pungent smell of garlic.It is very distinct one.I have observed folks using it either as a full clove in the curries or a paste is formed and sold in the markets throughout the year.I like to use the full and whole clove more than the paste.

Removal of the dried upper layers is not very cumbersome one.The garlic cloves available in New Delhi need to be soaked in the water for some time so that the dried layers comes out easily.This is not the case in the kashmiri garlic cloves. One more thing each clove gives rise to saplings even in the kitchen bags without the presence of soil,water or the sunlight.I have seen folks adding these fresh saplings into the curries or the salads.They are not thrown away into the thrash bin.I did plant them in my garden also.I would surely post the photographs once they are grown to some height.

This page is dedicated to Mummyji.Thanks Mummyji for the wonderful knowledge given to me about the kashmiri garlics.

KASHMIRI RED CHILLI POWDER

Bright Red Kashmiri Chilli Powder

 The differences in the color

                                            

                       KASHMIRI RED CHILLI POWDER

Red chilli powder was simply chilli powder for me.I knew that there were two varieties viz.

a) Fine powder(Bareek Mirchi Powder)

and

b) Coarsely powdered one(Kuti Mirchi)

Later my mother introduced me to the following chilli powders-

i) which added color to the curry

and

ii) which gave the flavor of being spicy.

However,when I was introduced to Muskaan Shah,I realized my mistake.Mummyji was always telling me about the KASHMIRI CHILLI POWDER.I thought maybe she used to grind the kashmiri red chillies into powder form and used it for cooking purposes.Oops,I was terribly mistaken!

I visited to the Kashmiri Bakery shop located in Sector-52, Noida. I was extremely happy that I knew a shop where I could purchase it.Mummyji was at my place for few days.At this time,she took out the packet of it and added into the container consisting of red chilli powder.When she filled it,I was astonished at what I observed.There was so much of differences between the two chilli powders present in the bottle(see the caption 2).Gosh!I was highly mistaken about my knowledge about the kashmiri red chilli powder.

These the kashmiri red chilli pods available at INA market,New Delhi.

These are another variety of kashmiri red chilli pods called as KOSHUR RAJA MIRCHI.

I have noted the deep redness achieved by addition of this powder.The addition of this powder enhances the bright "tomato" redness to the curry or salad or pickle or chutney.I am in love with this color.My favorite shade among red colors. When added to the curries,it is not very spicy.However,when it is not cooked and added to the chutneys or pickles,it gives the taste of being "hot" in its sensation.Thank god it is not so hot as the Nagaland chillies as served with the MOMOS.

The kashmiri red chilli powder is less spicy.They are less pungent.The most surprising thing to know about this is the fact that this is added to other red chilli powders in order to enhance the red color as well as the "hot and spicy" taste.Can you believe it!There are various ways in which it is used in our daily lives-

a) One can use it in the fine powdered form.

b) One can use it by soaking it in water for sometime. These can be used in gravies and dry dishes.

c) One can roast the pods on the frying pan or wok and use them.This gives rise to awesome aroma in the kitchen areas.This is added to various kinds of marinades and dips for preparing vegetarian and non-vegetarian recipes.I would be soon sharing the great KASHMIRI RED CHILLI PULAO OR BIRYANI with its exquisite red color.

f) One can use them as it is while preparing pickles, etc.

They help in improving our immune system as they contain Vitamin C and A on one side.On the other side,it has very low fat content and low cholesterol due to presence of Vitamin B and E.

RAJOUNS ANDKASH

                                RAJOUNS ANDKASH 

This recipe was presented from my end for SOYER INDIA's competition titled "KUCCHH MEETHA HO JAAYE" in FACEBOOK.I participated in it on November 19th, 2012.I wanted to win the Soyer India contest and bag the induction cooking stove.However,I could not win it.Alas...can't help!!!I was thinking about a new recipe which had its roots in Kashmir and came up with the new sweet dish.Thus,the new sweet dish for the people of Kashmir and I dedicate this recipe to Muskaan Shah and her family.

RECIPE FOR RAJOUNS ANDKASH

INGREDIENTS REQUIRED

*15 Slices of bread

*500 gm Dried Apricots

*500 gm Walnuts 

*500 gm Dates

*500 gm Cashew nuts

*500 gm Pistachios

*500 gm of Pine nuts

*500 gm Almonds

*1 tin of Amul's Condensed Milk

*500 gm sugar

*1 packet of Amul's Vermicelli Kheer packet

*2 liters Milk

*Oil for frying

* Silver foil paper

* Few drops of kewra water

STEPS FOR PREPARATION

1. Deep fry 15 slices of bread in oil and remove the excess of oil by placing the bread slices on tissue papers

2. Soak apricots, walnuts, dates, almonds, cashew nuts,pine nuts in water for 6 to 8 hours

3. Coarsely grind the dry fruits separately (kindly do not make the paste of the dry fruits or simply bring milk and add the dry fruits and mash them up with help of spoon and keep them separately

4. Boil the milk for 15 minutes 

5. Take a small cup, add the boiled milk and add the 

3. Coarsely grind the dry fruits separately (kindly do not make the paste of the dry fruits or simply bring milk and add the dry fruits and mash them up with help of spoon and keep them separately

4. Boil the milk for 15 minutes 

5. Take a small cup, add the boiled milk and add the coarsely grinded dried apricots and mix them thoroughly with a spoon

6. Repeat the above step and mix coarsely grinded cashew nuts, pine nuts, almonds etc and keep them in separate bowls

7. Prepare the kheer.

8. Boil some water and add sugar to prepare the syrup

9. Take a slice of fried bread, apply a spoon of condensed milk, with help of a spoon, spread a layer of milk and coarsely grinded apricot paste and place a slice of fried bread on top of it.

10. Similarly make a sandwich of deep fried bread and paste of milk and almonds

11. Similarly make a sandwich of deep fried bread and paste of milk and walnuts

12. Similarly make a sandwich of deep fried bread and paste of milk and pine nuts

13. Similarly make a sandwich of deep fried bread and paste of milk and cashew nuts

14. Similarly make a sandwich of deep fried bread and paste of milk and dates

15. Similarly make a sandwich of deep fried bread and paste of milk and pistachios

16. Cut the sandwiches into halves diagonally 

17. Place them in the form of a flower on a plate

18. Spread the kheer on each half of the sandwich

19. Pour few drops of the Kewra water into the sugar syrup

20. Pour a spoonful of the sugar syrup of each sandwich

21. Place the silver foil on each of them

KAHWA-MUGHAL CHAI OF KASHMIR VALLEY

 MUGHAL CHAI-GREAT KAHWA TEA FROM THE KASHMIR VALLEY

I hate two horrible guests of mine.They visit me every year during winter months.Any guesses???Nopes. Yes,they are SORE THROAT and COLD.Every year I suffer from them.I need to rely on some medicines.Last year, apart from these recurring and regular guests of mine,I had two EXTRA-ORDINARY Kashmiri guests.I call them my Abujaan and Ammijaan. It would be wrong on my part,if I call them as my guests.However,they were more like my own folks at my home.The moment Ammijaan observed me suffering from bad cold,she jumped into the kitchen immediately and began her preparations.

Both of them were surprised to discover that I never tasted tea in my life.They instructed that I need to get habituated to it.As any other typical Kashmiri individual-who is recognized immediately to their addiction of tea-they were keen that I should begin to consume at least the KASHMIRI TEA.They wanted me to start off with KAHWA. Ammijaan took me to the kitchen by hand,made me stand next to her and asked me to observe the way in which she prepared and brewed the KAHWA for me.So let's start off with the list of ingredients.

INGREDIENTS REQUIRED

• Water-5 cups
• Almonds-7
• Saffron strands-7
• Cinnamon-4 inches long pieces and 3 in number
• Green Cardamom-2
• Sugar-1 teaspoon
• Tea leaves-1/4 teaspoon

STEPS FOR PREPARATION

• Pour water in a kettle.
• Let the water boil for few minutes.
• Add cinnamon pieces
• Let it brew for sometime.
• Add strands of saffron.
• Add crushed green cardamoms.
• Add grated almonds.
• Add tea leaves.
• Let all of them brew for for minutes.
• Add sugar.

She gave me the tea in a cup.She demanded that I should drink it as soon as possible.I hesitated for few minutes.She understood my expressions and delay in taking a sip of it.Slowly I took a sip of it,it was very good and relieving for some time.She told me the benefits of all the ingredients also.She was highly experienced and knew a lot about cooking and different styles of preparation.She was a school principal with HOME SCIENCE as one of her major subjects.No wonder she was good at it.The number of tips and advice given to me for the kashmiri cooking was amazing ones.I would share them all in my blog with time.

Ammijaan also added that I cam simplify the above mentioned recipe for kahwa for daily purposes.According to her,there were more than 30 varieties of KAHWAS prepared in Kashmir and each one of them is different from one another.The recipe for the simplified version of Kahwa is the following-

INGREDIENTS REQUIRED

• Water-3 cups
• Cinnamon-2 to 3 pieces
• Green Cardamoms-1
• Saffron strands-5
• Sugar or Honey(as per the taste)

STEPS FOR PREPARATION

• Boil water in a kettle.
• Add cinnamon, crushed green cardamom and strands of saffron.
• Add sugar or honey.
• Brew it thoroughly.
• Serve in a cup. 

This is the simplest method to prepare the Kahwa.I enjoy this a lot.I thank both of them for grooming me and making me get addicted to Kahwa.The different kinds of teas consumed in Kashmir on daily basis are the following-

a) Lipton Chai-This is the ordinary tea preparation with the non-kashmiri tea leaves.Lipton is one of the brands and generally used in Kashmir.It has nothing to do with the brand name,The people use other brands of tea also in their kitchens.

b) Sheer Kahwa-The above mentioned recipe is called the SHEER KAHWA.The word "SHEER" means sweet due to the addition of sugar or honey.Thus,it received its name as Sheer kahwa.I was wondering if we might replace sugar or honey with dates.I did experiment it also.Prophet Mohammad  liked dates a lot.Thus,I thought let me add DATE SUGAR(the one the Bengalis use).I was successful in it.The tea was awesome.I named it as KHAJOORI KAHWA.I experimented with the coconut sugar also.It was superb.I noticed that both palm date and coconut sugar are not very sweet as the ordinary sugar.I got another recipe called NARIYAL SHEER KAHWA.

c)Mughal Chai-The tea with the addition of other dry fruits served mainly in festivals or marriages or to special guests.Infact I would call it ROYAL TEA.It contains all varieties of dry fruits like raisins,cashew nuts,almonds, walnuts, dried apricots, etc.

d) Noon Chai-This is the most popular and commonly consumed tea of Kashmir.It is specially prepared from KASHMIR TEA LEAVES.These leaves are very different from other tea leaves.I asked Papaji,"Whether these tea leaves were produced in the valley of Kashmir?".He laughed at me  naively and told me that these leaves are produced in Assam like any other tea leaves and consumed only in the Kashmir Valley.I observed Mummyji brewing the leaves for a very long time.let me share the recipe for it.

INGREDIENTS REQUIRED

• Kashmiri tea leaves-5 to 7 tablespoons
• Water-6 to 7 cups
• Baking Soda-1/2 to 1  teaspoon
• Salt-1 to 1 and half teaspoons
• Milk-1 liter 

STEPS FOR PREPARATION

• Pour water in a kettle.
• Boil water.
• Add Kashmiri tea leaves.
• Turn the gas stove to the lower sim level.
• Let the tea leaves steep very well in the water.
• After 10 minutes, add the baking soda.
• Add salt.
• Keep stirring continuously otherwise the water may raise its level and pour out of the kettle.It is wastage of the water and the tea leaves.
• Boil milk in a separate utensil.
• After the tea leaves are properly steeped, add the milk and let the tea brew for some more time.
• Pour the prepared tea in a flask and it is ready to be served whenever it is required.

I have observed that the typical PINK COLOR,which I admire a lot, is due to the addition of baking soda.The richness in the pink color increases as we increase the quantities of the soda in the tea.I was completely astonished to see that the milk did not curdle due to the presence of the salt also.

There was a time,initial learning phase of brewing this tea,I added the milk and after one boil only,I served to Rajoun.The moment he took one sip of it,I thought he would admire and appreciate my task.However,he instantly said,'You should have boiled the milk with tea for some more time".In other words,he meant that I should have steeped and brewed the tea and milk for some more time.The entire time consumed to prepare this NOON CHAI was approximately 1 hour.No wonder why the Kashmiri women prefer to make it in the mornings and store it in large flasks.COOL....