Food From Paradise
Wazwan does not scream for attention. Multiple flavours take over, bit by bit, without much fanfare.
While I have had Kashmiri cuisine on several occasions, I did not know that I was in for a surprise when I decided to dine at Kolahoi, the pop-up restaurant at the Manor.
Chef Rajeev Malhotra asked me basic questions about my preferences, before he mildly suggested that I brace myself for what’s to come. While I sipped on pomegranate shikanji, Chef Rajeev created a bit of a drama when he introduced the tarami to me. “Over a dozen dishes are served with fragrant rice. A wazwan can have over 36 courses too,” he said. The server brought the traditional tarami, an intricately carved silver platter with a dome-like lid. A gush of fragrance reached my nostrils as he removed the lid. The flavours of rogan josh and tabak maaz first feels subtle, slowly taking their full flavours. The spinach preparation took me by surprise. Not only the green colour remained untouched, I could taste its real flavour.
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Each successive course was served leisurely that allowed me to savour distinct flavours. The highlight of the meal was definitely the gushtaba, which are meatballs cooked in two kinds of gravy. The one with red Kashmiri chillies and other in spicy yoghurt gravy. Gushtaba is, usually, the last one to be served. “There is a special way of pounding the meat to prepare it. The meat has to be freshly cut. Only then it absorbs the spices well,” he said. The flavours spoke volume about the delicate culture it is associated with. I finished off my meal with phirni served in earthen plates, and I plead guilty... of gluttony.
The pop-up is on till January 2018 at The Manor, New Delhi.
From the December 2017 issue of L’Officiel India.
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