WEDNESDAY, MAY 25 , 2022. THE WASHINGTON POST EZ EE E3
slightly sweet touch of the dried
fenugreek leaves. It took little
time to put together, and when I
served it to a colleague with a
particularly sophisticated palate,
his eyes widened and sparkled
just like mine did the first time I
tasted it. Before he even spoke,
that told me everything I needed
to know.with a smile during a Zoom call
from her home near Bristol and
Bath, southwest of London.
Why, yes it is.
When I made it, I was
particularly taken with the slight
anise-y flavor of ground fennel,
the smokiness of black
cardamom and the absolutely
intoxicatingly earthy, bitter andsauce with milk. When it’s
combined with pan-fried paneer
and mixed through with
aromatic dried fenugreek leaves,
“It’s just a bowl of golden yellow
deliciousness, isn’t it?” Gill saysterm “yellow gravy” might not do
justice to the complexity of flavor
you get from layering nine spices,
some of them whole, with green
chiles and simmering them in
water before thickening thesource of Gill’s recipe here for
chaman kaliya, paneer in yellow
gravy. This recipe was inspired by
a dish made by her friend Amit’s
parents on her visit.
My only quibble is that theKashmir loomed
large in Romy
Gill’s imagination
long before she
visited.
As the British
Indian chef and
author writes in
her new book, “On
the Himalayan
Trail,” she
marveled as a child at the
“paradise” she saw in Bollywood
movies that were filmed in the
remote valley. That was when she
was growing up in West Bengal,
where she later learned about the
culture, religion, language and —
perhaps most importantly for her
future career — the food of the
region from Kashmiri families
who worked with her father.
Gill, who turns 50 this week,
finally traveled there last year,
during the pandemic, to research
a book she hopes will inspire
readers to discover the region
through their kitchens.
Kashmir makes headlines
because it is a disputed territory,
with India, Pakistan and China
fighting over it. Besides its
renowned physical beauty,
Kashmir is known for violence
and turmoil, making it akin to
South Asia’s equivalent of the
Palestinian territories, as one
Washington Post opinion writer
once put it.
Gill doesn’t shy away from
politics entirely in her book; she
includes an account of one
vegetarian feast she was served
at her friend Amit’s home in
Srinagar, whose activist
grandfather H.N. Wanchoo was
assassinated in 1992. But for the
most part, she wants to keep the
focus squarely on the glories of
Kashmiri cuisine, which is
influenced by two communities:
Pandits and Muslims. While the
dishes of both communities have
been influenced by Central
Asian, Afghan, Persian and
Mughal cooking, Gill writes,
Pandits cook without onions or
garlic and use three ingredients
you won’t find much of in
Kashmiri Muslim cuisine:
asafetida (hing), paneer and
yogurt.
The Pandits, who are Hindus,
also boast a long tradition of
vegetarianism that has survived
in the region, and that’s the
If you yearn for a ‘bowl of golden yellow deliciousness,’ look no further
Joe Yonan
WEEKNIGHT
VEGETARIAN
TOM MCCORKLE FOR THE WASHINGTON POST; FOOD STYLING BY GINA NISTICO FOR THE WASHINGTON POSTChaman Kaliya (Paneer in Yellow Gravy)
4 servings
This Kashmiri recipe from author and chef Romy Gill channels
the best of the region’s cooking: a simple technique with a
delectable result, full of complex flavors from the layering of spices.
To make this dish vegan, substitute extra-firm tofu for the paneer
and full-fat coconut milk for the dairy milk.
Active time: 35 mins; Total time: 45 mins
Refrigerate leftovers for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Mustard oil, asafetida (hing), dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri
methi), black cardamom and Indian green chiles can be found in
Indian and some international markets. Paneer can also be found
there, as well as in many well-stocked supermarkets.
Adapted from “On the Himalayan Trail: Recipes and Stories from
Kashmir to Ladakh” by Romy Gill (Hardie Grant, 2022).Ingredients
l3 tablespoons mustard oil
(may substitute neutral
vegetable oil, such as
sunflower)
l1 pound paneer (may
substitute extra-firm tofu,
drained and patted dry), cut
into cubes
l8 green cardamom pods
l4 black cardamom pods
l4 whole cloves
l1 teaspoon cumin seeds
l3 dried bay leaves
l2 whole Indian green chiles,
such as Kashmiri (may
substitute Thai green chiles
or serrano chiles), halved
lengthwise
l 11 / 2 teaspoons ground fennel
l1 teaspoon ground turmeric
l1 teaspoon ground ginger
l1 teaspoon fine salt
l^1 / 2 teaspoon asafetida powder
(hing)
l 11 / 4 cups hot water
l 11 / 4 cups whole milk (may
substitute full-fat coconut
milk)
l1 teaspoon dried fenugreek
leaves (kasuri methi)
lCooked rice, for servingSteps
lIn a large skillet over medium
heat, heat the oil until it shim-mers. Add the paneer and fry
until lightly browned on all
sides, about 2 minutes per
side. (The paneer tends to
sputter in oil; use a splatter
guard if needed.) Transfer to a
plate.
lAdd the green and black car-
damom, cloves, cumin seeds
and bay leaves to the pan and
cook, stirring, until very fra-
grant, about 1 minute, then
add the chiles, fennel, turmer-
ic, ginger, salt and asafetida.
Cook, stirring, until fragrant,
about 1 minute, then pour in
the hot water.
lIncrease the heat and bring to
a boil, then reduce the heat
until the liquid is simmering,
add the fried paneer and cook
until the water slightly reduc-
es, about 3 minutes. Pour in
the milk and cook until the
gravy thickens, 8 to 10 min-
utes.
lStir in the fenugreek leaves,
divide among serving bowls
and serve hot with rice.
Nutrition | Per serving (^1 / 2 cup, without
rice): 502 calories, 32 g protein, 17 g
carbohydrates, 38 g fat, 19 g saturated
fat, 91 mg cholesterol, 714 mg sodium, 3
g dietary fiber, 9 g sugar
Recipe tested by Joe Yonan; email
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