Different Kashmiri Spices And Their Uses In Your Cooking

Amir commented, “You can never get the taste of Kashmiri food in Delhi.” I was electrocuted and wanted to know the reason behind it. I heard the people of the Valley remind me again and again that Kashmiri vegetables and dishes can never be found anywhere other than Kashmir. I always introspected on this and wanted to know more about Kashmiri food. This led me to know various things about Kashmiri cuisine, recipes, dishes, vegetables, spices etc.

The genuine Kashmiri cuisine is recognized through the different spices that are added to the various dishes. I never knew this fact, although I have tried many Kashmiri dishes. One fine day, the lady – my guest my Kashmiri – exhibited the contents of the bag. She said, “These are the spices or masalas from the land of Kashmir. They are unique in themselves, in taste and flavor. When I am cooking in your kitchen, I want you to perceive it very carefully.” Hmm, I thought.

He handed me different packages so they could be filled into jars and stored properly. He opened the first package and said: “This is called PUDINI.” She poured them into her palm and wanted her to smell them. They were dried mint leaves. They had a very strong smell. She added: “I bought these leaves in the summer season and dry them in the sun. Once they’re dry, I use them in some dishes during the winter months.” She awesome and she was curious about the dishes in which they are added.

He picked up the next package. It was called KOSHUR MARTSIVAGUN OR KOSHUR MARCHWAGAN. It is in the form of a pod. It is pulverized and used in kitchens. It is a very important ingredient for most dishes where chili powder is added along with the tomatoes for a nice bright red color. It is nothing more than Kashmiri red chili powder. It was absolutely red. He said that this chili powder is not very spicy, however, it gives the typical red color to the dishes.

The next spice was DALCHINI or CINNAMON. It has a unique smell and is added to some dishes to get that special flavor. It is not added in all dishes of Kashmiri cuisine. Only special dishes and drinks call for this spice. I came to know that it is used in different forms-

a) Large pieces of cinnamon

b) Cinnamon pieces

c) Cinnamon powder

d) Cinnamon added directly to boiling water

e) Cinnamon fried in oil or butter (saturated butter)

f) The oil is heated and removed from the heat and then the cinnamon powder or powder is added

g) Cinnamon powder is sprinkled on the plate and the hot oil is poured on top

I was blown away by these simple tips that really give different flavors to the same spice in various dishes.

The other spice in the row was CLOVE. It is called RONG or LAUNG. It can be differentiated in its size and smell. Sometimes even the color is the main difference between KOSHUR RONG and other nails available in India. It is also used in different ways just like cinnamon.

Turmeric is also widely used in Kashmiri dishes. It’s called LAIDER. I observed the difference in the two YELLOW color tones. The koshur cloak is a slightly thinner yellow in color. Turmeric powder available in other states of India is deep yellow in color. Koshur Islamic cuisines do not use laider in all dishes. However, it is added to vegetables, legumes, and meat products while they are boiled in water.

Cumin seeds are called ZEER or Z’UER in the Kashmiri language. There are two varieties available in the markets and they are

a) Slender, slender brown seeds

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b) Brown and slightly thick seeds

Unlike other North Indian dishes, these seeds are not added in all koshur curries or biryanis. Its use is of limited use. In addition to these seeds, there is one more variety that is widely used in Koshur Islamic food. They are deep black in color. They have a characteristic smell and taste. They are expensive too. These are called SHAHI ZEERA. In other words, they are limited to rich and special dishes.

I was shown one more spice. It was called BAED A’EUL. It’s black cardamom. It is used in most of the Islamic koshur cuisine. Again, there are different ways that it is used. It is not used in large quantities. I have observed Kashmiri women wearing one or five in number. He definitely has extraordinary taste and flavor for dishes. I got it when I started cooking more and more Kashmiri dishes at home.

There is one more common spice in Kashmir and other North Indian states. Yes, it’s KASOORI METHI. It is nothing more than the dried leaves of fenugreek. I was surprised to see its use in Koshur Islamic dishes. Again, these sheets are limited to a few dishes only. They really bring the EXCELLENT AROMA to the dish and the moment they are added you can smell their typical fragrance throughout the house. I recognize his scent immediately. One tip I learned about using this spice is that the dried leaves should be crushed and crumbled between our two palms and sprinkled evenly over the curry and coat the utensil or pan instantly. This gives a special smell to the dish.

The lady picked up a packet and told me that the spice is very special. In fact, it is cultivated especially in Kashmir. It is called SAFFRON or KONG or ZAFRAAN. It is SOUL of koshur cuisine. It is added in different dishes of food and drinks as well. It has the special yellow color. In fact, I came to know to identify its authenticity from Rajoun (one of my Kashmiri friends). He took some saffron threads and put them in his mouth. After a few seconds, she opened her mouth and asked me if she could see any color or not. If the color is present on the tip of the tongue, then the saffron is authentic by nature. Otherwise, it is not.

The other package was filled with dried flowers. It is called MAWAL in Kashmiri language. These are dried cockscomb flowers. I used to make the chicken curry. However, I was not convinced by the color of the plate. My home lady informed me that mawal should be added to non-vegetarian dishes to get the typical red color in the dish. That is the secret behind the red color present in some chicken or lamb dishes.

The moment I saw the contents of the package, I screamed at the top of my lungs and recognized that they were coriander seeds. These are called DHANIWAL. My guest told me that dhaniwal is used in the following ways:

a) Fresh coriander leaves

b) Dried coriander seeds

c) Dried coriander leaves

d) Coriander powder

The varieties mentioned above are used to prepare different dishes in Kashmir. The fresh leaves have an extraordinary smell. I observed that these leaves are not chopped or cut into fine pieces with a knife or chopper. They are simply broken into three parts and added to the dishes (obviously after washing the twigs under running water).

The contents of the next packet was a light brown powder. They told me this is called SONTH or SHOUNT. It’s nothing more than dried ginger powder. It is a commonly used spice in the Kashmir valley. Again, its presence is easily identified and added only to special dishes. This is a unique spice found and used in Kashmiri cuisine. It is used by both Islamic and Kashmiri Hindu people.

Another spice that is widely used in genuine Kashmiri food is BAEDYN. It is fennel seed powder. Kashmiri Hindus use both solid and powdered fennel seeds. However, the Islamic people of Kashmir use it only in powdered form. This definitely enhances the taste and smell of the dish.

Green cardamoms are always stored and present in Kashmiri kitchens. They are widely used in many food and drink dishes. It is called A’EUL. I have not observed people using the powdered form. It is crushed and the seeds are simply added to curry or rice. Koshur a’eul are slightly long and slender in shape.

To my surprise, I found tamarind used in cashmere dishes. It’s called TAEMBER. It is spicy and gives that extra touch to the dishes. It is seen on the shelves in the kitchen. It is usually added in sauces and the pulp is extracted from the tamarind.

Praan is another special spice of Kashmiri Islamic cuisines. They are completely different types of onions exclusively available in Kashmir. I came to know that they are very expensive and also not easily available in the Valley. It has a very characteristic smell. It is specially used in WAZWAAN. It is also called shallots.

ZERESHK is another Kashmiri spice. They are the Ordinary Berries and are used in few special dishes. I know for a fact that these seeds are used a lot in Persian dishes. Hence, I understood that these are specially used by the Islamic people of Kashmir rather than Hindus. Its use is limited to certain dishes only.

Apart from these Kashmiri spices, other lesser known spices are listed below:

a) Sesame seeds

b) poppy seeds

c) pomegranate seeds

d) Dried red pomegranate peel

These are not widely used in kitchens. However, its additions to specific dishes are present and known to only a few women.