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The Wazwan — Kashmir's royal feast
Wazwan Way · The Royal Feast

The Wazwan.

Thirty-six courses, one copper trami — the feast Kashmir is named for.

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Wazwan

Waza Palak

Waza Palak brings spinach into the Wazwan repertoire, offering a softer green note within an otherwise meat-forward feast. It serves as a balancing course with earthy character and gentle seasoning.

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Waza Palak
History

Waza Palak in Kashmiri tradition

Waza Palak brings a crucial touch of vibrant green and earthy flavor to the predominantly meat-heavy Wazwan spread. Historically, leafy greens have always played a significant role in the Kashmiri diet due to the region's agricultural cycles, and integrating them into the grand feast was a way to provide balance and aid digestion. Prepared with a gentle hand and subtle spices, this dish demonstrates the Waza's ability to elevate humble, everyday vegetables into a course worthy of a celebratory banquet.

Tourist Tip

A smart choice if you want a lighter, greener dish between richer meat courses or if your table wants more balance in the feast.

Where To Try It

Restaurants serving Waza Palak

The Recipe

How to make Waza Palak(Waza Palak)

Spinach cooked down glossy and dark in mustard oil with browned shallots, whole spices and a measured hand of Kashmiri chilli — spinach as the wazas plate it, rich enough to sit beside the meat courses.

Prep 15 minCook 30 minServes 4EasyWazwan (Muslim)
Ingredients
  • ·600 g spinach, washed and roughly chopped
  • ·4 tbsp mustard oil
  • ·2 tbsp browned shallot paste (praan) or 2 small shallots, sliced and browned
  • ·1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
  • ·1 tsp fennel powder
  • ·1/2 tsp dry ginger powder (sonth)
  • ·2 cloves and 1 green cardamom
  • ·Salt to taste

Waza Tips

  • Cook past the bright-green stage — waza palak is meant to be deep, dark and concentrated.
  • The oil should re-emerge at the edges when the dish is done.
Method
  1. 1

    Heat the mustard oil to smoking in a heavy pan, settle it, and add the cloves and cardamom.

  2. 2

    Add the shallot paste and fry until it deepens a shade.

  3. 3

    Add the chilli powder with a splash of water and stir until the oil colours.

  4. 4

    Pile in the spinach with salt, cover, and let it collapse, 4-5 minutes.

  5. 5

    Uncover and cook on a brisk flame, stirring, until the water is gone and the spinach turns dark, glossy and thick, 12-15 minutes.

  6. 6

    Stir in fennel and sonth, cook 2 minutes more, and serve.

Common Mistakes
  • ×Serving it wet — the dish must hold its shape on the spoon.
  • ×Skipping the shallots, which supply the sweetness that balances the mustard oil.
At Home

Frozen leaf spinach, squeezed dry, collapses the timeline; brown ordinary shallots if praan paste is not on hand.

Serving

Serve alongside rogan josh or yakhni with rice; it also pairs naturally with fried paneer.