Shab Deg

S hab Deg or Shab Daig is a Kashmiri dish consisting of turnip and mutton stew, traditionally left to simmer overnight for intense flavour and the correct thickness. The dish derives its name from the Persion words ‘shab’ meaning night and ‘daig’ meaning cooking pot. The vessel is ideally heavy-bottomed and placed atop a charcoal fire for maximum flavour. It’s typically served with Jeera Rice or Naan, Boondi Raita, and onion salad.

A recipe that’s largely forgotten today, Shab Deg is not an ideal starting point for the novice cook, being rather complicated and strenuous to make. To make it, one needs boneless mutton, mutton mince, turnips, garlic paste, turmeric powder, salt, saffron, kewra water, cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, ghee, sliced onions, ginger paste, raw papaya ground, garam masala, cumin powder, caraway seeds, red chilli powder, yoghurt, cream, almond paste, lemon juice, ver (Kashmiri garam masala), and black pepper powder.

Although the dish is losing prominence and its existence is threatened today, mention of Shab Deg brings back warm memories to those from older generations. "Mother would call the entire family to the kitchen, which had a cooking and eating space. Beaming with confidence, she would carefully remove the lid of the vessel as all of us held our breath to see if her nightlong toil had produced the desired result. The flavour of the dish would fill the entire kitchen and that would prompt us to line up for the feast. It still kindles memories of my youth and childhood," says Haji Muhammad Sidiq of the Chanduna village.