Tastes of winter: Savour Kashmir's favourite delicacy, mouth-watering Harissa!

Srinagar: The people of Kashmir Valley are prepping for the winter and one way in which they beat cold is through their traditional cuisine. When temperatures hit minus degrees, the centuries-old delicacy called Harissa is a must-have breakfast meal. A delicacy made of mutton and spices and cooked overnight in an underground earthen pot by using steam, Harissa is one of the favourite winter dishes of Kashmir. According to historians, Harissa came to Kashmir in the 14th century, and Srinagar city has been serving it for over 200 years. The Harissa makers have been in the business for over two centuries and still carry forward the delectable tradition. 

"This shop is 120 years old. My father and grandfather used to run it before me. Harissa is great for winter, it keeps you warm. We use sheep meat for making the harissa and not goat's meat. A lot of spices are used in it. We sell it for four months in winter. People who eat Harissa never have any chest problems. We start at 6 am in the morning and the dish is over by 12. It's a great and healthy dish," says Ali Mohammad Bhat, a Harissa maker in Srinagar. 

Harissa makers say that eating this dish for breakfast keeps a person warm all through the day even when the outside temperatures are in minus degrees. In Srinagar, special chefs make this dish every night for 8 hours by these special chefs. A lot of hard work is put in by these chefs to make Harissa. 

Imran Ali Bhat, Harissa maker and shop owner, says, "Harissa keeps your body warm during minus degrees. It's very difficult and hard work to make Harissa. We are keeping the tradition alive. My son might not be able to do it as it requires a lot of work. First, we warm everything and put rice in it. We add meat, spices, etc, and later we steam it for around 8 hours in the earthen pot. And we put coal around this pot and keep it on till 3 am till it becomes soft and sells it from 6 am. It's the most famous breakfast meal here and now we also have so many tourists coming to eat. The dish has its origins in Iran."

The new contemporary cafes have also incorporated Harissa into their menu. Since the demand for Harissa has been increasing, the cafes are making sure to sell Harissa to their customers. And some cafes like Chai Jaai are serving it in a very traditional way with Kashmiri copper utensils. The copper bowls with beautiful, engraved designs and the chef pouring a hot oil tadka (tempering) in front of customers is what make it unique and a memorable moment for the customers. And a lot of tourists now especially come to these places to order and eat Harissa. 

Cafe Manager Rafiq Ahmad of Chai Jaai says, "Tourists are especially coming for Harissa. It's not limited to Kashmir; people are ordering from across India. We have a lot of tourists especially demanding Harissa from us. It used to be sold in traditional places, but since now it's sold in the cafes, it's becoming a more and more popular dish."

Tourists are indeed enjoying this special dish. Intekhab Aalam, a tourist, says, "We have come to eat harissa at this place. We had heard about it. I am really enjoying it a lot. The service is great and the way it's served is lovely. I remember people used to be in line to get harissa in Kashmir. It's mostly eaten in winter, and it gives you a lot of energy."