Wazwan Dining Experience

About this Activity

No trip to Kashmir is complete without Wazwan, the traditional multi-course feast that sits at the heart of Kashmiri celebrations. It is prepared by master chefs called wazas, who learn the craft within their families and cook through the night in large copper pots over wood fires. Guests are seated in groups of four around a trami, a large copper platter heaped with rice, and the meal begins with the washing of hands from a traditional jug and basin called the tash-t-naer. The courses then arrive one after another. They include seekh kababs, tabak maaz (crisp fried lamb ribs), rogan josh, rista (meatballs in a red gravy), aab gosht cooked in milk, and yakhni in a delicate yoghurt sauce. The meal ends with gushtaba, a soft meatball in white gravy that is always served last, followed by a cup of saffron kahwa. Along the way guests learn what each dish is, how it is made and why the order of serving matters. The experience can be arranged as a full traditional feast or a shorter tasting menu, with vegetarian options such as `Dum Aloo, Nadru Yakhni and Haakh available on request. It is ideal for families, couples and groups who want to taste real Kashmiri hospitality.