Kashmir may be known as heaven on Earth for its scenic beauty. But the valley is also famous for its rich cuisine. Meat figures prominently in most of the recipes. M Rehman, co-founder of Kitchenette-E-Awadh, a company that specialises in Kashmiri cuisine and is organising the Kashmiri food festival at Hotel Marine Plaza from February 6-15, says,

 

"Lamb is a key ingredient in the valley's cuisine primarily due to the cool climatic conditions. Apart from this, curd is also used liberally in the dishes as milk is readily available in the region." He adds that black cardamom, shahi jeera and saffron are the core ingredients of non-vegetarian dishes while ginger-garlic pastes and onions are used sparingly.