'Wazwan': Royal Dishes Prepared After Putting In Hours Of Hard Work In Kashmir

Today, traditional Kashmiri dishes are eaten with great enthusiasm not only in India but all over the world. In this article, we will tell you about the Kashmiri specialty of Wazwan, which was once the weakness of the Mughals during the era of royal food. Professional chefs were invited to prepare the dishes in it, which today is seen only on special occasions.

A traditional multi-course Kashmiri meal: When Mughal Emperor Jahangir was asked about his last wish, his answer was, "Only Kashmir." Here, we tell you, he thought not only of the beauty of Kashmir, but also of the royal cuisine served here. It is said that when the Mughals conquered the state in 1586, they were served Wazwan with 36 meat dishes. We tell you that for non-veg lovers, tasting this is just a dream. Nowadays, Wazwan prepares only for weddings, Devgani (Kashmiri engagement ceremony) or some such special occasion.

What does Wazwan mean?
Wazwan consists of two words, the first is Waza and the second is Wan. Waza means professional chef and W means shop. FYI, "Wazwan" was the name given to a professional Persian chef who opened his own shop. Over time, various delicious feasts were offered under the name of Wazwani.

Shaitan Waza is famous in Kashmir
If you are in Kashmir, there is no way you have heard the name of Shaitan Waza aka Mushtaq Ahmed Khan. In fact, Shaitan Waza's great grandfather prepared 53 Wazwan dishes. In such a situation, the cook who ate it said that preparing so many dishes in one meal could be the work of the devil and not of an ordinary person. Apart from royal dishes like Korma, Yakhni, Tabak Maaz and Gushtaba, Wazwan also has 14 types of Korma.

Warms the body in cold weather
This is a multi-course Kashmiri meal with mainly meats. This is because this food helps to keep the body warm in the cold weather of Kashmir. However, it also contains some vegetarian options, so vegetarians need not worry at all.

Its spices are kept in a warehouse
Everyone knows how important spices are in Indian food. We tell you the same is true of Wazwan. Interestingly, however, its secrets are kept like the Mughal Empire. You will be surprised to know that these spices used in Wazwan are kept in a safe whose key is with the devil Wazwan. Their grinding, preparation and use are not told to anyone.


Wazwan takes so many days to make!
If you look at Gushtaba or Rista, it is made from boneless pieces of meat. The meat is mixed with fat and pounded with wooden mallets, making it lumpy like a mushroom ball. After that, cooking over a slow wood flame requires hours and sometimes even a whole night. It takes 2 days to make a great Wazwan, one day to prepare it and about half a day to cook it. In fact, it is one of the most complex forms of meat. Apparently, Wazwan is not a common everyday food and is served only on special occasions..