Kashmir will always remind me of Kashmiri Pulao and a vacation we missed taking. The Kashmiri Pulao was the best that Amma always used to make during our growing up. After I got married, it was never prepared, at least in my kitchen, because Hubby dear can't stand anything sweet in his savory dish. And the Kashmiri Pulao, with all its fruits and nuts, was an absolute no-no for him.

So as you can imagine it was never made at home. While deciding on what to do for Jammu and Kashmir, I was tempted to think of this pulao and wanted to just concentrate on the Bread. Again this seems to be a tough nut to crack and hugely depended on just a handful of sites to get details. As I was reading so much about Kashmir, I remembered about our missed tour some 25 years back and the only dish I ever related to this state being, the Kashmiri Pulao. I am not even sure if it was authentically made here.

Kashmiri cuisine is mostly meat-based, though as with most other Indian States, you will find vegetarian food too. Their cuisine includes locally grown vegetables and fruit like spinach or greens (Haak), turnips, lotus stem (nadir), brinjal, plums, apricots, green apples, etc.

Kashmiri cuisine seems to have been greatly influenced by Persian, Afghani, and Central Asian. And their rich cuisine seems to have stemmed from this. You will also find the Hindu Kashmiri Pandit style of cooking different from the Muslim style of cooking. The famed Kashmiri Wazwan is supposed to be a gourmet experience.

The Wazwan is a multi-course ritualistic meal, mostly meat based, cooked by specially trained “wazas (cooks/ chefs) for festive and celebratory occasions. Kashmiri Muslim cooking is essentially nonvegetarian whereas Hindu cooking includes quite a bit of vegetarian food.

Kashmiri cooking uses a wide range of Indian spices including cinnamon, saffron, cloves, and cardamom. And you will find both rice and wheat being given equal importance in the Kashmiri cuisine.

So while reading on the bread available for me to cook, I came to know about Roth (a sort of dry fruit bread/ cake) and flatbreads like the Kashmiri roti, Khameeri Roti (a sweet yeasted flatbread), Tsot (a breakfast bread), Kulchas, Girda (a Naan-like bread), Lavasa (raisin and nut bread), Sheermal (saffron flavored Naan-like bread). - from Aparna of MydiverseKitchen. Check her post for more elaborate details on Kashmiri Cuisine.

From the lot, I zeroed on Kashmiri Roti and next was the task of deciding which side dish would pair well with this roti. I had a talk with Vaishali and only then I was reminded of her elaborate Kashmiri Thali she had done for my Thali Mela.

Landing on her post to check, clearly told me that it was an exercise that I can never venture completely. So decided on making two different subzis. I know we did a Kashmiri Dum Aloo for Indian Cooking Challenge. However, after reading through Vaishali's elaborate Kashmiri Dum Aloo, I realized it was a different version and one that I should surely make.

The other dish that Vaishali told me that was quite popular is Methi Chaman. Chaman is what Kashmiris call Paneer. And you can know Paneer can never go wrong! I had a couple of Kashmir Paneer noted down somewhere, however, I was keen on making them with Methi.

So it was decided, it was going to be Kashmiri Roti with Kashmiri Dum Aloo and Methi Chaman. All three dishes were so much enjoyed by my entire family. Infact I had my cousin and aunt visiting us and they loved the food, though it took some time to make all these on a weekday!

Whatever the final enjoyment that comes from a satisfying meal is what matters I feel. I wanted to make some traditional dessert along with this, I skipped as I wasn't sure if I would manage.

Sites referred were: Wikipedia, Tarla Dalal, MydiverseKitchen & Vaishali's Ribbon to Pasta

I had referred to Tarla Dalal's recipe for this and Vaishali said this comes out very well. So I didn't think more about this. Like all other Kashmiri preparations, this roti has a delicate blend of spices. The dough is kneaded with milk to bind the dough instead of water as this helps to enrich the roti. You may even add saffron if you desire.

Kashmiri Roti

Ingredients Needed:

Whole wheat flour 1 cup
Cumin seeds 1/4 tsp
Fennel seeds 1/4 tsp
Crushed black pepper 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida a pinch of
Carom seeds 1/2 tsp
Warm milk 3/4 cup
Salt to taste
Ghee for cooking

How to make the Kashmiri Roti

Mix all the ingredients together and knead into a semi soft dough.

Keep covered with a wet muslin cloth for 10 to 15 minutes.

Divide the dough into 3 equal portions and roll out each portion into 1/4" thickness rounds.

Cook on a hot tawa over a low flame, using ghee, till both the sides are golden brown in colour.

Serve hot

Kashmiri Dum Aloo

Kashmiri Dum Aaloo

For the Gravy:

Paste 1

Onions, boiled and pureed - 2 medium

Paste 2

Green Chillies - 2 long
Ginger - 1"
Garlic - 4 cloves

Paste 3

Cashews soaked 8-10
Melon seeds - 1 tbs
Poppy seeds 1 tsp
MW a cup of water for a min and soak all these for 10 mins and make a paste.

Spices to be dry roasted and ground

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Shahi jeera - 1/2 tsp
Black cardamom - 1
Green cardamom - 1
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon - 1
Bay leaf - 1
Fennel seeds - 2 tsp
Whole dry Red chilies - 2
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp

Other Ingredients

Oil + Ghee - 1 tbsp each
Tomatoes, blanched, pureed, and strained - 4 medium
Fresh cream - 2 to 3 tbsp
Kasoori methi - 1 tsp
Salt to taste.

How to make the Aloo Dum Gravy

Heat a nonstick pan with oil and ghee.

Add the onion paste. Saute till pink.

Add paste 2 and give a good stir.

Add the paste 3 and cook till dry.

Add the pureed tomatoes, cook till dry and oil comes out.

Add the ground spices. Mix well. Bring to boil. Add water to get the desired consistency.

Cook on slow fire till a little thick.

Add fresh cream and kasoori methi and switch off-gas.

Place the stuffed potatoes in the serving bowl, microwave for a few minutes.

Pour the prepared gravy.

Garnish.

For Stuffed Potatoes

Large potatoes peeled cut into half - 4 nos

Sprinkle salt on the potatoes.

Deep fry, adjusting the flame from high to medium, so that the potatoes get cooked and yet retain their original color.

Cool and scoop out the center.

For Stuffing

Paneer cottage cheese, grated - 1/2 cup
Unsweetened khoya - 2 tbsp
Kasoori methi - 1 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2
Salt to taste
Few cashews broken into small pieces
Few raisins chopped
Mix all the ingredients and prepare the stuffing.

Make a tight ball of the stuffing and stuff this into the scooped out aloos.

Notes:

As always the measurement that I followed was all eye balled. I have given the reference to what it could be.

I made double the amount mentioned here, so increase as twice you want to do. It served about eight folks.

Since I was serving this dish for my boys, I added 2 cups of roasted paneer pieces.

Also as this was weekday cooking, all I had was just an hour to prep and cook. So in that lost track that I should fry the whole potatoes properly in the beginning. so at the end when I was frying it as a whole, it was taking a lot of time. In the end, it wasn't fully cooked.

So had to MW again for 4 mins all the aloo stuffed paneer and add it back to the gravy.

What will work in a regular time as well would be, fry the whole potato for few mins, so that the top gets crunchy, then MW for 4 mins. This will get the aloo to become soft, you can easily scoop the middle and stuff the paneer and roast again.

This way the aloo paneer stuffed becomes even more delicious.

Methi Chaman

Ingredients Needed:

Methi Leaves - 4 small bunches / 2 cups
Oil + Ghee - 1 + 1 tbsp
Onion, finely chopped - 1 medium
Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Tomato Puree - 1 cup
Cashew paste / powder - 2 tbsp
Kasuri Methi - 2 tbsp
Fennel powder/ crushed coarsely - 1 tsp
Red Chili powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder a pinch
Paneer, cubes roasted in ghee - 250 gms/ 1 & 1/2 cups
Fresh Cream - 2 tbsp

How to make Methi Chaman

Prep and clean the methi and drain well. In a cup of boiling water, add the methi and simmer for 10 mins. Switch off and retain the water as well. Chop into smaller leaves and keep them aside.

In a nonstick pan, heat the oil and ghee. Add finely chopped onions, saute. Then add ginger garlic paste. cook till onions and ginger garlic paste is cooked well.

Then add tomato puree, bring to boil, and cook till the raw smell of tomato is gone.

Add cashew paste/powder. Add the chopped methi. Cook well.

After a couple of mins, add the saved water from the blanched methi.

Add kasuri methi, Sauf powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, salt, and turmeric powder.

Cook everything in the sim and keep stirring.

In another pan, roast the paneer and finally when the gravy is thick as desired, add fresh cream and paneer and cook for 5 -7 minutes for the flavour to be absorbed.

Notes:

The original recipe didn't call for fresh cream.
Fennel powder was to be coarsely ground, I added fine powder.
Since I blanched methi, I had excess water which I didn't want to throw away so added to the gravy.
Not sure if this subji has to be dry, I rather made it thick

This was the fourth state that I cooked a couple of months back and since it was the initial period, I had more time to enjoy and place elaborate meals for a weekday dinner. This was also one of the dishes that everybody whoever ate, enjoyed most.

I will surely have to plan to make this again.

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Recipe

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Kashmiri Roti, Methi Chaman, Kashmiri Dum Aaloo from Jammu and Kashmir

Course Main Dish – Gravies

Cuisine Kashmir

Dish Type Indian Flatbread, Paneer Dishes

Author Srivalli

Tried this recipe?Mention @spicingyourlife_ or tag #spicingyourlife_!

Comments

Usha says

April 10, 2014 at 6:38 pm

I wanted to make dum aloo for J&K and changed my mind. Methi paneer/chaman is on my to try list. Awesome thali. Roti, methi chaman and dum aloo look delicious

Priya Suresh says

April 10, 2014 at 10:22 pm

Seriously love that stuffing part, dum aloo with stuffing is something i want to make since a long, roti and methi chaman looks prefect to have filling dinner. Wonderful spread there.

vaishali sabnani says

April 11, 2014 at 1:42 am

So much food at this hour...I am actually feeling hungry..all the dishes look super hit and I am glad you all enjoyed this meal.Dum Aaloo is time consuming but worth it.

The Pumpkin Farm says

April 11, 2014 at 4:15 am

It is such a strange thing naa...how different states have peculiar tastes...even i have saunf added to my dish..this is a lovely combination

Jayanthi Padmanabhan says

April 11, 2014 at 6:19 am

you did all this on a weekday.. unthinkable for me.. dum aloo looks rich and decadent. The methi paneer looks so creamy.. love all the 3 dishes.. superb platter

Nivedhanams Sowmya says

April 11, 2014 at 6:39 am

love the stuffing... can eat it as is.. I have had dum aloo with stuffing in a restaurant, this looks awesome..

FlavorsAnd ColorsByAparna says

April 11, 2014 at 7:08 am

That's an elaborate meal ,,, lovely pics and nice step by step pics

nandoos Kitchen says

April 11, 2014 at 12:41 pm

yummy, mouthwatering thali. You are making me hungry now..

Varadas Kitchen says

April 12, 2014 at 1:58 am

The mini-meal looks delicious. All the dishes go so well with each other. Nice choice.

Nalini's Kitchen says

April 12, 2014 at 5:51 pm

Wonderful looking spread and dum aloo looks fabulous and perfectly shaped rotis...

Gayathri Kumar says

April 15, 2014 at 4:07 am

Beautiful selection Valli. Dum aloo with stuffed potatoes is very new but I need to try this as it sounds so yumm. Both the roti and methi chaman look so inviting...

Suma Gandlur says

April 17, 2014 at 2:39 am

Those rotis look soft because of the addition of milk to the dough. I saw that stuffed aloo recipe but was not courageous enough to try it. You have done a perfect job.

Harini-Jaya R says

April 18, 2014 at 3:03 pm

The stuffed aloo recipe is too tempting Valli. The rotis look so soft too.

Pavani N says

April 22, 2014 at 9:30 pm

Wow Valli, that is one rich tasting plate of food. Those rotis with all the spices might have tasted amazing and that dum aloo sounds just too good. I make methi chaman quite frequently, but didn't know that it is a Kashmiri dish.

Saraswathi Tharagaram says

April 23, 2014 at 2:10 am

Awesome Valli. I always thought kashimiri dishes are little on sweeter side and I admit it Kashmiri cuisine has wonderful dishes with great taste and your spices roti and stuffing in the aloo make me hungry!!

Chef Mireille says

April 24, 2014 at 2:49 am

dum aloo I have seen so often but yet to try..Yours is tempting me so much

Archana Potdar says

April 25, 2014 at 7:50 am

Ahhhhhhhhh! what a combo. I must try this out. Will surely make it when my sis comes down. She can make rotis 😉 I will handle the rest.

Padmajha PJ says

May 08, 2014 at 2:58 am

You have cooked up a feast. In fact I was thinking of kashmiri pulao and my folks don't like sweet mixed in savory items to dropped the idea. I do remember vaishalis thali! Will have to make the aloo dum..

Sandhya Ramakrishnan says

May 11, 2014 at 2:47 am

Simply wow! All the subzis are just mouthwatering.

Manjula Bharath says

May 27, 2014 at 4:47 pm

omg am seriously feeling hungry ;seeing this kashmiri platter dear 🙂 methi chaman and kashmiri roti looks very yummm , i wanted to try it for long now you have tempted me dear 🙂 Even I can't stand sweet in savoury dish but anything in small quantity I love to enjoy and try 🙂 Waiting to see your mums version of kashmiri pulao now .. Stuffed dum aloo is just outstanding dish of all looks very delicious dear :)love your write up again 🙂

Sapana Behl says

May 29, 2014 at 8:35 am

Such a wonderful spread of authentic Kashmiri cuisine...lovely!

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Kashmiri Roti, Methi Chaman, Kashmiri Dum Aaloo from Jammu and Kashmir

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