Srinagar, Oct 06: The rich culinary heritage of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh found a place of prominence at a special banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu for Swiss President Guy Parmelin on Monday evening at Rashtrapati Bhavan, with the menu showcasing traditional delicacies and indigenous ingredients from the Himalayan region.
The elaborate menu featured a blend of Kashmiri, Ladakhi and Jammu flavours, including Nadur Kebab, Haakh, Phaymer, Chaman Qaliya, Dum Oluv and Kahwa, among several other dishes.
The banquet drew inspiration from the culinary traditions of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, describing the regions as lands of “snow-crowned peaks and verdant valleys”.
“This evening, we draw inspiration from the culinary traditions of the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh,” the menu read, drawing a comparison between the Himalayas and the Swiss Alps.
“Like the Swiss Alps, the Himalayan ranges have fostered a cuisine of resourcefulness, refinement, and respect for seasonal produce,” it further noted.
The menu highlighted ingredients sourced from different parts of the region, including sea buckthorn, apricot, wild nettle, yak cheese and barley from the high plateaus of Ladakh.
From Kashmir, the menu incorporated saffron, morels, lotus stem and fragrant spices, while Jammu’s distinctive sweets and street-food traditions also featured in the banquet.
The meal began with a Ladakhi Za Thuk, a nourishing wild nettle soup prepared with winter peas and garnished with roasted millet pearls.
It was followed by a salad, Labo-Na Tsonma, showcasing the cheese-making traditions of Ladakh and Jammu. The dish featured Labo and Chhurpi from Ladakh and Kalari from Jammu, accompanied by dried apple, walnuts, wild capers and lettuce, with a sea buckthorn and honey dressing.
The menu also included Tangthur, comprising buckwheat or foxtail crackers, Ladakhi chuli (apricot) jam and a yoghurt dip with skotse or wild garlic chives.
Among the appetisers was Kimb Chaat, described as a Jammu street-food delicacy prepared with boiled taro root, sweet potatoes and rice flour crispies, served with sweetened yoghurt, tamarind sauce and starfruit.
Kashmir’s culinary traditions were represented by Nadur Kebab, lotus stem patties seasoned with aromatic Kashmiri spices and served with walnut chutney, along with Chaman Qaliya, cottage cheese cooked in a milk and turmeric sauce.
Another Kashmiri delicacy, Haakh, featured seasonal collard greens stewed with mustard oil and asafoetida, while Dum Olvu comprised potatoes cooked with yoghurt, dry ginger, fennel and other aromatic spices.
Ladakh’s traditional cuisine was represented by Phorok Nangka, a charcoal-roasted whole-wheat “mok mok” dumpling stuffed with turnip greens and caper leaves and served with tomato-onion relish.
The main course included Kana Gucch Pulao, a fragrant rice preparation with Kashmiri morels and whole spices, served with Mujj Chatin, made from white radish and freshly churned yoghurt.
For dessert, the menu featured Phaymer, a traditional Ladakhi preparation of roasted barley, jaggery and butter, served with Chura soft cheese.
The banquet concluded with Kahwa, the traditional Kashmiri tea flavoured with cinnamon, cardamom and saffron.
The menu, blending ingredients and recipes from Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, offered an international gathering a taste of the region’s diverse food traditions while highlighting its indigenous produce and seasonal culinary practices.
