DELICIOUS DISHES FROM THE ONCE FAMOUS TOURIST LAKE REGION
To have the “divine” Fae’rie (smoked salmon), Kashmiri people have to start preparing right from the season change of late autumn to early winter. Coming to Kashmir at this time in the past, tourists often saw many piles of dried wild grass piled up along Anchar Lake.
Finding grass is step 1, fishing for Kasheir gaed (Schizothoracic salmon) is step 2 to prepare the “divine” Fae'rie dish. (Photo: Sharafat Ali)
That is how Kashmiris prepare the “divine” Fae’rie – a rustic delicacy with important “warming” properties. Soon, snow will fall and the temperature will drop to minus 10 to minus 20 degrees Celsius, when the Jammu – Srinagar route will become difficult to travel, leading to a shortage of green vegetables and many other fresh foods.
Anchar Lake is located near the Soura area of Srinagar, now part of the Indian Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir. Connected to the famous Dal Lake through the “Amir Khan Nallah” canal, Anchar Lake was once a popular tourist destination as visitors used to take Shirakas and houseboats from Dal Lake to reach here.
Kasheir gaed are skillfully arranged on a “rack” of dried weeds. (Photo: Greater Kashmir)
Visitors to Anchar Lake can both admire the scenery and experience how Kashmiri people prepare the "divine" Fae'rie dish, while also learning about the lives of the Hanji community - an ethnic group that lives mainly around the lakes and rivers in the Kashmir valley.
Kasheir gaed and the “frame” of dried wild grass are then set on fire, allowing the smoke to take effect in the final stage, creating a very special rich flavor for the “divine” Fae'rie dish. (Photo: CatersNews)
In the deep waters of Lake Anchar, there are many Kasheir gaed (Schizothoracic salmon). People around the lake catch Kasheir gaed, smoke it with dried wild grass, and then prepare it into a special “divine” Fae’rie dish to store for the winter.
“STANDARD” FAE'RIE DISH “DIVIN” TO WARM UP THE WINTER
To do so, one must follow the recipe: arrange the dried wild grass in a grid, place Kasheir gaed on it and light a fire to let the smoke take effect in the final stage, giving a very special rich flavor to the “divine” Fae’rie. This reserved Fae’rie is then prepared in a number of ways, the most popular in Kashmir is cooking smoked fish with mustard greens, radishes and tomatoes.
The finished Kasheir gaed after being smoked with dried wild grass. (Photo: CatersNews)
Accordingly, people remove the skin of the fish and fry it in a pan over low heat. When the fish turns reddish brown, add the green cabbage cooked with tomatoes and spices. Add a special spice mixture including: cumin, garlic, cinnamon, black and green cardamom and cloves. Fae'rie is cooked with vegetables and spices until the water dries up and the spices are absorbed into the fish meat. At that time, the "divine" Fae'rie dish is elaborately prepared, spreading its fragrance throughout the house, with a very unique delicious taste.
However, many Kashmiri people still prefer to eat Fae'rie directly with rice to feel the original "fresh" taste, because they believe that heating it will reduce the characteristic flavor of Fae'rie which blends the sweetness of fish meat with the aroma of hay and smoke.
Kashmiris believe that the “divine” Fae'rie helps them keep warm and withstand the winter cold, when temperatures often drop below freezing. (Photo: Sharafat Ali)
The good news spread far and wide, and in previous winters, hundreds of kilograms of Fae'rie were often carried in baskets by local women wearing Pheran (traditional long skirts) and sold in markets across Srinagar.
Unfortunately, with time and social development, the once famous "divine" Fae'rie dish is gradually being overshadowed by packaged retail foods that are readily available without the need for elaborate preparation and processing.
The community fishing scene on Anchar Lake creates a unique attraction for tourists. (Photo: Xinhua/Javed Dar)
Locals say that just a few years ago they used to sell up to 150kg of Fae'rie in the three months of winter, at a price of 300 to 400 Rupees per kg (about 74 Rupees or 1 USD). But now the amount of Fae'rie sold has dropped to only 60-80kg per winter.
As a result, fewer and fewer Kashmiris are still practicing Fae'rie, which requires a lot of effort and a small output. This situation makes the "divine" Fae'rie delicacy scarce, so gourmets who love rustic delicacies rarely have the opportunity to enjoy the "standard" original Fae'rie (which is Kasheir gaed from Anchar Lake and smoked with wild grass).
