Kashmiri cuisine: lamb koftas, fried ribs, lotus root
"Chef Razdan and his wife Shweta run this smart, cosy, welcoming restaurant in Putney — the only one in London entirely dedicated to showcasing the refined cuisine of the Kashmir Valley, a region surrounded by the Pir Panjal and Himalayan mountain ranges in North India. After ceremoniously washing hands with a decorative vessel called tashtri, tuck into crisp, black cumin-studded lotus root kababs, aubergines tangy with tamarind, and dum aloo cooked the traditional way — in a spiced yoghurt gravy, not Punjabi-style tomato-onion that’s found everywhere else. Lamb arrives in several guises — on the bone in rogan josh, cooked in milk and deep-fried, and as two types of festive koftas in mellow yoghurt and bright-red chilli gravies. Kashmiri pulao is not the generic horror containing tinned pineapple and glace cherries like at some avoidable venues: here it’s the real thing, bursting with paneer cubes, almond slivers, and pandan flower water." - Sejal Sukhadwala

"Wherever he has lived and cooked – New Delhi, Singapore, London – Rohit Razdan has devoted himself to celebrating the cuisine of his native Kashmir. At his Putney restaurant, Razdan serves up traditional and celebratory dishes such as gushtaba or lamb meatballs in a light and mild yoghurt sauce; kabargah, lamb ribs that have been cooked in milk and then deep fried; dum aloo, baby potatoes in red chilli yoghurt sauce; and nadru kebab, made with lotus root and fennel seeds. Many of these dishes are features of the Kashmiri wazwan, an elaborate multi-course meal served at weddings and festivals. At Razdan’s restaurant, all are welcome to the feast." - Hester van Hensbergen