Muskaan Shah, my best friend and sister, invited me to her house to help her mother cook. Because? Her brother Masroor Bhaiji was coming from Srinagar with his family. He wanted her to meet and interact with his family. He was busy in the kitchen, standing next to Mummyji (Muskaan’s mother) and completing various jobs like cutting salad vegetables, grinding various spices, cleaning coriander leaves, etc.

At 4 o’clock the doorbell rang and I could see the little kids running from the front door to the bedroom and they were excited to meet Muskaan. She introduced me to the whole family. After some time, she called me back and handed me a bag. She said that the contents of the bag were called NADRU MONJE, her favorite snack. It was prepared by her sister-in-law. I started chewing on them and was instantly captivated by their taste. They were the long strips and very crunchy for texture.

The next moment I asked them to give me the recipe. He asked me to enjoy the dish and forget about the recipe. However, over the years, I learned the recipe. There are three different versions of the recipe. I would be sharing all three in this article.

Nadru Monk In Rice Flour

Required Ingredients

• lotus stems-1kg
• Rice flour-3 cups
• Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder-2 tablespoons
• Asafoetida-1/2 tablespoon
• Salt-1 tablespoon
• Oil-1 kg
• Water-1 cup

Steps for preparation

• Clean and wash the lotus stems properly under running water.
• Discard the outer covering of the lotus stems.
• Cut the long strips along the lotus stems.
• Place them in a water-filled utensil.
• Take another utensil.
• Add rice flour in it.
• Add Kashmiri red chili powder to the rice flour.
• Add salt in it.
• Add asafoetida in it.
• Mix them well with your fingers.
• Add water to the flour.
• Mix them all together into a smooth dough.
• Take care not to add more water to the dough. The dough should have a thick consistency.
• Take a large wok and place it on the gas stove.
• Add oil and turn on the gas stove.
• Remove the lotus stem strips from the water.
• Remove excess water from the lotus stems.
• Add them to the dough.
• Dip the strips correctly into the batter.
• Check if the oil has reached its maximum temperature.
• Place each dipped strip of lotus stem in oil.
• Flip them to the other side once they are well fried.
• Keep stirring the strips continuously to prevent them from burning in the oil.
• Once the strips are well fried in the oil, remove them and place them on tissue paper. This helps in removing excess oil present in the fritters.
• Serve immediately with mint chutney or tomato sauce.

This is the genuine and authentic monk nadru recipe. I was surprised to learn that this dish is lavishly prepared and distributed to all the devotees and tourists who visit the Hazratbal Mosque in Srinagar, Kashmir. Later, I came to know that Sufi saints favored picnicking in the valley. Even now, the snack is in high demand in this place. It is one of the starters in Kashmiri Islamic cuisine. The above mentioned recipe is enjoyed by all Kashmiri people.

The Nadru Monk In Gram Flour

Required Ingredients

• lotus stems-1kg
• Gram flour-3 cups
• Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder-1 tablespoon
• Salt-1 tablespoon
• Water-1 cup
• Turmeric powder-1 tablespoon
• Oil-1 kg
• cumin seeds-1 tablespoon

Steps for preparation

• Clean lotus stems under running water.
• Cut them lengthwise and remove the strips from the lotus stem.
• Place them in a water-filled utensil.
• Take a utensil and add gram flour, salt, Kashmiri red chilli powder, turmeric powder and cumin seeds.
• Add enough water to make the dough smooth.
• Squeeze excess water from the lotus stems and add them to the batter.
• Take a wok and add oil in it.
• Place it on a gas stove.
• Once the oil has reached its maximum temperature, place the strips of lotus stems in it.
• Fry them well in oil.
• Remove them from the oil and place them on a tissue paper.
• Serve them with tomato sauce.

However, there are others who would like to add one or two eggs into the rice flour to make the fritters. This gives a completely different flavor to the fritters. No matter which version you want to adopt for its preparation, the snack is ready to be enjoyed by everyone in the family.

I like the first version of this snack. I came to know that the snack helps people who suffer from low blood pressure. Helps in eliminating mood swings. It is better for the person in depression. I just like the snack and I prepare it whenever I want and share it with all my people at home.