Eid feast with a Kashmiri twist: Recipes for a delicious celebration 

This Eid, try something different and indulge yourself in some luscious Kashmiri delights. From fragrant biriyani to succulent mutton, soft, spiced potatoes and a refreshing dessert, these recipes will take you straight on a trip to Kashmir.

KASHMIRI BIRIYANI

Ingredients

1½ cups basmati rice

700g mutton

4 tbsp clarified butter (ghee)

1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

2 bay leaves

6-8 cloves

5-6 cardamom pods

1 cinnamon stick

5-6 green chillies

1 tsp salt

2 tsp caraway seeds

1 tsp fennel powder

½ tsp mace

¼ cup curd

2 tbsp milk

A few drops of rosewater

A pinch of saffron

Method

Soak the rice in water. In a separate pan, add a couple of tablespoons of butter followed by ginger-garlic paste, bay leaves, cloves, cardamom pods, green chillies, and one cinnamon stick. Let the spices sizzle and then add in the mutton. Next, add 1-2 cups of water and close the lid. Let this cook for about 30-40 minutes until the meat is tender.

Once done, remove the whole spices and strain the liquid. In a separate pan, add two tablespoons of butter followed by caraway seeds. Once they are sizzling, add the mutton back in along with salt, fennel powder, mace, and curd and stir everything. After that, add the drained mutton stock back in and add the soaked rice into it.

Let this cook until the rice puffs up. Add the saffron strands to warm milk and add this mixture to the rice. Finally, add a few drops of rosewater and let this cook for another 10-15 minutes. Serve warm! 

MUTTON ROGAN JOSH

Ingredients

4 tbsp mustard oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

6-7 cloves

½ tsp asafoetida  

7-8 cardamom pods

4 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

2 tsp salt

3 tsp dried ginger powder

3 tsp fennel powder

¼ cup curd

1 tsp garam masala

800g mutton

1 ½ cup water

Method

In a pan, heat mustard oil to the smoking point and then reduce the flame. To this, add cumin seeds, cloves, and asafoetida and stir. Then add in the mutton pieces and sear them on high heat for two minutes. Next, add cardamom pods and fry the mutton pieces for 4-5 minutes on medium heat. Then, add Kashmiri chilli powder and salt and cook again for 2-3 minutes on low heat.

Finally, add the ginger powder and fennel powder, and cook this until the oil separates. Pour in the curd and cook again for a couple of minutes. Lastly, add the garam masala and mix. Add water and let this simmer for 40-45 minutes until the meat is fully cooked and tender.

DUM ALOO

Ingredients

7-8 medium potatoes

1 tbsp + 1 tsp salt

1 tbsp + 1tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder

4 tbsp oil

1 tsp garam masala

200g curd

½ tsp ginger powder

1 tbsp chilli paste

½ tsp asafoetida 

½ tsp turmeric

Method

Boil the potatoes and peel them, then coat them in chilli powder and salt and toss them in a pan with hot oil until they are roasted. In a bowl, mix garam masala, ginger powder, and chilli paste with the curd and combine. Add oil to a pan and then add asafoetida powder, turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder and stir.

Then, add in the curd mixture and season with salt. Close the lid and cook until the oil separates. After that, add in the roasted potatoes, then cover and cook for about 10 minutes. Once the potatoes are tender and coated in a thick sauce, they are ready.       

ROSE SHRIKHAND

Ingredients

1½ cup hung curd

1½ tbsp sugar

½ tsp cardamom powder

A pinch of nutmeg

1 tbsp rose syrup

1 tbsp slithered almonds

1 tbsp slithered pistachios

Pomegranate and raisins for garnishing

Method

Mix sugar with the hung curd until fully combined and set aside for 10-12 minutes. Then, add cardamom powder and nutmeg and mix again. Next, strain this mixture through a fine mesh sieve, and add the nuts. Mix everything well to get a smooth paste and finally, add the rose syrup and swirl it in.

Give the mixture one final mix, and serve it in individual dessert cups. Garnish with pomegranate and raisins and let it chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before serving.

By Fariha Amber

Photo: Fariha Amber