Buzz Batta – basically Kashmiri form of fired rice, has lots of Kashmiri chilli powder and some kala zeera (Black Cumin Seeds). Simple to make. Most of the time, rice used in this preparation is previous night’s leftover.
Buzz Batta
Lal Ded Hospital
A hoarding for Lal Ded
Saw it on the way to Gulmarg. Lal Ded maternity Hospital is at Raj Bagh. This hoarding was probably for a State hospital….maybe Jhelum Valley Medical College and Hospital, Bemina. Like many, I was born at Lal Ded maternity Hospital.
On way to Gulmarg
People and Trees
It was pouring at the time
As often happens – Green looked greener
‘Khandar Saal’
meenu kya ows?
A,B,C ti X,Y,Zed
Conversation goes something like this. Conversation went like this for a couple of years. I would hear my father and uncle talk in these codes after each time one of them would return for a marriage ‘reception’ lunch. They wouldn’t tell me what ABC and XYZed stood for. It was some sort of code for the’ standard’ dishes served at these functions. My guess: ABC stood for three vegetarian dishes – Rajma, Chaman (Paneer), and Dum Aloo; XYZ stood for Rogan Josh, Mutsch (how the hell does one write Kashmiri words in Angreez script! It’s the mince meant dish.) and Yakhani. Even if the dishes on the menu were different or more in number, the ABCXYZed code would remain unchanged. I infer it actually means – the feast was a standard belly and artery fulfilling affair. And I guess they would add LMNOPQ…nah A to Z and 0-9 to the code if someday they talk about thirty-six dish Wazwan.
Anyway, here are the photographs of some of these dishes.
Tabakmaaz – fried lamb ribs. I digg these. Best when hot.
Yakhni – Yogurt and saffron based mutton broth
Blurry. Stop pushing, people! I am trying to take a picture here. No use. It’s Mutsch – mince meatballs (often not balls actually. Great if they they got almond inside them)
Roganjosh – Red Hot devil. Lamb curry. Very oily. I felt blurry. Rogan means oil in Persian and josh means hot.
More oil. Dizzy. The famous Dum Aloo. People get served all kinds of things even boiled sweet potatoes when they at some restaurant they ask for Kashmiri Dum Aloo. I laugh when I see my friends eat that stuff. In this picture you can see the authentic Dum Aloo. I actually bought these potatoes from the Sabzi Madi and now I know what a good Dum Aloo potato should be like – it has to be real Pahadi, not sweet, not too big and not too small. It can be small but never big. When buying in bulk, never go by weight, always by number. We bout around 700 of these fine potatoes that day. They turned out to be perfect. For no particular reason, I actually like my Dum Aloo cold and best eaten with a lavasa Kashmiri morning bread.
Nadur Yakhni – Lotus Stem in Yogurt Gravy – veg version of Yakhni. Yeh! we are the real Lotus Eaters.
Platter. Putting it all together.
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Yes, it was all Boofay. Had ABC and XYZed. And yes there was Macaroni and some other dishes too. Would that be Alpha, Beta, Gamma?
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For Kashmiri recipes check out koshursaal.com
Shalimar Clown cloud
Common Terms and Phrases most used in Shalimar the Clown
Via. Google Books
Makhanay
Kashmiri word for Makhanay – Jewer’go’tch. These are usually consumed – raw, roasted or cooked – on holy ‘fast’ days as they are considered to be ‘Kand mool‘, food-root , hence Sroo’tch or pure. Makhanay are a actually seeds of plant that belongs to lily family and to the English speaking world these are better known as Fox Nut
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Kand Mool khati thi woh, Kand Mool khati thi
– a Hindi saying.
wadiya mera daman
sleepy
Ganpatyaar in Photographs
Ganpatyar Temple, Ganpat Yarbal, near Habba Kadal
An ancient Ganesh temple of Kashmir.
Names engraved in stone.
Ancient deities at the door – Bhairav(? Update [2017: Vishnu, one face boar, one face lion, similar found from Martand temple]) keeps guard.
Ganeesh of Ganpatyar.
Wish.Threads tied to the window.
Residents.
Ganeesh Ghat School, right side wall of the temple.
Markings on the window indicate that it’s used as a camp by the security people.
I was told my maternal grandfather studied here till his third or second grade.
Right bank of Jehlum as seen from the Ganpatyar temple (also on the right).
Left bank of Jehlum
Jehlum, as it flows through Srinagar, is lined with ancient temples on its banks.
An empty house.
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A security man posted at the gate said he’s from Chandrapur. I know the place, it’s near Nagpur in Maharashtra. In summers the temperature can go up to 47 degree Celsius and burn the skin off your back . He knows why he is here and doesn’t mix words while explaining it to the visitors. He said that the day they are out of here,’ none of this would stand’.
As I looked for the ghat, a Sikh security man explained that the ghat isn’t accessible from the temple.
food for isht devi Jawala and for birds and for squirrel
Monday was a big day, she kept a plate of yellow rice out in the balcony…not on the roof. its an offering to a god, birds and now some squirrel too. I come from a family of fire worshipers.
Monday was the day of my family’s Isht Devi – Jawalaji of Khrew, a place about 13 miles from Srinagar.
Here the temple dedicated to this volcanic goddess is built atop a 200 feet high hillock. I read that the kul devi cult arrived in kashmir in around 12th century with the rise of Shakti worship.
[Read more here]
I have never been to the place, but I have been told that the temple is actually in forest area and in old days big cats used to haunt the trails. I read that the last great volcanic flame, no less than two feet, was last recorded here in 1962. A six feet stone kept in the temple has turned black, facing fire all this time. It is holy.
Houses at Habba Kadal. Old and New.
Some desolate looking old Kashmiri pandit houses and some new houses in the process of build. I knew we won’t be stopping to look at these monuments, we were heading for the temple at Ganpatyaar. So, as the mini-van drove down these ancient lanes of Habba Kadal, I clicked frantically. Terrible thoughts. Everyone glum. Van moves on. Fast. Only good thing: camera had some sort image stabilization that worked, almost.
That top floor is a dub construction – in which you get extra floor space.
Cry rings out: Batte ghar. Batte ghar.
Gatkaar
House next door.
Another dub. More floor space. Great joy sitting at the window on a warm and sunny winter day.
How do people manage to take wire free photographs. You won’t see them here.
Two houses in intimate conversation.
Last night food had no salt. When he enquired, she told him, “Old fool, you have lost your mind. Just Eat.” So how was your last night. No they don’t share bed anymore. So how was your last night.
Old style brick work.
See how the bricks fall in place and window fit in.
A by lane.
Snubbed out of frame.
New brick work. It means hotter summers.
Squeeze.