Wazwaan With Razdan

The tunes of Santoor enveloped guests as they thronged to congratulate Sarla Razdan on her first book on the food from her motherland. The launch of Kashmiri Cuisine:Through The Ages,attended by the who’s-who’s of Delhi was like a large kitchen with bonhomie being ladled out in generous portions. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit came as the chief guest while J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah joined the author for a conversation over the book. Earlier in the afternoon,he had given the event a shot in the arm with a friendly Tweet.

Feed someone well and you will get blessing in return,” goes a proverb. By that yardstick,Razdan whose legendary cooking skills have received praise from foodie-celebrities like Sachin Tendulkar and Lata Mangeshkar is a much blessed lady. Her book recreates the Kashmir of her heart and soul. At the event,she spoke about learning cooking from her mother and then practicing over the years as she travelled the world with her husband. With a foreword by noted journalist MJ Akbar who calls Sarla’s cooking “one of the high points of any civilization”,the book is unlike other recipe books that preach nervous newbies trying to get a foothold in the kitchen.

The pictures of Kashmir are breathtaking,some anecdotal recollections by the author like her being served lunch by her mother at nine in the morning as a girl or those of the traditional Wazwaan at Kashmiri Pandit weddings. The book provides an array of options to suit a variety of palettes. The classic Kabargah for instance is a personal favorite of Farooq Abdullah,Minister for new and renewable energy.