Nishasta: The Wheat Starch That Warms Kashmiri Winters
Every summer, homes in the upper regions of Kashmir prepare for the impending winters by gathering and preparing nishasta. This treasured wheat starch is often turned into a halwa, and eaten for warmth (and recovery) during winter. Umer Farooq Zargar finds out more.
In many Kashmiri homes, winter mornings begin quietly: snow that covers rooftops, blocks roads and cuts electricity, people wear pherans and use kangries (fire pot) for heat. In some kitchens in the upper reaches of Kashmir, mornings see someone in the family cooking nishasta or nishaat (wheat starch) .
The nishasta is usually consumed as a warm drink, or a halwa — dried starch is mixed with water to form a smooth paste, sugar is added, and the mixture is cooked slowly in ghee over low heat, stirred continuously until it thickens and turns a shade darker. For taste, some add dry fruits like almonds, and cashews.
Very few households in her village now prepare nishasta from scratch. This dish is mostly eaten in the Northern Kashmir districts of Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora. “Decades ago, we would collect wheat to make nishasta from forests and nearby slopes,” says Mohammad Ameen Choudhari, from the Kandi area of Uri district. “Our generation was deeply connected to this practice. We would spend days in the forests collecting the raw grain, drying it, cleaning it, and then preparing it carefully.”
The process of making nishasta begins in the summer — wheat grains are soaked for several days, then ground. The mixture is strained repeatedly, until the starch settles at the bottom. This starch is dried in the sun and then stored. Haleema Begum, from the village Boniyar, says, “It is not something you prepare in a hurry. When I was young, my mother used to say ‘if you rush nishasta, it will not stay well until winter’.”
“My grandmother taught me how to make it when I was 18. She said, You have to keep stirring. That is the secret. If you stop, it sticks and the texture is ruined,” says Sabreena Ashiq, a college student from Bandipora.
Solid Nishasta, in its dried form, displayed for sale in a market.
“In the summer, we would sit in the courtyard and clean the wheat together. It was not only about food. It was about spending time, sharing stories, and preparing for winter,” says Hajira Begum, from Kandi village of Rafiabad Baramulla.
While nishasta is widely valued for its health benefits, much of its reputation comes from generational knowledge rather than formal medical prescription. Families describe it as energy-rich because it is prepared with wheat starch, ghee, and dry fruits, all calorie-dense ingredients important in helping keep the body warm during Kashmir’s winters. Elders believe that nishasta is beneficial for gut health, while strengthening muscle and bones as well.
“When my daughter delivered her first baby, I made nishasta halwa for her every week,” adds Hajira. “Our elders believe it gives strength to the back and bones. After childbirth, the body feels weak, so this helps in recovery.”
Sabreena notes that very few households in her village now prepare nishashta from scratch. “Earlier, almost every family made it in summer. Now people buy it from shops. The process is long, and many don’t have the time.”
For the few who do, nishashta remains a warming winter treat.
Water is added to nishasta to soften and dissolve it, and is left for several hours before cooking.
Nishasta is commonly consumed in Kashmir as a halwa.
RECIPE FOR NISHASTA HALWA
Ingredients
1 cup nishasta (wheat starch)
2 cups water
½ cup sugar
½ cup ghee
1 tsp turmeric
2–3 cardamom pods (crushed)
A few strands of saffron ( Optional)
Almonds and cashews (optional)
Method
Soak the Nishasta in water for 6–8 hours or overnight.
Mix well to form a smooth paste.
Heat ghee in a heavy pan on low flame, for around 20 minutes.
Add the Nishasta mixture and begin stirring continuously.
Cook slowly until the mixture thickens and turns yellowish.
Add sugar and dry fruits while continuing to stir.
Keep cooking until the ghee begins to separate from the mixture.
Garnish with almonds or cashews and serve warm.
Umer Farooq Zargar is a freelance journalist based in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir. He is dedicated to telling untold stories, focusing on social issues, the environment and climate change, culture and tradition, and conflict.
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