Dinner in Kashmir

Punjabi-Style Carrot Pudding (Gajar ka Halwa)

Studded with chopped nuts and flavored with aromatic cardamom and rose water, this sweet Indian pudding is made from a blend of nutty ghee, milk, cream, sugar, and grated carrot. It’s equally good served either hot or cold. Get the recipe for Punjabi-Style Carrot Pudding (Gajar ka Halwa) »

The Menu

More About This Menu

Start by making the dough for the naan, which will need about an hour to rise. Unlike some other staple Indian breads, which are unleavened and crafted from durum wheat flour, fluffy naan is made with all-purpose flour and yeast. Traditionally, the dough is slapped against the chimney wall of a clay tandoor oven and baked over wood fires, but many home cooks make it on the stovetop. See our step-by-step guide to making naan »
Lotus roots are a popular food in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, where they're grown in floating gardens that lake dwellers tow by boat. You can substitute canned lotus roots in the nadru yakhni if fresh ones are hard to find. If you are using fresh, be sure to allow enough time for them to cook—they can take up to 2 hours.
While the rogan josh and lotus roots cook, salt the eggplant for the tamatar wangun; it will need about an hour to drain. We like using small, baby purple eggplants, also known as Indian eggplants; about the shape and size of a chicken egg, they're very tender and sweet. You can also use long, thin, Japanese eggplants, which have a similarly mild flavor.
For more about the ingredients this menu calls for, see our Indian pantry guide »
Inspired to see the beauty and taste the food of Kashmir for yourself? Check out our travel guide to Kashmir for everything you need to know to visit—from practical travel tips to our favorite spot for paratha and more.