Sweet -tooths: Have you tried these Kashmiri desserts?

After a heavy meal, one essentially craves for dessert or something sweet to catalyze digestion process. Every state of India has its distinctive cuisines and sweet dishes that define the state’s food culture.

But when it comes to Kashmir, we have many sweet dishes and snacks that for years has served a treat for the taste buds.

Kong Phrin

Phirni is not an exclusive sweet dish of Kashmir but the ingredients  and method of it’s preparation in Kashmir makes it so.

While the traditional phirni in north India is made with ground rice, in Kashmir it is made with Suji, Rava or Semolina. Flavoured with Saffron, the aromatic that Kashmir is famous for,  Kong Phirin is a creamy and light dessert that is a great way to finish off a heavy meal. he key to getting a rich and creamy texture is to set it in the traditional clay container because the clay absorbs any excess moisture, and gives you a thick and creamy Kong Phirin.

It is served mostly in hotels and is made in Kashmir homes during festivals and marriage ceremonies.

Basrakh

Basrakh, the crispy sugar coated ball of Maida cooked in Ghee used to be in big demand few decades ago. This sweet delicacy has made a comeback in Kashmir and is very common during marriages.

Basrakh is mostly made and sold in downtown where bakers make varieties of Basrakh. Farmaishi Basrakh(special Basrakh) is the most sought basrakh as special colors, dry fruits and  spices like cardamon are used while baking the delicacy.

While locals have always preferred to relish it, Basrakh is equally attracting tourists and on locals who visit downtown during their stay in Kashmir.

Tosha

Tosha, an age-old Kashmiri dessert, has its roots in North Kashmir. Its history is drawn in the Sufi roots of Kashmir Valley. Tosha is usually made as a symbol of respect on the occasion of joy or grief and has religious values and sentiments attached to it.

Tosha is made of flour with ghee, poppy seeds and dry fruits used to give a unique flavour to  the taste buds. In North Kashmir, it is prepared and distributed among neighbours and relatives on special occasions