Hospitality Lessons from Kashmir and the Samovar

 The state- the valley, at least, depends on tourism for sustenance. Not surprisingly, the people are very hospitable and try and go all out to please tourists in whatever way they can. WE had a great hotel and taxi driver -Aquib by name- who took us around on all our trips.. who did the same for us.

But, some things are oversold. As a marketer, one can see this easily, but persuasive selling skill can be learnt by visiting a destination like Gulmarg or Doodhpatri. The pony walas are after you, and so are the All Terrain Vehicle walas or guides. We didn't mind indulging, but also wanted our own space to explore.. hard to get away and find it. But on the whole, we managed a bit of both.

Enjoyed a trek, and a pony ride, and an ATV ride too- in different places- Doodhpatri, Pahalgam and Gulmarg. Each is a couple of hours from Srinagar, so that's a good base. Evenings, we tried food options. Mutton is the best dish, with Rista, Gushtaba, and Rogan Josh the popular options. Chicken is not bad too-Waza chicken is what we tried. Wazwan is too heavy, a combo of 7 or more dishes so we skipped that.

The Kahwa, a local tea with dry fruits, is special, and brewed in a Samovar- a unique copper pot.

This guy studied at Calicut, and now drives an ATV for a living!

I love Gulmarg used to show up at the back- some idiot destroyed the sign.

Our Kahwa man in Gulmarg with his Samovar - tasted heavenly, fresh off the pot.

Haleem During Ramzan

Being an assal (original) Hyderabadi, one gets seeped in the culture, the lingo, and especially, the food! Though a biryani fest is on every day, there is a special Ramzan feast during the holy month. My favourite is Haleem, a unique concoction made of meat, grain and spices. Some suppliers even send Haleem across cities/countries, I hear.

It has a melt-in-the-mouth quality if made well, as the cooking process is day-long, and it helps blend the meat and grain finely, so you cannot separate the two. The spice flavours are mellow yet distinct, and the dish is rich, so you can make a meal out of it. Particularly if you have not fasted through the day.

This time I had an occasion to try Haleem at Pune from a Hyderabadi restaurant. Found it to be as good as the 'real' (Hyderabadi) thing.