Kashmiri Hindu/Pandit Cuisine l Kandur Bread Shop + Mutton (Roganjosh + Kaliya) + Nadru Yakhni Churm

In the third episode of our Delhi Community Food Stories series, we explore Kashmiri Pandit cuisine with our host, Kritika Mattoo. Her family has been living in Delhi for many years now, carrying forward the flavours, rituals, and memories of their Kashmiri roots.

Our day began at a kandur shop in Dwarka. Freshly baked breads are an essential part of Kashmiri life — enjoyed with qawah, noon chai, and sometimes even with curries. Kritika’s father and the owner, Raj ji, walked us through sheermal, katlam, kulcha, and more — each with its own story and place in the rhythm of daily life. The warmth of the bakery and these humble breads set the tone for a deeply comforting day.

Back home, Kritika’s mother, Veena ji, welcomed us with open arms. We headed to the kitchen to prepare qawah — a golden-hued tea, delicately spiced with cardamom and cinnamon, enriched with crushed almonds. Around this fragrant brew and the breads we had picked up, conversations flowed about Kashmir and cherished culinary traditions.

Then came the main course. We joined Veena ji in preparing a classic Kashmiri Pandit spread — rogan josh, mutton kaliya, dum aloo, nadru yakhni, nadru churma, and muj chetin. The dishes used a shared set of spices — cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, cloves, bay leaves, asafoetida, fennel, dried ginger, turmeric, and Kashmiri red chilli — each applied in its own way to draw out different flavours.

At the table, the food spoke for itself. The rogan josh was bold and deeply spiced, its red hue and layered flavour a testament to patient cooking. The mutton kaliya had a thinner, turmeric-forward gravy, bright and aromatic. The nadru yakhni, simmered in spiced yogurt, offered a gentle tang and a lovely texture from the lotus stems. Dum aloo was rich and tangy, the deep-fried potatoes soaking up the gravy. Nadru churma added a perfect crunch, and the muj chetin — a punchy radish chutney — brought freshness to every bite. Everything came together beautifully with plain rice, simple and grounding.

As we ate, conversations turned to festival dishes, seasonal favourites, and memories of meals cooked back home. Cooking with Kritika’s parents wasn’t just about the food — it was a way to witness the cuisine in all its glory.

We ended with noon chai — the iconic pink tea, lightly salted and creamy, sipped slowly to the sound of soft conversation. A quiet, grounding end to a day steeped in warmth, tradition, and the quiet joy of sharing a home-cooked meal.


About the host:
https://anubhavsapra.com/

Also follow us on
Facebook:   / delhifoodwalks  
Twitter:   / delhifoodwalks  
Instagram:   / delhifoodwalks  

Design and filmed by Rahul Singh
Texts by Swetaleena Nayak