Truely the Essence of Kashmir...Poush!

I am a big time foodie, my ideal job would be of one of those TV hosts who travel around the world and get to try local delicacies at the best places in town (ahhh!!...). Anyway, snapping out of the dream, I keep this passion fueled by frequently trying new restaurants and pubs in the city.

Today is all about my latest culinary experience of authentic Kashmiri food at Poush located at Phoenix Marketcity, Kurla. To begin with, the ambiance was a feast to the eyes with the white floral “Zalakdozi” drapes ( Zalakdozi is an exclusive style of Kashmiri embroidery) and beautiful wooden flooring and roofing. You have two kinds of seating options, one the usual tables lined in the center of the restaurant with cane chairs or two you can have your own private area with either couches or floor seating to give you a more royal experience. We chose the private area (of course!). This in itself has us excited about the things to come.

Once we were settled, it was time to order! Since Ma is a vegetarian, our family meals are usually a mix of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes (Best of both worlds!). They have very good Thali options but we went for the a la Carte. Daddy took charge of placing the order; having lived in Kashmir for a while in his younger days he is quite the enthusiast for the cuisine.  So here’s what we ordered,

Appetisers:

• Kashmiri Spicy Chaman (a Panner preparation)
• Kokur Seekh Kanti (Boneless chicken in Kashmiri herbs). 

Main Course:

• Methi Chaman (yes, yet another Panner preparation…thanks to Ma!)
•  Rogan Josh
• Goshtaba

To End it All:

•  Zari Qahwa

Both appetisers were delicious and a perfect start to the meal. The spices used were a lot like the typical ones used in UP’s home cooked food, ginger, turmeric, red chili and green coriander. The Panner was next to perfect, melt in the mouth! The Chicken could have been better but I’m not complaining.

Moving on to the main course, we had two of the iconic Kashmiri dishes Goshtaba and Rogan Josh. You just cannot complete a Kashmiri meal without these two dishes. Rogan Josh literally means “Red Lamb” and is a fine delicacy that derives its name from the red Kashmiri chilies. Trust me it lived up to our expectations; soft juicy mutton cooked to perfection in the spicy red gravy was literally soul food for me.

Goshtaba on the other hand is considered as “the Dish of the Kings” and is made from pounded lamb, saffron, spices and yogurt. Now, Goshtaba is not something that everyone would immediately fall in love with, you gradually develop taste for this delicacy. Having said that, I fell in love with it from the very first bite. The core ingredient of the gravy is yogurt and it is very tangy yet flavorful.

As before, the Panner was as delicious as one can imagine. It made me re-think if the Punjabi's are the only ones who can cook Panner! However, from a vegetarian’s point of view, I could use a few more options in the menu.

After getting done with this lavish spread, none of us really had the courage to have any desert (to be honest, I didn’t really find anything that exciting either). So, at Daddy’s request, we ordered for Zari Qahwa (a kind of hot tea made from dry fruits).  I must say, we could not have made a better decision! It was like a burst of flavors on my taste buds! I could taste and smell all the dry fruits and spices…it was wave of freshness. The Qahwa was like the cherry on the cake and the perfect finale to the grand feast!

Overall, I think this was one of my best dining experiences. Ambiance is a 10/10! Food quality was top notch.  Sadly, there aren’t too many options on the menu for the vegetarians.  Though if you are conscious about oily and rich food this is not your place. But if you are looking for authentic Kashmiri cuisine, look no more. I will definitely visit again!