Kashmiri wazwan multi-course feast tradition

A Kashmiri-run catering business called Uffi’s Kitchen, founded by Uffaq Mattu, operates in Los Angeles and specializes in catering wazwan for events, shipping across the US ^[1][2]. It is not a brick-and-mortar restaurant but a catering service that can provide wazwan for weddings and other gatherings ^[1].

How wazwan differs from everyday Kashmiri home cooking: - Scale and ceremony: Wazwan is a multi-course ceremonial feast (up to 36 dishes) served at weddings and festivities, while everyday home cooking is simpler and less elaborate ^[3][4]. - Preparation: Wazwan requires a specialist master chef called a waza, whereas daily meals are cooked by household members ^[3]. - Serving style: Wazwan is traditionally served on a large copper platter called a tarami, often with a cloche (sarposh), and dishes are eaten in a specific order (starting with tabak maaz, ending with gushtaba) ^[3]. Everyday meals lack this ritualized presentation and sequence. - Dish variety: Wazwan includes a wide array of meat dishes (rogan josh, rista, gushtaba, tabak maaz, seekh kebab) and only a few vegetable dishes like haaq; daily cooking typically features more vegetable preparations and fewer courses ^[3].