A TRIO of ‘Wazwan’ chefs led by Rayees Khan has joined executive chef Sachin Malik to curate a multi-course menu in a festival of Kashmiri food at the Jashan Restaurant in Wyndham Garden Juffair.
Chef Malik told the GDN that he choose to feature Kashmiri cuisine as it boasts a very high degree of sophistication with its distinct flavours and cooking techniques and is not readily available in Bahrain.
“Wazwan is a multi-course Kashmiri meal, usually prepared at weddings and on other festive occasions. Most of the dishes are meat-based using lamb or chicken.
“The wazas, or cooks, are trained for years to learn the art of making the right cuts and grounding the meat to perfection, which is what we are recreating here,” he explained.
“The meat is tenderised slowly using wooden mallets and all the spices are ground by hand using a mortar and pestle to retain the aromas and flavours,” added Chef Rayees who comes from a long line of Kashmiri wazas who have been dishing out delicacies for generations.
“We have brought essential ingredients like saffron, spices and dried fruit from Kashmir to ensure that diners get the authentic taste and I was very happy to hear from local Kashmiris who tried our food that it reminded them of home,” he added.
The special menu comprises 51 dishes starting with soups, known as shorba in Kashmiri.
Wazwan mains including Roghan Josh
The chef recommends ‘Pache ka shorba’, a broth of slow-cooked lamb trotters flavoured with pounded ginger and garlic.
There are 10 kinds of appetisers or starters, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian, with ‘Murgh Tujj’ – barbecued chicken chunks marinated with Kashmiri spices – and Prawn Kanti, stir-fried prawns with onions and tomatoes being the must-try dishes along-side Nadru kebab – Lotus stem patties – as one of the unique vegetarian dishes.
Among the 16 dishes in mains, the chef recommends ‘Rogan Josh’, a lamb-based dish, cooked in a gravy seasoned with Kashmiri chillies, ginger, garlic and onions and Goshtabeh – minced mutton balls with spices in a yogurt gravy.
For vegetarians, Khatta Wangan, a tangy tamarind based aubergine curry cooked in an iron wok, and ‘Kashmiri Rajma’, kidney beans cooked overnight in spices, ginger, garlic and a tomato rich gravy, are the must-have options.
Rice is the main staple of Kashmiri cuisine and the Zafrani Kashmiri Pulao made of long grain rice flavoured with saffron and garnished with nuts is an excellent accompaniment to the rich gravies.
Jashan is also offering rotis, naans, parathas and kulchas – Indian breads made in a tandoor – as accompaniments.
Zafrani phirni, left, and Saib ka halwa
No Indian meal is complete without desserts and the ‘wazwan’ signature dishes are the Zafrani Phirni – a saffron glavoured rice pudding – and Saib ka halwa – Kashmiri apples cooked in sugar syrup and milk.
A highlight of the Kashmiri dining experience is the Kahwah – a green tea made with saffron, spices, almonds and walnuts.
It is traditionally made in a samovar – a jug-shaped metallic pitcher which has a long tube inside that is filled with charcoal to keep the tea in the pot brewing – which is how Jashan is also doing it having flown in one just for the festival.
In the evenings, the restaurant also has live music, with a vocalist singing ghazals, a form of poetry, accompanied by a tabla player.
The festival continues until Friday with all 51 dishes available as a la carte menu.
Call 66398787 for more information and reservations.
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