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Gushtaba: This is another signature
meatball dish and signifies the end of the
feast. Cooked in yogurt and spices this
helps in digesting the several heavy dishes
consumed earlier. It is quite similar to the
Rista (red curry) but is less spicy and the
yogurt aroma is really appetising. While
both are made of pounded meat paste,
the difference is the size of the meatballs
and the curry it is cooked in. Gushtaba is
usually a large meatball and is served 1 per Kashmiri chillies
trammi which is enough for all four. It is not cooking styles as the Wazwan rely heavily
unusual to have a Gushtaba of about 250 on shallots (Pran as it is locally called),
gms or more. onion and garlic. The Pandits did not use
these till very recently and use a lot of
Two variations asafoetida (hing) to flavour food as well as
Around the time this traditional cooking dried ginger and crushed fennel (saunf)
style came to Kashmir, the area was powder. There are hardly any common
overwhelmingly Hindu and so there came dishes between the two cooking styles
about two variations of the feast – the apart from maybe the all-time favourite,
Wazwan (Muslim) and Wazwoor (Hindu). the Rogan Josh. Even this differes in style
Unlike the Wazwan, the large Hindu food of preparation. The Muslim style involves
gathering is commonly known as Sal. boiling of the meat in oil and masalas,
The Kashmiri Pandits cooking is done where as the Hindu style involves braising.
mostly in earthen pots of baked clay. The Neither of the two styles involves tomato,
clay Deg is used for all types of vegetarian something which restaurants across India
and non-vegetarian cooking and imparts use predominantly. Similarly very little
a special flavor and taste to the dishes. chillies are used and instead they use the
Thus the taste, spices and cooking style is Mawal (cockscomb powder) to give the
quite different from Wazwan. Another big dishes the red colour. The Pundit Sal does
difference in the Pandit cooking is the use not have Rista or Goshtaba or for that
of more vegetables, paneer and fruit in their matter Tabak Maaz but instead has one
cooking. of the yummiest mutton dishes – Matsh.
Kashmir in those days was a Sharda Peeth This and the absolutely amazing Dum Aloo
– a seat of learning and Kashmiris were (please see recipe I learnt from a master
strict followers of the Shastras, mostly chef) can easily be their signature dishes.
Brahmins who followed strict guidelines. Frankly, both cuisines are simply lip-
In fact Kashmir got its name from Rishi smacking and no other feast comes even
Kashyap. With detailed knowledge and close.
medicinal and aromatic values of all spices The other difference is that while the
(local or imported) the Pandit cooking relies Wazwan is eaten by four people using a
very heavily on these in their cooking style. Trammi, the invitees at a Sal use individual
This is another very important difference in bronze plates. The common thing is that in
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #17 | NOVEMBER 2020 39
