JK News Today
Jammu, April 16:
Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, Minister for Finance, Education and Labour & Employment (J&K) today inaugurated first of its kind Kashmiri speciality restaurant “CHINAR” at Hotel Ramada Jammu City Centre.
This 52-cover restaurant offers a fine dining experience specializing in delicacies of authentic Wazwan Cuisine from the Valley of Kashmir, North West Frontier Cuisine and Dogri dishes aptly named as flavors of the Land. Hotel Ramada Jammu has yet again added another jewel in the crown of “The City of Temples”
Chairman Raju Chowdhary gave a show around to Minister Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari and other dignitaries. Ramada Jammu City Centre is the first of its kind boutique Art Hotel in the state of J&K and exhibits local art such as Basohli paintings, the birds of Gharana Wetlands, the beautifully captured historical highlights of J&K region for which the local artists were commissioned.
Minister Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, when asked about his experience summed up his entire experience in beautifully crafted words “He was all praises for the beautifully designed Kashmiri restaurant Chinar and commented that a Kashmiri Cuisine fine dining restaurant was very much required in Jammu. He said, now the local and foreign tourists can relish authentic Kashmiri and Northwest Frontier cuisine and experience unforgettable culinary delight in the beautiful ambience of this fine dining restaurant.
He appreciated the breath-taking view from Sky Lounge of Bahu Fort and Mahamaya forest on one side, Tawi view in the front, Trikuta Hills on the back and the infinity pool lit amidst Fire Fountains and commented it is one of a kind mesmerizing experience he had in Jammu.
Celebrity Chef Tariq (Waza) was specially flown from the valley of Kashmir along with his team of Chef’s who over the years has organised various Kashmiri food festivals and reunions at New Delhi and Bengaluru.
Chef Tariq beautifully described the Wazwan as ‘the chef’s shop.’ Waza’ (chef) is derived from the Sanskrit `vâj’ (cook). `Wân’ is the Kashmîri word for `shop’. Wazwan is a Kashmiri feast, traditionally served at daughters’ weddings and now whenever a celebration is called for. It consists of between ten and 21 courses, more than half of them made of mutton, one large piece of chicken, three or four vegetarian dishes (paneer, sâg, lotus stem, quince apple, potatoes) and some chutneys (including apricot and walnut).
The ceremony itself and around ten dishes are indigenous to Kashmir. No Central (or South) Asian country has a banquet even remotely resembling the Wazwan. However, the meatballs (ristâ and goshtâbâ) are made of mutton that has, in the Iranian- Central Asian kuftan style, been pounded with a wooden mallet instead of being minced with a metal cleaver.
The trâmi (the large copper dish that the food is served in), its sar posh (lid) and the tashtnâri (in which hands are washed) belong to the same family of handicrafts as the Central Asian samovar.
North-West Frontier Province comes the famed NW cuisine, one of the legacies of undivided India. This delectable cuisine can be best defined as rustic and robust. Frontier dishes are the most popular in India today. From Dal Makhani to Dum Biryani to a variety of Kebabs, each dish is a culinary gem. One cannot simply say No to the cuisine.
Minister also commended and praised the young entrepreneur Siddhant Chowdhary, Managing Director Hotel Ramada Jammu City Centre for his vision and establishing this Five-star hotel which will help in promoting tourism in J&K.
Siddhant who after his post-graduation in Hotel management from Switzerland had sharpened his skills in the hospitality industry at the Hotel Hyatt in Key West, Florida U.S.A. told the reporters that the inspiration to add “Flavours of the Land” came from his grandmother. Whenever he was on vacation his grandmother used to treat him with Bawe de Rongi Kachallu, Meethe Saue da Madra, Jammu di Kaladi, Maa da Madra and the taste of those dishes still lingers on to his palate to this day and as a tribute to “The Great Lady” he has added the same flavours of the land in Chinar Menu.
