On the Himalayan Trail

Book excerpt: Winner of the 2023 International Association of Culinary Professionals Award for best Culinary Travel Cookbook 'The heart and soul of beautiful Kashmir is in every single recipe. Simply stunning.' – Gordon Ramsay In On The Himalayan Trail Indian food writer and chef, Romy Gill, tells the story of Kashmir and Ladakh’s unique and tantalising cuisine sharing over 80 extraordinary recipes that can be recreated in your own home kitchen. With everything from Shammi Kebabs (minced lamb patties) to Wagen Pakora (deep fried aubergine in gram flour) for Nashta (starters) succulent meat curries like the Kashmiri Rogan Josh or Gustaba (lamb meatballs cooked in a yoghurt gravy); to aromatic vegetable dishes such as the Kanguch yakhni (morels cooked in spicy gravy): these recipes shines a light on the magnificent, little-known cuisine of Kashmir and Leh, celebrating its land, its ingredients and its heritage. Kashmiri cuisine is one of the most delectable cuisines in India. Heavily influenced by Mughal, Persian, Afghan and Central Asian styles of cooking, it offers up a diverse range of dishes, displaying and revelling in a fusion of flavours and influences. Increasingly difficult to access due to the political uncertainty in the region, it’s more important than ever to share and preserve Kashmir’s secrets and traditional methods of cooking. Set to the backdrop of the snow-capped Himalayas, with stunning travel photography throughout, this first-of-its-kind book, offers an intimate window into the life and the history of the Kashmiri and Ladakhi people, and why food is at the heart of this incredible place.