Vegetable and Pulse-Based Meals Dominate as Customers Shun Meat
Srinagar, Sept 29: The bustling Food Street in Srinagar, popularly known as Batte Gali, has undergone a remarkable change in its culinary offerings. Traditionally known for its rich variety of Kashmiri meat dishes, the street has now almost entirely abandoned serving popular delicacies such as rista, kebab, yekhni, and meethi. The only meat dish still being prepared for customers is the classic rogan josh.
According to the vendors, the shift is a direct response to a series of recent incidents in which rotten meat was recovered from multiple locations in the Valley. The controversy has left a lasting impact on customer preferences, with most people now avoiding meat altogether and instead opting for vegetable and pulse-based meals.
“After the rotten meat recovery, customers became reluctant to order meat dishes. Rarely anyone asks for rista, kebab, or meethi. We have completely stopped preparing them,” said one food stall owner at Bata Gali to the news agency Kashmir News Trust. He added that while rogan josh is still served occasionally, demand remains minimal compared to previous years.
The change has also been reflected in the business dynamics of the area. Earlier, vendors reported a sharp slump in sales due to consumer fears. However, in recent weeks the market has started picking up again, largely due to the growing demand for vegetable and pulse-based food. “Business is slowly reviving, but 99 percent of the customers prefer vegetarian options. Only about one percent still ask for meat,” another vendor explained.
Bata Gali, located in the heart of Srinagar, has long been a popular stop for both locals and visitors seeking affordable Kashmiri cuisine. It was once famous for its range of aromatic meat dishes that formed an everyday version of the celebrated wazwan. Today, however, the changing food habits of customers have transformed the street into a hub for vegetarian dining.
Many locals expressed satisfaction with the change, noting that they feel safer eating vegetables and pulses at a time when questions over food quality continue to linger. Others said the shift away from meat may also be a temporary trend, with some expecting demand to return once public confidence in meat supplies is restored.
For now, Batte Gali stands as a reflection of how food culture in Srinagar is adapting to public concerns. Once a meat lover’s paradise, it has rebranded itself into a space where vegetarian dishes dominate and rogan josh alone keeps the tradition of Kashmiri meat on the plate. [KNT]
