On the Himalayan Trail: Recipes and Stories from Kashmir to Ladakh

Description

In On The Himalayan Trail Indian food writer and chef, Romy Gill, tells the story of Kashmir and Ladakh's unique and tantalising cuisine sharing over 80 extraordinary recipes that can be recreated in your own home kitchen. With everything from Shammi Kebabs (minced lamb patties) to Wagen Pakora (deep fried aubergine in gram flour) for Nashta (starters) succulent meat curries like the Kashmiri Rogan Josh or Gustaba (lamb meatballs cooked in a yoghurt gravy); to aromatic vegetable dishes such as the Kanguch yakhni (morels cooked in spicy gravy): these recipes shines a light on the magnificent, little-known cuisine of Kashmir and Leh, celebrating its land, its ingredients and its heritage. Kashmiri cuisine is one of the most delectable cuisines in India. Heavily influenced by Mughal, Persian, Afghan and Central Asian styles of cooking, it offers up a diverse range of dishes, displaying and revelling in a fusion of flavours and influences. Increasingly difficult to access due to the political uncertainty in the region, it's more important than ever to share and preserve Kashmir's secrets and traditional methods of cooking. Set to the backdrop of the snow-capped Himalayas, with stunning travel photography throughout, this first-of-its-kind book, offers an intimate window into the life and the history of the Kashmiri and Ladakhi people, and why food is at the heart of this incredible place.

Romy Gill is a British/Indian chef, food writer, author and broadcaster and a regular on Ready, Steady, Cook (she's just been confirmed for the next series) and R4's Food Programme. In 2016 she was appointed an MBE in the Queen's 90th birthday honours list. Author of ZAIKA: Vegan recipes from India (one of the Observer's 20 Best Food Books of 2019), she regularly appears on TV and contributes to national and international publications, including The New York Times. Romy was invited to speak at the Mad Symposium in 2018 and recently was invited to cook at the prestigious James Beard Foundation in New York.

Romy really takes her readers on a journey they've most likely not made before. In sharing her passion for the people, places and produce of Kashmir, Romy's appetite for this lesser-known part of India - its ingredients, its recipes, its stories - becomes quite contagious. The lamb! The lotus root! All the savoury quince and saffron-infused dishes: this is a cuisine I certainly want to know more about. * Yotam Ottolenghi * Travelling through glittering lakes and icy mountain passes, this is a fascinating, beguiling and delectable journey into the heart of Jammu and Kashmir. * Tom Parker Bowles * Between the covers of this book is an incredible adventure: the views, traditions, flavours and scents of the Himalayas are all there, and we could not ask for a better, more knowledgeable guide to take us to the ceiling of the world than Romy. * Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer AKA Honey & Co. * There's nowhere I'm more desperate to visit than Kashmir. Unfortunately, Kashmir is also one of the hardest places to visit on the planet. Until it becomes possible, Romy's enchanting book is the next best thing. A transporting work at a time we all need transporting. * Sathnam Sanghera * On the Himalayan Trail beautifully showcases the splendour of Kashmir through delicious recipes, engaging stories and stunning photographs that bring its lakes, valleys and people to life. Wonderful too, to see the blanket term 'Indian food' being dismantled by a book that delves deep into a region which deserves to be celebrated for its rich and unique culinary heritage. * Ravinder Bhogal * Romy Gill's curiosity and warmth have produced a thrilling book that expands the mind and promises some great meals. * Sheila Dillon *