News In Frames: Velvety crimson is Kashmir’s treasure

You don’t have any Active Subscription.

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

The cockscomb flower (Celosia cristata) is recognisable by its distinctive, velvety, fan-shaped crest that resembles a rooster’s comb. Rich crimson pigment is concentrated in the dense and highly textured folds of the blossom and these petals are harvested and dried to give traditional Kashmiri dishes their signature ruby-red colour.

Cultivated in the fertile valleys of Kashmir, these blossoms are carefully handpicked at peak bloom, sun-dried to preserve their intense natural pigments, and stored for year-round culinary use. The dried flowers are locally known as mawal.

Mawal holds a sacred status in the wazwan — the famous multi-course royal feast prepared by master chefs known as wazas. It imparts a subtle, earthy undertone that seamlessly complements heavy spices without overpowering them. Mawal is usually sold in the traditional markets of Srinagar. To release the signature crimson colour, the dried flower petals or mawal powder is steeped in hot water. The resulting rich, ruby extract is then strained directly into simmering gravies.

Mawal is indispensable in classics like rogan josh (meat curry), adding colour and flavour to the famed gravy alongside mild Kashmiri red chillies. It is also added to dishes like rista (spiced meatball curry), mirchi korma (chillies curry), and vegetarian specialities like dum aloo (potato curry).

Mawal reflects Kashmir’s deep-rooted heritage of using local flora for natural, organic cooking. In traditional medicine, it is valued for its soothing and cooling properties, making rich, meat-heavy wazwan courses easier to digest.

As an irreplaceable element of Kashmir’s gastronomic identity, mawal helps elevate every feast into a visually stunning and authentic experience.

Preparations under way: Bashir Ahmad, a farmer, arranges freshly harvested cockscomb flowers inside his house in Srinagar for drying.

Pretty blossoms: Farmers harvest cockscomb flowers on the outskirts of Srinagar.

A blooming affair: A butterfly feeds on nectar from a cockscomb flower.

Slick cut: Flowers being harvested for their petals. Once dehydrated, the red blooms are stored and later ground into a powder or used to extract the natural colouring for Kashmiri dishes

Intense colour: Sun-drying cockscomb flowers helps preserve their natural pigment.

Finishing touch: A farmer shows the dry petals, which become a prized ingredient for rich gravies and sumptuous dishes.

Before the feast: A chef presses the essence of powdered cockscomb flower into a dish for wazwan, Kashmir’s traditional multi-course banquet.

Vibrant hues: Awaza, a traditional Kashmiri master chef, adds the essence of mawalto a dish during the preparation of wazwan. The flower lends its distinctive crimson hue to dishes such as rogan josh and rista

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.