Khyber Pass

There is a Kashmiri food festival on at Ivory,and the food lives upto the restaurant’s reputation. Authenticity? We are not very sure about that

There are,essentially,two approaches to ethnic cuisine. One is the pleasure of familiarity— memory,associations. The other is newness. When it comes to Kashmiri cuisine however,one treads the middle line. We haven’t exactly been brought up on gustaba (mutton kofta in spicy gravy of Kashmiri herbs) or nudur haak (lotus stems blended with spinach) but isn’t Kashmiri aloo dum an essential part of any Bengali wedding feast? The Kashmiri food festival at Ivory,only attests this fact. Familiarity,comes in the form of the rich potato dish in onion gravy,or the pungent gravy of chuk waangun (brinjal fry with tamarind and asafoetida gravy) which tastes very much like the Andhra delight bhagara baingan. The gustabas (mutton and paneer koftas in rich gravy of yoghurt and khoya),are very much like the pan Indian koftas,only creamier and thicker. The kebabs are well,like kebabs. But how does one describe the herbiness of the lotus stem delicacy or the silky consistency of waari muth (black beans cooked in water for the whole day and served with dry chilli and salt)?

Then there are the rice dishes,Gulmargh-e-tofa (chicken biryani) and char chinar subz biryani (vegetable biryani) which,one suspects are just fancy names bequeathed to well-made,North Indian biryani. The desserts too aren’t exactly authentic Kashmiri creations. They are interesting innovations which actually make a lot of sense—caramelised walnuts served with ice cream and a delightfully smooth version of phirni served with chunks of apple. Which brings us to the authenticity of the food served in the festival? Well,lets put it this way,cuisines do not exist in isolation but are a part of cultures and food critics always struggle with such issues. But as an average diner,I am more willing to say “I like it” or “I don’t like it”. And I liked what was served at the Ivory restaurant.

The Kashmiri Food Festival is on at Ivory till May 24. A meal for two will cost Rs 1000.