11 Essential Kashmiri Wazwan Dishes You Need to Know

7. Harissa — Winter Comfort Food

Harissa is a hearty, slow-cooked porridge of meat and rice traditionally eaten on cold Kashmir mornings. It blends shredded mutton, soaked rice, warming spices, and ghee into a thick, porridge-like texture that’s meant to restore energy in freezing weather. Harissa showcases the valley's love of slow, nourishing cooking and is often prepared in community settings during winter months. For a simplified home version, slow-simmer bone-in mutton with rice and coarse spices until the meat falls apart and the rice breaks down to a porridge consistency. Stir in ghee and season to taste. Serve hot with a drizzle of ghee and flatbread on the side. If bone-in mutton is hard to source, use lamb shoulder and a longer simmer with stock for depth. Vegetarian adaptation: a spiced lentil and barley porridge carries similar warming properties and texture.