Kashmiri food festival to be inaugurated today

The “Flavours of Kashmir” festival by Aloft Kathmandu Thamel will be inaugurated today by H.E. Ambassador of India to Nepal. Following the inauguration, guests will be able to immerse themselves in Kashmir’s rich heritage with a cultural performance put together by the artists of Indian Embassy’s Swami Vivekananda Cultural Center. The event, which is supported by Tata Motors will be running at Nook, the hotel’s all-day dining from the 10th to the 19th of December.

The bespoke menu is prepared by by Indian Celebrity Chef Sanjay Raina, Ambassador to Kashmiri Cuisine around the world and the Executive Chef of Aloft Kathmandu Thamel, Chef Rajeev Shrestha especially for the Kathmandu winter. Each of the dishes showcased at ‘Flavours of Kashmir’ is curated from Chef Raina’s extensive menu of authentic offerings. He and his team flew to Nepal from India especially for the event.

General Manager of Aloft Kathmandu Thamel, Mr. Vikram Singh shared his excitement in bringing the authentic flavors of Kashmir to Nepal. “Chef Raina is known for developing menus with an unrivalled commitment to detail that have resulted in unforgettable dining experiences for high- end state dinners and food festivals across the world”, he says. “This is part of our culinary festival journey as we bring international food festival to Kathmandu. In the near future we look forward to Spanish, Turkish among various future international food festivals in Aloft Kathmandu Thamel”, he adds.  

The spices used to prepare the dishes such as chili powder, cardamom powder, saffron, etc. were brought were all brought from Kashmir to maintain the authenticity of the dishes. The spices are what make the food so special. Use of tomatoes and onions is extremely minimal in these dishes. “It takes a lot of time and effort to prepare gravy out of just spices. This is why the dishes are slow cooked”, explains Chef Raina. 

Kashmir, more popularly known as ‘Paradise on Earth’, is a heritage of divine cuisine. Aiming to showcase Kashmiri culture via its cuisine, Executive Chef Rajeev Shrestha has worked with Chef Raina to develop a bespoke culinary menu for those who want to experience exotic gourmet dishes.