As the mouth-watering treat gets ready it is served with a special tandoori Nan. “Harisa dish is also made from chicken but that is used in patties only,” says a harisa maker of Qamarwari

By FARZANA SYED

Harisa is one of the famous and tasty Kashmiri dishes. It surfaces during winters and has food lovers dying to eat it. With the onset of the winters Harisa dish is available in the markets and the food lovers flock the harisa shops to taste it.

During winters harisa dish is available in almost all restraints and tea shops and the harisa shops. “It has been more than a month now since we have started making harisa. This dish has a fixed season that is winter and its taste is unmatched” says Ramzan Ahmad, a local harisa seller.

“Most of our customers ask for harisa during winters,” says Aalam, working at a restaurant in Lal Chowk area of Srinagar city. The delicious harisa is made from meat. For preparing harisa dish, first the bones are separated from meat and after adding some floor and the required spices the boneless meat is steamed in a pressure cooker or ground so that it is mashed completely. Then it is cooked in tandoor (oven) in large vessels locally known as Harisa Degs.

As the mouth-watering treat gets ready it is served with a special tandoori Nan. “Harisa dish is also made from chicken but that is used in patties only” says a harisa maker of Qamarwari. “We Kashmiris are always fond of good food. As the winter approaches people can often be heard talking about tasting the harisa of the season due to its tempting taste,” says Farooq Ahmad of Shehrekhas.

Harisa dish is popular not only among the locals but also among people from other states or countries visiting the valley during winters. They enjoy this appetizing feast and are with full praise for its delightful flavor. “This is for the first time that we are tasting Kashmiri harisa. It is really yummy and I think it is best during winters,” says Nirpan, a resident of Maharashtra. After tasting the Harisa, some visitors from the neighboring country also cherished its taste. “I had heard of Kashmiri Harisa back in my country and I found it very tasty,” says Ayesha of Karachi.

The warm atmosphere inside the harisa shops and restaurants attracts more and more customers during the chilling weather. People can be seen enjoying a lot of gupshup with their acquaintances besides enjoying the harisa dish. “People enjoy tasty harisa and this indeed gives us a chance to earn some more bucks during winters,” says Ali Muhammad, a local harisa seller.
 
 
[Kashmir Images]

Posted on 30 Nov 2008 by Webmaster