REVIEW OF THE BOOK “CULINARY TRADITIONS OF MEDIEVAL KARNATAKA-THE SOOPA SHASTRA OF MANGARASA III”

While searching upon the different kinds of manuscripts and their translated editions across the internet, I came across a book titled “Culinary Traditions of Medieval Karnataka-The Soopa Shastra of Mangarasa III”. The Editors of the book are N.P.Bhat and Nerupama Y.Modwel. It is published by Intangible Cultural Heritage Division (INTACH) and B.R.Publishing Corporation, Delhi. It was first published in 2012. The ISBN is 9789350500316. The price of the book is Rs.1113.

The front cover sheet has a collage of images depicting the various aspects of the activities of a cook in a kitchen and his work. Or the first time in my reviewing process of various books, I observed that there is a section wherein the submission and approval has been taken from the translator. Usually it is missing in many of the translated works. A precise historical background and references are present in the book.

First of all, I will be discussing about various recipes shared in the SOOPA SHASTRA (I will be sharing the stepwise method of cooking these recipes in my other blog):

a)      PISHTAKADHYAYA has 50 recipes

b)      PANAKADHYAYA has 26 recipes

c)       Rice Preparations has 20 recipes

d)      Vegetable Preparations Part-I has 65 recipes

e)      Vegetable Preparations Part-II  has 74 recipes

f)       Vegetable Preparations Part-III has 23 recipes

g)      APPENDIX I has 8 recipes

POSITIVE POINTS OF THE BOOK:

1.       It is indeed an authoritative and genuine book on SOOPA SHASTRA.

2.       It gives us good details about each and every topic associated and connected to the culinary art of Karnataka.

3.       Since the book is a historical one, the Editors and INTACH had requested a group of Homemakers to really try on the recipes shared in the book and published their experiences with the Editors.

4.       It consists of purely vegetarian dishes prepared for the King and his family members.

5.       Good number of photographs is shared in the book. The historical place of the King and his kitchen has been shown with the help of the photographs.

6.       There are beautiful recipes which I tried at home and are worthwhile sharing with others also (I will be posting the step by step process in my other blog).

NEGATIVE POINTS OF THE BOOK:

1.       The book is not easily available in the market.

2.       I wish other portion of the original manuscript was published by the translator or the Editors.

On the whole, it is a great and excellent historical book on Soopa Shastra.

REVIEW OF THE BOOK “NUSKHA-E-SHAHJAHANI”

While I was searching for the recipes for the preparation of Pulaos, I came across a book with the title “NUSKHA-E-SHAHJAHANI”. I was astonished to read the title and was wondering what may be the contents of it. I wanted to know more details about it and experienced the following:

a)      It is in a Persian manuscript written at the time of the Mughal Emperor Shahjahan.

b)      The manuscript was not available in any other language in India other than Persian language.

c)       I searched various Colleges and Universities wherein the Persian language was taught to the students.

d)      I visited the libraries of Jamia Islamia and Jamia Hamdard in New Delhi.

e)      I was fortunate enough to interact with Smt. Salma Husain at Jamia Hamhard( we bumped and stood facing each other without knowing ).

f)       I took a photocopy of the book. However, I was not happy about it. Finally I purchased it through online shopping from Flipkart.

At last I had the book in my hands and I was relieved with it. The complete title of the book is “NUSKHA-E-SHAHJAHANI-PULAOS FROM THE ROYAL KITCHEN OF SHAH JAHAN”. On the cover sheet of the book, it said “Translated by Salma Husain”. The translation was done in the year of 2004 and published in the same year by Rupa & Company. The price of the book is Rs.150. The ISBN is 81-291-1136-5.

In the Contents, I observed that there are 60 recipes in total out of which:

1.       53 are Royal Pulaos

2.       7 Royal Khichidis

The Section on Introduction revealed the historical development of the culinary journey of pulao across the globe and literature available in India. And the manner she connects to the world of pulaos from the kitchens of Shahjahan.

POSITIVE POINRS OF THE BOOK:

1.       Each recipe of the pulao is different from another one.

2.       There are varieties of pulaos and ingredients are not very difficult to get or purchase from the markets.

3.       Full points are given to her for sharing the recipes of Narangi Pulao, Mallahi Pulao, Reshteh Pulao, Keshtali Pulao,Kuku Pulao,Gilani Pulao, Kundan Pulao, Luqmeh Pulao, Puri Pulao,Samosa Pulao and Ambali Pulao.

4.       Credit goes to her for discovering the KHICHDI-E-BEAAB (meaning khichdi without water).

NEGATIVE POINTS OF THE BOOK:

1.       There are no photographs for the recipes in the book.

2.       The Author did not showcase the differences between one recipe and next one wherein the ingredients are same; however, there is only difference in the names of the pulaos.

3.       There are two Zard Pulaos mentioned in the book. However, I am not clear whether they are same or different dishes.

4.       I wish the author could have shared other details present in the book or she may have published the complete edition of the manuscript for the benefit of the learners like me.

On the whole, the author has translated a unique manuscript.

REVIEW OF THE BOOK “THE PLEASURES OF KASHMIRI COOKERY-SARASWAT STYLE”

I cannot tend to forget the book titled “The Pleasures of Kashmiri Cookery-Saraswat Style” in my life. I had to search for this and worked really hard to procure a copy of it. There was not even a single copy available through online shopping in India as well in abroad. There was no copy of it present in any library in Delhi NCR. Fortunately, through the American Online Library, I discovered that the copy of it is available at the National Library in Kolkata. I had to request the Librarian-Shri Sanjib Roy-who agreed to get the copy of the book sent to me via the courier ( with help of my colleague who was present at Kolkata for some official work and promised me to meet Mr.Sanjib and give him the total amount of the money for the copy of the book). After one week exactly, I received the packet through courier. That’s my story for the SERIOUS PLEASURE of mine to know more about the Kashmiri food.

The author of the book is Anu V.Wakhlu. The book had been published by Hind Pocket Books; New Delhi in the year of 1995.The ISBN is 81-216-0387-0. The cost of the book is Rs. 200. It was printed at Kapur Art Press, Mayapuri, New Delhi.

The book is not very complicated one and devoid of photographs. It is again a collection of recipes only. However, the author mentions five festivals of Kashmiri Pandits and the dishes prepared in honor of Gods and Goddesses (including the family members, relatives and friends). One can see the images of Chinaar leaves in the book!

In the Contents, the author shares the following points:

1.       33 Mutton recipes

2.       14 Fish recipes

3.       6 Poultry recipes

4.       14 Recipes of Cottage Cheese

5.       2 Recipes of Dals

6.       6 Rice Recipes

7.       7 Chutneys and 1 Raita

8.       3 Desserts

9.        5 Baked/Fried Snacks

10.   2 varieties of Teas

11.   2 Pickles

Positive points in the book:

1.       There are 3 recipes prepared from pheasant or PACHCHIN shared in the book.

2.       There are few recipes prepared from DEMNI (stomach of the goat or sheep or lamb) given in the book.

3.       Few recipes are shared in the book which are absent in other books on Kashmiri cooking like Thule Chaman.

Negative points in the book:

1.       Details of the recipes of the dishes prepared at the times of ceremonies, festivals and special occasions are missing in the book.

2.       No photographs in the book.

CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE BOOK “KASHMIRI COOKING”

The first book that introduced me to the world of the cooking of the Great Valley is “KASHMIRI COOKING” by Krishna Prasad Dar. It was first published by BELL Book by Vikas Publishing House Pvt. Ltd. in the year of 1977. Later on, it was published by Penguin Books India in 1995. The ISBN is 978-0-14-025565-2. The price of the book is Rs.250. Since the author is a printer, a painter and an excellent cook, the front cover page is a photograph of a permutation and combination of Kashmiri dishes, characteristic crafts from the Valley and three sketches of the Kashmiri man rowing the boat, a shikara and two men hugging and greeting with each other. The author is the father of the famous cartoonist Sudhir Dar. He is the one who had given an INTRODUCTION to the book. In the third paragraph of his Introduction, he makes it explicitly clear that Kashmiri cuisine has changed due to “the absorbed delectable elements of the Mughal art of cooking and, thus enriched, acquired a distinct personality of its own”. That’s why there are some Kashmiri dishes of Mughal origin which has a Kashmiri touch added to their style.

In the fourth paragraph, he shows certain differences in the style of cooking in Kashmiri Pandits and Muslims. These are the following:

KASHMIRI PANDITS STYLE OF COOKING	KASHMIRI MUSLIMS STYLE OF COOKING
Asafoetida is used in good amount.	Very little or marginal amount is used.
Good amount of curd is used in the cooking of majority of their dishes.	Marginal amount of curd is used and in few dishes only.
Shallots are used in limited quantity or not at all.	It forms the integral part of cooking.
Garlic is avoided in majority of the dishes and not at all used in the religious, special feasts and festival occasions.	Garlic is used in good quantity and in majority of the dishes. There is no restriction in its use in cooking of various dishes.
Young goat meat is used in the preparation of the non-vegetarian dishes.	No restriction with the age of the goat or the lamb or the sheep.

There are other differences and they will be BONANZA for my own book. Thus, I am saving those points to be highlighted in the forthcoming book of mine.

In the Section on “USEFUL INFORMATION”, there is good discussion on the following points:

1.       Necessary articles in the kitchen.

2.       Weights and Measures

3.       Oven temperatures

4.       Different Cooking Processes

5.       Essential points for good cooking

6.       How to economize on food

7.       Dried Vegetables

8.       Combinations of the vegetables

This makes some sense for the publication of the book and good knowledge providers for the learners as well as the amateurs. Since Sudhir is part of the publication, one may see some funny cartoons associated with cooking are observed in the book.

The Section on “SPICES” is commendable addition to the book. It gives us the information and tips for storage of the different kinds of spices in our kitchens.

Following are the details on the total number of the recipes shared in the book:

a)      45 Non-Vegetarian dishes out of which 35 are meat, 3 for chicken and 6 fish preparations are present

b)      61 Vegetarian dishes out of which 58 are curries, 9 lentils,4 Rice, 1 Raita and tips for using the dried vegetables are shared with the readers.

c)       8 Varieties of Breads

d)      12 Sweet dishes and Desserts

e)      5 Pickles and 2 Chutneys

f)       6 SNACKS and 5 varieties of Tea Preparations

At the end of the book, there is a detailed INDEX given which guides us for clear presentation of various dishes (which I am sharing):

1.       Breads-8

2.       Cottage Cheese-5

3.       Rice-8

4.       Curd Items-7

5.       Lentils-16

6.       Dums-14

7.       Egg-1

8.       Kababs-17

9.       Fish-6

10.   Chicken-5

11.   Mutton-43

12.   Pickles and Chutneys-4

13.   Snacks-7

14.   Spices-7

15.   Sweets-13

16.   Tea-4

17.   Vegetables-61

I am not going to pin point the positive and negative points from the book. However, I will highlight that this book gives us a good introduction to the world of Kashmiri Cooking. There are no photographs at all for the dishes in the entire book. It is simply a collection of recipes that has been the hardwork of the author. I cannot tend to forget the cartoons which add on the SMILE in the menu of learning for the readers!

THE CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE BOOK “ DE LEIJ-THE CULINARY ART OF KASHMIRI COOK BOOK”

This is my first book available on the internet absolutely free for the readers. One needs to thank the Authors-S.S.Kaul Kilam and Shyam Rani Kilam-Husband and wife –for this benefit for any individual who is interested to really learn and know about the Kashmiri Cooking and the dishes from the Valley. It was released by Kashmir News Network in August, 2002. I truly suggest the book for my readers for various reasons:

a)      Easily available over the internet

b)      Detailed explanation of the art of Kashmiri cooking is observed

c)       Good exposure has been presented in the book for the naïve readers and cooks

There is no cost attached for the book.

The Contents of the book are excellent and awesome headings have been carefully chosen by the authors. There are 215 recipes in total that has been shared by the authors. I am not going to enter into the full details of these recipes. However, I will be focusing on the positive points of the book:

a)      The book is really presenting the culinary art of Kashmir.

b)      It gives us details of the points picked up by the authors after careful research and thought from their end.

c)       There is an explanation that has been provided by the authors wherever it was required in the book.

d)      Traditional kitchen has been showcased and how it has to be used in explained in good depth.

e)      Religious sentiments and offering to the Gods to animals has been pin pointed in the book (which I was really searching for in each and every book that I read and study carefully as this is the much wanted point in any form of the religion and I liked it).

f)       The book is indeed meant for the forthcoming generations to maintain their culture

g)      The book discusses the subtleties required for cooking in the kitchens of both Pandits and Muslims of Kashmir.

h)      It showcases the maintenance of one’s own culture and traditions irrespective of the place and location.

i)        The photographs are traditional ones and give us the details restricted to the presentation and the cultural values of the Kashmiri Styles of cooking.

The Review for the Book Titled "Rasachandrika-Saraswat Cookery Book"

It is really surprising to inform each one of you that an association was formed by the women in the year 1917 in Mumbai. It was decided that the group will publish the first Saraswat cookbook titled "Rasachandrika"(or the book of tastes).It was finally published on October 30, 1943 wherein exactly one thousand copies were printed and sold out within a month. The title of the book was "Rasachandrika-Saraswat Cookery Book". The authors of the book were Smt.Mira G.Hattiangadi & Smt.Neela C.Balsekar for the English version. It was published in a place located in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The publisher was Shri Harsha Bhatkal and the book was printed at "Popular Prakashan Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai". The price of the book was Rs.300. The ISBN is 978-81-7154-290-1. The total number of pages are 236 in total.

It is really worthwhile to read the book for few special features perceived in it. Firstly, it is a team work of the women who wanted to share their recipes with the future generations and maintain their culture. Secondly, the credit is given to the first Saraswat women association. The book is not published under the name of the single authorship. The book has the photograph of the original author of the book and her name was "Late Smt.Ambabai Samsi". The history of the book has been clearly mentioned in the "Preface". It has been translated into three languages namely Marathi, Hindi and English. The vision of the original author has been noted down under section "Author's Note to Marathi Edition'. According to her, there are differences between Saraswat and Non-Saraswat cooking styles and dishes. Thirdly, the author has given both drawings and photographs in which there is a neat depiction of the manner in which food has to be displayed and presented to their family members or friends or guests. In other words, she has shown how the food items are to be arranged on the plate before serving to others. This is really interesting to note as other books are devoid of this feature. Fourthly, the book presents the photographs of the way in which the food items need to be displayed on the important religious functions and festivals. This is something which is being given to the next generation of the individuals to learn and know their own culture.

I have read many cookbooks, however, this one happens to attract my attention more and more in the manner in which recipes are shared with us and are especially suited to the state and the country. Let us see the contents of the book. It kicks off with the recipes of the spicy "masalas" or condiments used in day to day life. I especially liked the "amti masala" and "kholamba masala". Within this section, there is a shorter method of "grinding masalas containing coconut gratings" which is quiet popular in the southern regions of India.

Have you ever heard about the "Dishes served with rice gruel"? The author mentions around "80 side dishes". Among these, 30 varieties of potato dishes are described in a very clear manner. The author also mentions about different kinds of bananas viz. "Raw Rajali Bananas", "Ripened Rajali Bananas", "Unripened Rajali Bananas" and "Non-Rajali Bananas". The author describes the manner in which one must clean, cut and chop the bamboo shoots. She gives three dishes prepared from them. Can one stay away from the world of chutneys? The author does not move away from sharing various ways in which one can prepare them. According to her, there are three ways in which one can prepare them:

a) Semi-liquid Chutneys b) Pounded Dry Chutneys and c) Liquid Chutneys.

Did anyone taste the "dried brinjal chutney" till date? To be very honest, I never tasted one in my life. I flipped the pages in the book. However, I was surprised to discover that there is no step in the preparation of the dish in which the brinjals are dried and chutney is prepared. In fact, I am on my way to prepare one in which there is the use of "dried brinjals". I will be sharing it in my next presentation. This is a typographical error and the correct name of the dish is "fried brinjal chutney".

One might try to cook "golyan sambare". It is good one and very hygienic dish too. One can relish them similar to momos or rice dumplings used in other states of India. Another set of new dishes narrated in the book are:

1) Kadis used in cold seasons and 2) Tambalis cooked in "hot" seasons.

Cold & Hot seasons in southern parts of India! This zapped me and allowed me to proceed further with the description and explanation given to these recipes. This is a must for reading and I am fascinated by the manner in which these dishes are cooked and served to others. Warm kadis are cooked in eight variations in which garlic, pepper corns, cumin seeds, mango seed called as "stone of a pickled mango", tender shoots or leaves of pomegranate, etc. are used and dishes are prepared. On the other hand, cold Tambalis are prepared by using some vegetables, or liquids like buttermilk, or spices like fried cumin seed or fresh coconut gratings.

Anyone prepared 38 varieties of rasam or saaru? Out of these, 7 varieties are mentioned in the book and they are:

1. Tamil Saar

2. Garlic Rasam without any lentils

3. Rasam prepared from red gram lentils

4. Vegetable Rasam

5. Coriander Rasam

6. Kokum Saar

7. Kokum and Cloves Rasam

Let's move to the "section of the recipes in which sugar and jaggery are used". How about learning more about 14 varieties of idli-sweet and non-sweet ones? Following is the list:

1. Idlis prepared from black gram lentils

2. Idlis prepared in jackfruit leaves

3. Idlis prepared with jaggery

4. Hot & Spicy idlis

5. Idlis prepared with green chilies

6. Jaggery Idlis prepared with coarsely ground wheat

7. Rice and Jaggery Idlis

8. Pumpkin Idlis

9. Rice Vermicelli with Jaggery & Coconut

10. Rice Vermicelli with Jaggery

11. Rice idlis prepared in Turmeric or Banana Leaves

12. Rice and Jackfruit Idlis

13. Rice and Coconut Juice Idlis

14. Rice, Jackfruit and Jaggery Idlis

Rest of the recipes shared in the book is common Marathi dishes. The author has made her contribution in the form of "Food Recipes from folk tales" which are used in our daily life:

1. Infant Feeding

2. Homemade baby food

3. Preparation of the ragi malt feed

4. Vomiting

5. Diarrhea

6. Fever

7. Cold & Cough

8. Headache

9. Mumps

10. Toothache

11. Stomatitis

12. Chronic Dry Cough

13. Incessant Cough

Overall the book gives us the recipes for the dishes consumed in our daily lives. There are a few critical points to be noted against the author:

1. Only few dishes are shared in the book.

2. There are other typical Saraswat dishes which are worth mentioning in the book.

3. Genuine dishes are not mentioned in the book.

4. The festive-food is partially discussed in the book.

5. There are special food dishes given to the pregnant and lactating mothers.

These are missing in the book.

CRITICAL REVIEW OF SARLA RAZDAN’S “KASHMIRI CUISINE-THROUGH THE AGES”

While hunting for more books on Kashmiri cuisine, I came across the book by Sarla Razdan. The title of her book is “KASHMIRI CUISINE-THROUGH THE AGES”. It has a foreword by M.J.Akbar. It was published in the year 2011. The ISBN is 978-81-7436-692-4. It was published in India by Roli Books Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi. It was printed and bound in China. The cost of the book is Rs.396.

To begin with, the book has a beautiful image of a painting of the culture of Kashmir (I understood it when I observed the details of it and saw lots of SHIKARAS in it). There is a yellow “CHINAAR” leaf (with its characteristic turmeric color and giving the author’s name, title and to attract the readers the name of “M.J.Akbar” (who himself is half-Kashmiri: his mother is from Kashmir). The immediate page after the front cover sheet justifies the title of the book.

The book consists of good number of photographs covering the following:

a)      Scenic beauty of Kashmir Valley

b)      Black and white “vintage “photographs (very precious ones giving us the historic details of the Jewellery, clothes, culture and traditions of the Valley from 1900 onwards)

c)       Good photographs of the popular guests of the author like Sachin Tendulkar,Farooq Abdullah, Lata Mangeshkar, etc. and their appreciation letters applauding the food prepared for them

d)      Coloured photographs of her own dishes.

Sarla Razdan dedicates her book to her father-in-law who really motivated her to bring forth the book into the reality. Further on, the author acknowledges the credits to her family members.

The Contents are simple and to the point. There are no extra details and nothing ornamental by nature. The enlisted recipes are the following:

a)      7 Snacks

b)      31 Recipes prepared by using the meat of the Lamb

c)       3 Chicken , 1 Egg Dish and 7 Fish Recipes

d)      37 Vegetarian Recipes

e)      6 Rice Recipes and 3 varieties of Breads

f)       7 Chutneys and 4 Pickles

g)      3 Desserts and 2 Teas

h)      32 Low Calorie Recipes

Wow! I was feeling after reading the contents of the book. I knew that I am indeed learning a lot about the Kashmiri Cuisine. However, I was not very happy with the FOREWORD by M.J.Akbar. It was more of a historical reading rather than about the book. I was depressed about it. Once I completed reading the section on “AUTHOR’S NOTE”, I noted the following points:

1.       Number of hours taken by her mother for cooking the Kashmiri dishes

2.       No Pressure Cooker was used in the cooking of the food at her maternal home (though she herself used it in her kitchen).

3.       She belonged to the Saraswat Brahmin family.

4.       There are two varieties of Kashmiri Pandits-NEN BATTAS (individuals who ate meat) and DAL BATTAS (individuals who ate pulses).This was a discovery for me. I knew, from my research, that there are individuals in the Valley of Kashmir who are pure vegetarians so much and so that they consumed only the dried food-all kinds of vegetables, fruits, grains and lentils-they belonged to the successors of Rishi Nand. Apart from them very few (infact countable individuals) following strict SUFISM in the Valley. However, the great book of Hindu Kashmiris called “NILAMAT PURANA” discusses good number of dishes to be cooked in each season, in different weather conditions and in different kinds of festivals for Hindus. And these dishes are not necessarily focused on vegetarianism. There are a good number of other non-vegetarian foods mentioned in the book. These will be discussed in depth in my own book.

5.       The author mentions about a dish called “TAHAR” in the book. Again I am full of praises for the author. According to her, this is a rice preparation cooked on the birthdays of the family members. What is so importance of it? It is not only relished by the immediate family members, however, it is distributed to the families present in the neighborhood by the person celebrating his or her birthday. This kind of distribution is not restricted to the world of human beings only. Nevertheless, the food was given to the non-human animals also. Isn’t it wonderful! I will comment that “IT IS INDEED THE ATTITUDE OF ECO-CARING TOWARDS ONE’S OWN ENVIRONMENT”. I really liked it. The author enjoyed the process of her birthday celebrations. I am also going to imbibe this attitude and tradition of celebrating my birthday.

6.       She discusses about her Islamic friends and neighbors present in the Valley.

Let us look at the positive points from the book:

1.       She discusses about the BASIC PREPARATIONS required in the Kashmiri kitchens and helps us in the cooking of the dishes.

2.       She gives us the detailed method for the Kashmiri Garam Masala.

3.       She offers us two varieties of VER MASALA- one prepared with ASAFOETIDA and other prepared with GARLIC and Shallots. These spicy condiments are discussed only in superficial manner in other books on Kashmiri Cuisine; however, Sarla gives detailed measurements for the preparations of them. I myself tried preparing them at home and was successful in it.

4.       She gives us a simple two liner preparation of “ASAFOETIDA LIQUID”. I observed my own mother preparing it at home. I am going to give her THUMBS UP SIGN to her. This is a great tip for all of us.

5.       She gives us tips for cleaning lotus stems. I am going to present it step by step in my book.

6.       She introduces us to the process of cleaning leafy vegetables and in a very superficial manner. The details were shared with me by another Kashmiri Family from the Valley and going to be published in my book.

7.       I came to know, after meeting and talking to other Kashmiri families, about USING MUSTARD OIL in the preparations of the cuisine. It not only enhances the tastes of the dish; however, it increases the overall appearance of the dish and reasons to maintain good health. Sarla gives us again good tip on “HOW TO USE AND PRESERVE MUSTARD OIL” in the kitchen. I learnt it from the book only. I thank her for the valuable tip to all.

8.       In the Section focusing on SNACKS, I am going to give her full marks for sharing with us the recipes of

a.       Fried Fish With Almonds

b.      Wangen pakora

c.       Nadir Monjvor

9.        In The Section on recipes prepared from Lamb, credits are given for the following :

a.Minced Meat Balls stuffed with apricots

b. Minced Lamb in Macaroni

c. Bitter Gourd Stuffed With Minced Lamb

d. Alubukhar Korma

e. Vost Haakh t, Syun

f. Bukvetch Chagil t, Charvaan

g. Pachh Raas

10.   In the Section on Vegetarian Dishes, one needs to recognize the efforts of the author for

a. Tchok Nadir

 b. Wangen Yakhni

 c. Razma Hemb t, Wangen

 d. Karel t, Wangen Dued Lagith (while reading this recipe, I was taken by surprise and something I admired and got attracted towards the dish that I prepared to taste it back at my home)

e. Gurdol t,Oluv

f. Verifol t, Oluv

g.Al Kanej t, Wangen

h. Muj Pattar t, Wangen

11.   In the Section on Chutneys and Pickles, I liked some of the recipes shared by her like Talith Muj Chetin, Munj Achar, etc.

12.   She discusses good number of recipes pertaining to daily cooking of food in the kitchens. It has good collection of varieties of dishes.

It is time for identifying few negative points from the book:

1.       The Author does not discuss about the festive recipes.

2.       No mention about the wedding feasts and food traditions.

3.       No mention about the food given to the pregnant women till the delivery of the child and the food cooked during the rituals and ceremonies during this phase.

On the whole, I liked the manner in which she has contributed some of the recipes and concentrated on the “CHINAR” culture of the Valley. Though it is not the cuisine through the ages, rather it is restricted to the partial culture of Saraswat Cuisine and missing certain more recipes.

CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE BOOK “TRADITIONAL KASHMIRI CUISINE WAZWAAN”

In this review, I will be focusing on the book titled “TRADITIONAL KASHMIRI CUISINE WAZWAAN-SECRET RECIPES FROM THE RENOWNED WAZA REPERTOIRE”. I PURCHASED THIS BOOK ON 22^ND June, 2012. I took almost five years to write a review on this book because of my own research on Wazwaan Cooking in Kashmir. The book is a work of Rocky Mohan who earnestly dedicated himself to the three popular cooks of WAZWAAN CUISINE and they are:

a)      Khan Mohammad Sharief Waza

b)      Khan Mohammad Shafi waza

c)       Khan Mohammad Rafiq Waza

The book was published in the year 2007 and by the publishers are Roli Books, New Delhi. The ISBN is 81-7436-171-5. The cost of the book is Rs. 600. It is dedicated to their father Bismillah Irahman Irahim-who popularized the WAZWAAN in the world.

Before purchasing the book, I asked my friend living in Srinagar to suggest few books on Wazwaan Cuisine. I was dumbstruck when she revealed that there is ONLY ONE AUTHENTIC AND GENUINE book on it and she has a photocopy of the book. She could not share it with me though she informed me about the author and the outlook of the book. Finally I had to purchase it online and tried some of the recipes. I was lucky enough in it.

The cover age is excellent showcasing the traditional TRAMI with the awesome way in which the food is laid out in the typical style of Wazwaan. The background is the traditional Kashmiri cloth called the DASTERKHAN. The book has many GOLDEN CHINAAR LEAVES-depicting the possessiveness of the culture itself. This was something I normally do for the Kashmiri theme based dinner parties at my place. I learnt a lot from these photographs. I miss out on certain utensils and the cutlery used in the normal Kashmiri places. This is one of the ways in which one can learn a lot about the culture of a place.

The Contents are simple and no extra layout in it. In the Introduction of the book, the Author discusses about the following and I give full credit to him for this:

1.       A short introduction of the Valley itself wherein one comes to know about many things.

2.       The Valley is the place for the Buddhists, Shaivism, Shaktism, Islam, Sufism, Sikhism and British culture. This means that the culture of valley is diversified in itself. I raised a question to myself immediately-Why restrict the food to Hindus and Muslims only?

3.       Kashmiri Cuisine is “greatly influenced by the Mughlai style of cooking”. Or a question for me- Does this mean that there is non-Mughlai style of cooking present in the history of cuisine of the Valley?

4.       Timur arrived into the Valley from Samarkand with good number of cooks. The descendants of these cooks are called WAZAAS. They in turn are the MASTER CHEFS of Kashmir.

5.       The meaning of the word “WAZWAAN” is derived from two words-“WAAN” means “SHOP” and “WAAZA” means the cook. Therefore, the meaning of the word “WAZWAAN” means “A COOK SHOP” or “RESTAURANT”.

6.       While reading the paragraph number 7 of the Introduction, one more point which grabbed my immediate attention was the religious connection towards the first activity of the WAZWAAN cooking and it is that “the animals are slaughtered ceremonially and expertly according to Muslim customs, and the waza (the chief cook) personally supervises the preparation of each dish that emerges from his kitchen…and much toil and effort ensures that each dish is a culinary masterpiece”.

7.       The Author mentions that there are 36 courses in the entire WAZWAAN preparations of the food. However, there are 45 dishes in total shared from the side of the Author.

Let us explore the next Chapter on “SPECIAL KASHMIRI CULINARY INGREDIENTS”. The Author mentions about the various ingredients needed in the cooking of the Wazwaan food. He explains each of the following:

1.       Cashew Nuts

2.       Walnuts

3.       Red Kidney Beans

4.       Shallots

5.       Zirish

6.       Red Chilli Pepper (the author states that “there are 100 known varieties that are grown and used in the cooking”).

7.       Almonds

8.       Tamarind

9.       Dried Plums

10.   Pistachios

Under the Section titled “Kashmiri Spices and Condiments” the Author introduces “MAWAL” or “The Dry Cockscomb Flower”. Its importance is shared in another Section on “BASIC RECIPES”. It is a dark red colored flower and gives us beautiful dark red(similar to the color of turnip) color when it is dried and added to the boiled water. This extract is used for the typical red color in some of the food preparations. Other information is also shared under the same title on garlic water, cooked yoghurt, etc. which is otherwise not known to many individuals.

Under the Section on “RECIPES”, there are:

1.       17 Lamb Preparations

2.       4 Fish Preparations

3.       2 Chicken Preparations

4.       15 Vegetarian Preparations

5.       1 Recipe of Puloa

6.       4 Chutney preparations

7.       2 Desserts

Positive points in the book are:

1.       A detailed and clear photograph for each recipe has been shared and the reader can learn the manner in which it has to be laid and presented on the tables or dastarkhan.

2.       The book is exclusively meant for the Wazwaan dishes only.

3.       The recipes are meant for grand and themed style of cooking of food.

4.       A short and lucid book on genuine cooking of Wazwaan.

Negative points in the book are:

1.       No explanation on Waza and his team.

2.       The reader may like to know more about the process of cooking the recipes mentioned in the book. For example, the Author might discuss on 

a. How many helpers are required by the Waza? 

b. How much time is required to collect all the things? 

c. What is the religious ceremony required to slaughter the animal? 

d. What kind of utensils is required to cook the dishes?

 e. What kind of fire or gas burners is required by the Waza?

Overall the book is a good introduction to the Wazwaan cooking of Kashmir.