Kashmiri cuisine is one of India’s heritage cuisines, and a recent event in Mumbai highlighted this fact with a large spread prepared by one of the most prominent chefs working on Kashmiri cuisine, Chef Sanjay Raina. The event in Mumbai co-hosted by Eat With India, an organization that curates Indian regional cuisine experiences, and filmmaker Hansal Mehta not only featured select dishes from Kashmir by Chef Sanjay Raina but was also attended by some of the biggest names in the Hindi movie industry.
Apart from Hansal Mehta, the event was attended by Sudhir Mishra, Vidya Balan, Ayushmann Khurrana and many others. In social media posts by both Chef Sanjay Raina and Eat With India, actors Vidya Balan and Ayushmann Khurrana can be seen indulging in the Kashmiri delicacies on offer. Wondering what the menu looked like? Here’s a closer focus on the dishes served.
Video Credit: YouTube/Kashmiri Zaika
Kashmiri cuisine, which is known for rich non-vegetarian dishes, has plenty of curries to offer. Of these, Chef Sanjay Raina chose to feature Chicken Yakhni, a delicious dish with a creamy white gravy, Mutton Rogan Josh, a spicy and rich curry, and a Chicken Curry with plenty of cardamoms. The chef also cooked up a variety of Kofta Curries, and we are sure this included both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options.
Among the vegetarian options, there were two clear standouts. Kashmiri Haak or collard greens are a delicious dish that Chef Sanjay Raina served at the event. Another specialty from Kashmiri cuisine is Nadru Monje, or spicy lotus stem chips. This dish was also served by the reputed chef. It must be noted here that there are many lotus stem dishes that Kashmiri cuisine is famed for, including Nadru Yakhni which is a rich curry. Nadru Monje is, however, a great vegetarian starter from the cuisine and suits the monsoon season well.
For those who don’t know, Chef Sanjay Raina is celebrated as a master of Kashmiri cuisine and Wazwan in particular. He is also known as a playback singer and has been christened the Raja of Remixes. He started Mealability, a brand that promotes Kashmiri food, and is known especially among Bollywood celebrities for his homecooked Kashmiri delicacies.