“Just as the soul encompasses the body, so GOD fills the world…
Just as the soul bears the body, so GOD endures the world…
Just as the soul sees but is not seen, so GOD sees but is not seen…
Just as the soul feeds the body, so GOD gives Rizik to the world”
Welcome to the Exclusive world of Wazwan – the heart & soul of Kashmir's Cuisine.
The first thought of Kashmir that comes to mind- snow covered mountains, mesmerizing beauty, hospitality & of course food! Kashmir's cuisine would feel barren & incomplete without mentioning wazwan. Yes! WAZWAAN – valley’s traditional culinary practices and cultural identity. A perfect example of exemplary Kashmiri hospitality.
Wazwan is a true gourmet pilgrimage into the realms of a cuisine and a culture that is unique to Kashmir alone.
A gourmet delight, Wazwan is the ultimate name in Kashmir's banquet.
What makes the Kashmir's Cuisine special is the detailed preparation and traditional presentation of sumptuous meals, which comprises of 36 courses, prepared by the master chef known as the Wasta Wazaa, and his retinue of Wazas. They alone are privy to the secret combination of using local herbs & spices such as: Dry mint leaves (pudina/pudn’e), Cinnamon (dalchini), Clove (laung/roung), Turmeric (haldi,laider), Cumin seeds (jeera/z’uer), Black Cardamom (bari elaichi/baed a’eul), Dry-fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi), Saffron (zafran/kong), Dry-cockscomb flower (mawal), Coriander (dhaniya/dhaniwal), Dry-ginger powder (sonth/shount), Fennel seeds (saunf/baedyn), Green cardamom (choti elaichi/aeul), Tamarind (imli/taember), Shallots (praan), Currant Berries (zereshk), Red chilli pepper (lal mirch/Koshur marchwagan).
Chefs are industriously working to live up to their reputation of preparing the grand wazwaan feast. The heat saps energy, but there is work to be done!
The ceremonial Wazwaan is served in intricately carved platters called “TARAMIS” (largish copper plates) as four of you sit on the ground, nearer to Mother Nature. The meal begins with a ritual of washing hands in a mobile basin called the Tasht-a-nari where the hosting family youngsters help the guests in a customary fashion by laying the Dastar’khwan in an orderly manner, helping the guests with an assortment of refreshments, serving the wazwaan tarami, while the Waza serves his courses in a preset order. All this is done under the supervision of the smiling family elders.
Kashmiri copper-ware flaunts fine artistic work & intricate carving by skilled craftsmen who have crafted it to precision in a painstaking way
Kebabs (lamb skewers), tabak maaz (ribs deep fried), methi-maaz (minced meat) and wazaa chicken is artfully arranged on top of a bead of fragrant white rice.
Tasting a delicate piece of kebab is pleasurable treat, wanting more with every bite. A true wazaa Kebab melts in your mouth, as the mint laced with special kebab spices and the mushiness of the hand ground meat comes together. You are sure to feel an exotic taste with very bite & the words that often comes to my mind are… Oh My God – Yummy!
One bite of crispy tabak maaz gives you a divine feeling of melting fat mixed with crisp top layer of the lamb rib that covers the tender meat under it, mellow flavors often mixed with white aromatic musq’a'budhuj (Kashmiri exotic white rice) gets taste buds ready for the next appetizing flavor. It is a perfect appetizer which is both tasteful & aromatic.
Rib Racks in Ghee with sweet fat lodged between lacquered slips of meat.
Each successive course is served leisurely, to allow you to savor its distinct flavor.
Rista (Meat-balls in red gravy) is a delicious culinary delight with a ladeful of light spicy gravy. The red hot gravy smears the mutton to make it a delight for mutton lovers. Hand ground, hand beaten by a masher made of wood, by a Junior chef popularly known as the wazaa kout, whose task is to ensure that the grounded meats have a unique Rista texture. These finely grounded meat balls are then forwarded to the master chef, who ensures that they are finely cooked in his closely held secret mixture of spices.
Rista (Meat-balls in red gravy) is a delicious culinary delight with a ladeful of spicy gravy.
Rogan Josh, Aromatic lamb dish of Persian origin, which is one of the signature recipe of Kashmiri cuisine around the world. Its signature red color is historically the result of mild red Kashmiri chilies. Perfect blend of spices marry so well, you feel fragmentation of flavors in your mouth. The rich red color gravy makes you wanting more. The tenderness of the meats is the result of Wasta Wazaa’s meat selection and his signature cooking style.
Rogan Josh - Aromatic lamb dish cooked in Kashmiri lal mirch.
Gushtaba Mutton minced with spices, shaped into balls and cooked in flavorful yogurt gravy with some delectable herbs. The golden gravy is tingling & makes you want to retain the flavor for long. The style of making is similar to that of the Rista, except for using larger quantity of lamb fat. Gushtaba is the final dish in the multi-course feast and is a mark by the wasta wazaa that the feast has come to an end.
Gushtaba - Delicacy cooked in flavorful yogurt gravy.
All these delicacies make ‘wazwaan’ a spectacular and royal repast.
Just a few weeks ago, it seemed impossible for – Kashmiri’s living outside of Kashmir and wazwaan lovers, to buy them. Now, with ready to eat pouches introduced in the market by Royal Heritage, it has become easy to enjoy this delicacy.
Using the FDA Approved Technology in Food Processing combined with the traditional ways of cooking Wazwan, Royal Heritage Foods cater to the Taste Buds of Wazwan lovers across the globe. Presented in ready to eat “Pouch Laminates”, the delicacies are 100% natural with no preservatives added.
Go ahead, imbibe the assortment of WAZWAN spices and let it glow on your cheeks.