Ice Cream Parlour + Art Gallery
Posted on 19. May, 2010 by David in Blog, Culture, Food/Drink, Kashmir
Ice cream and art lovers have a new place to check out in Srinagar, Kashmir. Creambell Ice Cream Parlour recently opened featuring a variety of ice cream plus an art gallery in the back section of the restaurant called Mahatta Art Café. This new parlour is located on Residency Road under Mahatta Photo Studio near the General Post Office (letter A on map below).
While the ice cream is good, the thing I was most excited about is the space for the art gallery. Currently the gallery is showing photographs taken by the late Mr. Ram Chand Mehta. Mr. Mehta founded the original Mahatta Studio in Srinagar way back in 1918. The photos on display range from 1934-1965 and are a fascinating look back in time at the Valley of Kashmir.
I had seen a larger exhibition of Mr. Mehta’s photos in Delhi a few years ago when my friend Matt Brandon first made me aware of these classic photos. While not much of a photographer myself, I certainly appreciate the history captured through Mr. Mehta’s lens.
There is a flyer inside the parlour indicating that the art gallery is open to any artist who would want to display her/her works. Hopefully this new space will help local artists display and promote their various works. If you’re in Srinagar, come check it out to enjoy some ice cream and local art.
Harissa – Only In The Winter
Posted on 28. Jan, 2010 by David in Blog, Food/Drink, Kashmir, Winter
Winter in Kashmir provides an opportunity to enjoy harissa, a unique Kashmiri dish. Harissa is only made during the cold winter months, and it usually is found early in the morning in little cafes packed with men enjoying this special food. Women also enjoy it as families occasionally prepare and serve it in their homes.
Harissa is somewhat hard to describe. It’s basically meat (mutton) cooked for a long time and then pulled off the bone. This very soft meat is then mixed with some uncooked rice, water, and spices. The mixture is stirred and stirred until it becomes mushy and smooth. To serve, hot oil is poured on top and then you scoop it up with fresh bread from the bakery.
If you’re visiting Kashmir in the wintertime you should definitely ask a local to take you to a harissa shop as it’s a fun experience only found in this time of year.
Earlier this month I went with a Kashmiri friend to a popular harissa shop in the old city near the shrine of Shah Hamdan. My photos didn’t turn out too great as the shop was a little steamy and my camera lens got fogged up, but here are some pics plus an extra one I took a while back at a neighbor’s house.
Kashmiri Kahwa Chai Recipe
Posted on 20. Jan, 2010 by David in Blog, Food/Drink, Kashmir
A while back I had written about the different types of chai people in Kashmir drink. One of them was Kahwa, sometimes called Kashmiri chai.
As a further resource for you avid chai drinkers out there, here’s a Kahwa recipe written up by my wife.
Boil 4 cups of water with green cardamom (3-4 pods, cracked), cinnamon stick (1/2 inch piece), and 2 tablespoons sugar for 5-10 minutes or until fragrant. Take off heat and add 3 teaspoons loose green tea and cover for 1-2 mins – just until color turns slightly darker. Strain and serve with slivered almonds in bottom of cup and sugar to taste (no milk).
For saffron Kahwa, instead of adding green tea use 2-3 strands of saffron and cover for 2-3 mins or until color turns golden. Strain and serve with slivered almonds and sugar to taste (no milk).
Making Kahwa is an art so experiment with amounts of spices until you come up with your favorite way to make it. You may like certain spices stronger or more/less sugar, and color is also important. Saffron Kahwa has the golden color so depending on the quality and source of the saffron you may need more/less or longer time covered. Regular Kahwa is usually not too dark in color and especially not too brown from cinnamon so experiment to see how adjusting the cinnamon affects color. If color is too dark, try adding a drop of lemon juice (a trick I learned from a Kashmiri friend).
Enjoy!
Bizarre Foods – Delhi
Posted on 10. Oct, 2009 by David in Blog, Food/Drink
If you’re a fan of the Bizarre Foods show on the Travel Channel, look for this episode from Delhi. It first aired last year, but I think they keep re-running various episodes so you still may be able to check it out. You can view highlights from the episode here (scroll to the bottom to find the Delhi highlights), and read the show’s blog about it here.
The reason I’m recommending it is that one of the foods featured on the show is a 36 course Kashmiri Wazwan. If that wets your appetite, why not make some plans to come enjoy the Wazwan in the beautiful Valley of Kashmir?
Three, Maybe Four, Cups of Chai
Posted on 30. Jul, 2009 by David in Blog, Culture, Food/Drink, Kashmir
Kashmiris love their chai (tea). It’s an essential part of their culture and hospitality. My wife and I have grown to love chai too, and it’s one of the things we miss the most when we’re out of Kashmir. Not only the chai itself, but the chai time, when you can relax and enjoy the hospitality and interaction with your host.
Many of our tour participants also come to appreciate chai and its central role in Kashmiri culture. Soon after they arrive in Srinagar and check in on their houseboat they are served their first cup of chai. By the time they leave we are often asked, “Where can I buy the stuff I’ll need to keep making this when I return home?”
Kashmir has three main types of chai, along with a special fourth one. We like to have our groups taste each of the three main types – Lipton chai, noon chai, and kahwa. The fourth one is doud kahwa, which adds milk to the kahwa, and is usually only served at special events like weddings.
Lipton chai is the term most Kashmiris use for the simple chai combination of black tea, milk, and sugar. It’s not necessarily the Lipton brand, but that brand has somehow become associated with this standard cup of chai in Kashmir.
Noon chai means salt tea, and this variety of chai is the one some tourists might not take a liking to at first. Noon chai is green tea with salt, milk, and a small pinch of baking soda which gives the chai a pinkish color. Since most Westerners typically think sweet when they’re drinking chai, the key to drinking noon chai is to expect something more like a soup broth than sweet chai. Noon chai is my wife’s favorite in Kashmir, and she especially likes it when cream is added to the chai.
Kashmiri Noon Chai
Kahwa is also green tea, but a different type than for noon chai. In addition to the green tea, kahwa typically has cardamom, cinnamon, sugar, and slivered almonds. Kahwa also can be specially made with saffron, in which case the green tea isn’t even needed (chai without chai?!). This type of chai is my favorite, and while it can be enjoyed the whole year, sipping on a hot cup of it in the cold winter (or on a cold night while trekking) is especially satisfying.
Ingredients for Kashmiri Kahwa - cinnamon, green tea, saffron, and cardamom
When you visit Kashmir make a goal to try out these three main kinds of chai with Kashmiris. It will be a fun way to experience the culture. If you’re lucky you might even get invited to a wedding and get to taste doud kahwa.
