In the eighties and early nineties it wasn’t unusual to spot Kashmiri sellers dressed in traditional attire selling smoked fish on the streets of Srinagar. Fae’rie Or phari, the smoked fish winter delicacy from Kashmir still remains a big seasonal favourite, although it’s not as easily available in the city. These dried, smoked fish are essentially varieties of trout that are found in lakes during winter.
It all starts in autumn with the collection of ‘narre gasse’ or wild grass. The grass is brought to fields and dried out, and stacked into a platform on which fish will be laid in layers. The way the grass and fish is stacked is all part of the recipe. The grass is then lit and the flames and smoke will work their magic on the fish.
In Kashmir, one popular way to cook smoked fish is with collard greens, radish, and tomatoes. The preparation begins by cleaning the skin of the smoked fish and frying it in a pan over mild heat until it turns reddish-brown. Simultaneously, the collard greens and tomatoes are cooked with spices. A unique blend of cumin, garlic, cinnamon, black and green cardamom, and clove is added to enhance the dish's flavor.
Once the vegetables are cooked, the smoked fish is combined with them and cooked until all the water is absorbed and the spices meld with the meat. The dish is ready when the aroma of the smoked fish fills the home. Kashmiris prefer to enjoy it fresh with steamed rice, as they believe reheating it diminishes the taste.
Locals believe that faer'ie helps them endure the cold. Every winter, hundreds of kilograms of fish are smoked and sold in Kashmir's markets. However, things are changing, and with each winter, the demand for faer'ie is declining and sales of this smoked delicacy has reportedly declined. Fae-rie is typically cooked with Kashmiri haakh or collards and is eaten with hot steamed rice, paired with lotus stem, radish, dried brinjal, radish etc.