Kashmiri Kitchen

In Kashmir, the flavor preferences of its Muslim and Pandit communities separate two distinct cuisines. Purnima Kachru guides us through the Kashmiri Pandit kitchen, where cooks eschew alliums such as onions, shallots, and garlic in favor of the resin spice asafoetida. While most brahmin communities in India are strictly vegetarian, Kashmiri Pandits are known for their intensely flavorful lamb and fish dishes. The cuisine hinges on aromatic spice blends with copious amounts of cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, fennel, black cardamom, and of course, asafoetida. Thankfully, the cookbook — despite its compact size — has thorough instructions on preparing garam masala and ver, a paste-like disk of ground spices and mustard oil unique to Kashmiri cuisine. But the best part: "Kashmiri Kitchen" is written by a homemaker with decades of experience, distilled into healthy and tasty recipes that are easy to follow and can be made in little time. Those familiar with the rigors of Kashmiri cooking would know that’s a feat.