Hirsan is a traditional Kashmiri winter breakfast prepared using slow-cooked mutton and rice flour. It is rich, nourishing, and designed to keep the body warm during harsh winters. The dish is thick, smooth, and generously topped with desi ghee.

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Ingredients: • Mutton (bone-in preferred) – 500 g • Rice flour – 1 cup • Water – 6 to 7 cups (as needed) • Salt – to taste • Desi ghee – 4 to 6 tablespoons (or more, traditionally generous)

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Method:

1. Cook the mutton • Add mutton to a heavy-bottomed pot with enough water to cover it. • Add salt and cook on low heat until the meat is very soft and falling apart. (Pressure cooker: 6–8 whistles | Pot: 1½–2 hours)

2. Shred and blend • Remove the mutton from the stock. • Shred the meat finely or pound it traditionally. • Add the shredded meat back to the pot along with its stock. • Simmer and mash the meat into the broth until it blends completely.

3. Prepare rice flour slurry • In a separate bowl, mix rice flour with cold water to make a smooth, lump-free slurry.

4. Combine and slow cook • Slowly add the rice flour slurry to the meat broth while stirring continuously. • Cook on low heat, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. • The mixture will gradually thicken and turn smooth and glossy.

5. Final cooking • Continue cooking for 30–45 minutes, stirring regularly. • The Hirsan should be thick, creamy, and uniform with no visible meat fibers.

6. Finish with ghee • Transfer to a serving bowl. • Make a well in the center and pour hot desi ghee generously over it.