Wazwan For All Occasions

Nestled in the heart of one of the busiest food scenes of Delhi is an unknown culinary gem that brings the flavours of Kashmir to the food lovers of the national capital. Parsa’s, a renowned food chain originating from the Kashmir valley, has made its mark in Delhi, offering a taste of home for those longing for authentic Kashmiri cuisine, and for those who have travelled to the Valley and love its food. Established in 2017 by Javid Parsa in Srinagar where they do not sell Kashmiri food, Parsa’s quickly grew to become one of the largest food chains in the region.

“When I was studying in Jamia Hamdard in 2019,” recalls Farhan Paray, one of the founders of Delhi’s Parsa’s along with Javid and Farhan Waheed, “I realised that I was missing Kashmiri food terribly. That’s when the idea to collaborate with Javid and bring a restaurant that would serve authentic Kashmiri food in Delhi struck me.” This led to the first Parsa’s outlet outside Kashmir, opened in 2019 near Ishwar Nagar in New Friends Colony. Despite temporarily closing down during the pandemic, the restaurant reopened, thanks to high demand, especially from the Kashmiri community in Delhi. The latest outlet opened in Lajpat Nagar in September last year.

A royal experience

Upon entering Parsa’s, guests are greeted with warm kehwa, the traditional Kashmiri tea. Before the main course, they are offered tash nair, a traditional portable hand wash made of copper.

The menu offers a variety of dishes from wazwan, a multi-course meal traditionally eaten at weddings, including methi maaz (`190), tabak maaz (`390), waza chicken (`850), rista (`840), rogan josh (`790), dhaniwal korma (`860), mirchi korma (`820), lahabi chicken (`850) and goshtaba (`870). The traditional eating practice involves sharing from a circular copper plate called trami, covered with a lid known as sarposh. However, Parsa’s also offers smaller portions, or trami for two (`2,900). “Trami is like a Kashmiri traditional thali where you can customise your wazwan. We understand that not always there will be four guests, so we also have a new option for a smaller portion,” says Paray.

Affordable combos

Paray explains that Kashmiri food in Delhi is expensive due to differences in preparation methods. In Kashmir, food is cooked on logs in large vessels, which is not allowed in Delhi; so, it is prepared on a gas stove that requires different skills and longer cooking time. Ingredients are also sourced from Kashmir, adding to the cost. “But I understand that students cannot pay that much because I have also been in that place, that is why we have special wazwan combos, starting from `499, on our menu,” he says.

We try the tabak maaz, a deep-fried meat delicacy made with sheep ribs, and the rogan josh, a curried meat dish served with rice that is considered Kashmiri comfort food. The tabak maaz has a crunchy outer layer and a melt-in-the-mouth texture underneath. While the rogan josh is rich in colour and is made up of onions, garlic and ginger, they do not overpower the taste of the meat. The aroma of cinnamon, cloves and cardamom is what makes it a comfort food.

Tastes like home

As we continue to eat and chat, one of the customers walks up to Paray, shakes his hands, thanks him and says, “Ek dum ghar ki yaad aa gayi. (The food reminded me of home.)” After he leaves, we continue talking about Kashmiri cuisine and the warmth of Kashmiri culture that has helped the restaurant grow outside its home base. Paray mentions that while Kashmiris were their initial customers, now there is a balance, with 50 per cent of their customers being Kashmiri and the rest from other states.

As for desserts, Kashmiri cuisine doesn’t have too many options, but Parsa’s offers firni, a creamy rice pudding, and plans to introduce more desserts in the future.