Mutton Rista

          This is a traditional Kashmiri delicacy where mutton balls are cooked in an onion-yoghurt based gravy. This exotic dish forms an integral part of a Wazwan (Kashmiri platter) and is often served in weddings and special occasions. 

          Fennel powder and dry ginger powder are the dominant spices in this recipe. It is a great party recipe and best relished with Kashmiri pulao, plain steamed rice, some helping of Biryani or any Indian fried flat bread. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it. 

Mutton Balls - 

• 250-300 gms. mutton mince
• 1/2 tsp. ginger powder (sonth)
• 1 tsp. fennel powder
• 1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
• salt to taste

Mutton Yakhni -

• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups water
• 3-4 cloves
• 1 star anise
• 2-3 cardamom 
• 1" cinnamon stick
• 1-2 dry red chilies
• 1/2 tsp. fennel powder
• 1/2 tsp. ginger powder (sonth)
• pinch of salt

Gravy - 

• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 tbsp. ghee
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 1" ginger
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp. roasted coriander-cumin powder
• 1/2 cup yoghurt, well beaten
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

           Mutton Balls - Mix together the mince, salt to taste, fennel powder, cardamom powder and ginger powder. Shape into marble sized balls. Keep aside.

          Mutton Yakhni - Boil 2 cups of water along with a pinch of salt, bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon, cardamoms, dry red chilies, star anise, dry ginger powder and fennel powder. Drop prepared mutton balls and cook, covered on a low flame for 15 minutes.

          Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a pan. Stir fry the onion, ginger and garlic till light brown. Set aside to cool and then blend into a smooth paste. 

         Heat remaining oil and ghee. Add the onion paste and sauté till the oil separates. Add all the dry spices mixed with some water. Continue to stir fry for a few seconds. 

          Now add the beaten yoghurt and mix well. Sauté for a minute. Then transfer the cooked mutton balls and the stock. Simmer for 4-5 minutes. 

          When done, add coriander leaves and switch off the flame. Serve with hot steamed rice, Kashmiri pulao or any Indian bread.

                  Heat 1 tbsp. oil & stir fry onion, ginger & garlic till light brown. Set aside
                  to cool & then blend into a smooth paste. 

                 Mix all mentioned ingredients under (Mutton Balls). Shape into equal sized
                 balls. Keep aside.

                  Boil 2 cups of water along with all mentioned ingredients under (Mutton                                            Yakhni). 

                               Drop prepared mutton balls & cook, covered for 15 minutes.

                   Heat remaining oil & ghee. Add onion paste & sauté till the oil separates. 

                      Add all dry spices mixed with some water. Stir fry for a few seconds. 

                                 Add beaten yoghurt & mix well. Sauté for a minute. 

                             Transfer cooked mutton balls & stock. Simmer for 4-5 minutes. 

                                  When done, add coriander leaves & switch off the flame.

                             Serve with hot steamed rice, Kashmiri pulao or any Indian bread.

Kashmiri Saag

          This is a simple and a quick Kashmiri style spinach stir fry. It is also healthy with lots of garlic in it. Few prominent Kashmiri spices like cardamom, dry ginger powder (sonth), fennel powder and asafoetida are used in this recipe. It is cooked in mustard oil for an authentic touch. You can relish this yummy saag with roti / chapatti or steamed rice. 

          Spinach has a lot of health benefits as it improves the blood glucose level in diabetic patients, is rich in vitamin K, A and C and contains a lot of iron, protein, minerals and fibre. 

          So it is recommended to include greens like spinach, etc in our daily diet. So what better way than to prepare this super easy Kashmiri saag and relish as desired. 

• 2-3 bunches of spinach, washed, drained & chopped
• 1-2 tbsp. mustard oil 
• 2 dry red chilies
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 2-3 cardamoms
• 7-8 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp. fennel powder
• 1 tsp. dry ginger powder

          Heat oil in a pan till it reaches smoking point. Reduce the flame and temper with red chilies, cumin seeds, cardamom and garlic. Saute till the garlic changes colour. (Reserve some of the garlic pieces for garnishing).

          Add all the dry spices and give it a stir. Now add the chopped spinach and continue to cook on a medium flame till all the moisture has been absorbed.

          Switch off the flame. Transfer the saag to a serving dish and garnish with the remaining fried garlic. Serve as a side dish with roti / chapatti or plain steamed rice for a great comfort meal. 

Mutton Yakhni Pulao (Kashmiri Cuisine)

          This is a traditional Kashmiri style Mutton Yakhni Pulao. Light on the tummy, it is an absolute delicacy and mouth watering. This pulao is cooked in mutton stock and with few aromatic spices thrown in. It is very flavorful and is a great party recipe. You can serve it during special occasions with some raita or/and gravy. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 500 gms. mutton with bones, cubed
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 1" ginger, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp. coriander seeds
• 1 & 1/2 tbsp. fennel seeds
• 1 mace
• 2 whole red chilies
• 1" cinnamon stick
• 3 green cardamoms
• 4 cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• salt to taste
• 2 & 1/2 cups water

Tempering - 

• 1 tbsp. ghee
• 1 tbsp. oil
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 1" cinnamon stick
• 2 green cardamoms
• 3 cloves
• 1/2 mace
• 1-2 onion, sliced
• 1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 1 & 1/2 cups basmati rice, soaked in water for 30 minutes
• pinch of nutmeg powder
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp. fried onions to garnish
• 1 tbsp. melted ghee to garnish (opt)

           
          Make a potli (bouquet garni) with coriander seeds, fennel seeds, mace, bay leaves, red chilies, cinnamon, cardamoms and cloves. 

          Pressure cook mutton, onion, ginger, garlic, 2 & 1/2 cups water, salt to taste and the spice potli (bouquet garni) for 15-20 minutes on a low flame after the first whistle. 

         Discard the whole spices potli and separate the yakhni (stock) from the mutton pieces. Keep them aside. 

          For the tempering - Heat the butter and oil and temper with bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves and cardamoms. Add the onion and fry till light brown. 

          Then add the ginger-garlic paste and continue to saute till the raw smell disappears. Now add the soaked and drained rice and fry for 1-2 minutes.

          Add 2 cups yakhni (stock), mutton, pinch of nutmeg powder and salt to taste. Pressure cook for one whistle. 

          Garnish with fried onion and a drizzle of some ghee. Serve with raita and gravy (opt).

                      Pressure cook mutton, onion, ginger, garlic, 2 & 1/2 cups water, salt to taste 
                      & the spice potli for 15-20 minutes on a low flame after the first whistle. 

                      Discard the whole spices potli & separate the yakhni (stock) from the mutton                                    pieces. Keep them aside. 

           

                     Heat butter & oil. Temper with bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves & cardamoms. 
                    

                                             Add the onion and fry till light brown. 

                        Add the ginger-garlic paste & sauté till the raw smell disappears.

                          Now add the soaked and drained rice and fry for 1-2 minutes.

                     Add 2 cups yakhni (stock), mutton, pinch of nutmeg powder & salt to taste. 
                     

                                          Pressure cook for one whistle. 

                      Garnish with fried onion & a drizzle of some ghee.

                                  Serve with raita & gravy (opt).

Kashmiri Pulao

          My first try at preparing this traditional Kashmiri style pulao, loaded with dry fruits and cooked in saffron infused milk. It is a very easy recipe and quite popular in many restaurants. Though it slightly differs from the usual pulao as it has minimum of spices, is slightly towards the sweeter side due to the presence of dry fruits and is non spicy. 

          Few chopped fresh fruits, fried paneer cubes and fried onion may be used to garnish this exotic rich pulao. It can be served as a party main course along with any veg. / non-veg. side dish or raita. So present this yummy pulao on the dining table at your next in-house dinner party.

• 1/2 cup Basmati rice, soaked for 30 minutes
• 2-3 tbsp. ghee
• 1/2 cup mixed nuts
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds 
• 1" cinnamon stick
• 2 cardamoms
• 4 cloves
• 1 bay leaf 
• 1/2 mace
• 1 star anise
• 1/4 tsp. peppercorns
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1/2 tsp. dry ginger powder
• 1 tsp. fennel powder
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
• salt to taste 
• 1 cup milk
• pinch of saffron

          Soak the saffron in the milk for 15-20 minutes. Heat ghee and stir fry the mixed nuts till light golden in colour. Drain and keep aside. 

          Temper the same ghee with bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, mace, peppercorns, star anise and cumin seeds. Sauté for a few seconds. 

          Add the onion and stir fry till translucent. Add all the powdered spices, followed by the drained rice. Sauté for 1-2 minutes. 

          Add the saffron milk, 3/4 of the fried nuts and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Switch off the flame and keep it covered for 15-20 minutes more. Serve, garnished with the remaining nuts.



Note - 
1.  You may skip cooking in milk and use water instead. Your choice. 

Kashmiri Rogan Josh

           This is a yummy Kashmiri Mutton curry, where I have used some onions. The Kashmiri Pandits traditionally cook without any onion or garlic. Whereas the Kashmiri Muslims do make use of them. Mustard oil is the medium of cooking but it is also cooked in ghee in many restaurants. 

            The addition of Kashmiri chili powder, fennel powder, ginger powder and asafoetida brings out the real flavor of this dish. It goes well with Kashmiri pulao, plain steamed rice, naan or kulcha. So check the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this great party treat.

          There are obviously many versions to this extremely yummy mutton curry. It differs from individual to individual and from one restaurant to the other. Sometimes tomatoes are also added to it. 

          To get the original fiery red color, a good amount of Kashmiri red chili powder and Ratan Jyot, a root from a plant is used. The latter is not available here, so had to skip it. 

          Generous amount of mustard oil / ghee is used in the preparation, but I used less amount of oil and it tasted very delicious even with less oil. The dominant flavor comes from the use of ginger powder and fennel powder, the two main ingredients in any Kashmiri cuisine. 

• 600 gms. mutton with bones
• 3 tbsp. mustard oil
• 3-4 cardamoms
• 1" cinnamon stick
• 5-6 cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup yoghurt
• 1 tsp. dry ginger powder
• 1 tbsp. fennel powder
• 1/2 tsp. asafoetida
• 2 tbsp. Kashmiri red chili powder
• 1 tsp. cumin powder
• 1 tsp. garam masala powder
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. cardamom powder
• pinch of saffron
• 2 tbsp. kewra water

           Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a pan and fry the onion to golden in color. Drain and keep aside to cool. Make a potli with the whole spices. Soak the saffron in the kewra water.

           Blend together onion, yoghurt and all the dry spices (except cardamom powder, saffron and salt) into a smooth paste. Keep aside.

          Heat remaining oil and fry the mutton till light brown. Now add the onion paste. Cover and cook till the oil separates. 

          Add 1 cup water, salt and the potli with all the whole spices. Pressure cook for 20-25 minutes on a low flame after the first whistle. When the pressure is released open the lid and discard the potli.

          Add the cardamom powder and saffron. Cover and simmer till you get the desired consistency. Switch off the flame and serve with Kashmiri pulao, plain steamed rice, naan or kulcha.

                      Heat 1 tbsp. oil & fry onion to golden in colour. Drain & keep aside to cool. 

                        Heat remaining oil & fry the mutton till light brown. 

                        Now add the onion paste. 

                        Cover and cook till the oil separates. 
         

                      Add 1 cup water, salt & the potli with the whole spices. Pressure cook for 
                      20-25 min. on low flame after the first whistle. Then discard the potli.

                    Add cardamom powder & saffron. Cover & simmer till a desired consistency. 

                              Serve with Kashmiri pulao, plain steamed rice, naan or kulcha.