The first time I set foot in Kashmir was the autumn of 1987. Instead of noticing the stunning scenery, I was riveted by the windows of houses. Most of the windows, especially those in rural Kashmir, were strung with drying vegetables. Depending on which part of the Valley I was in, there were blood red chillies and turnips strung attractively on twine like edible necklaces. Spinach greens were spread on cloth in courtyards in front of houses and rows of precisely slit aubergines were suspended, somewhat incongruously, from clotheslines. Photographing whatever I saw was on my agenda on that particular trip, so I didn't wonder very much about how these preserved vegetables were going to be cooked. Back home in Delhi, I noticed that my Kashmiri neighbours would dry modest amounts of vegetables from the windows of their first floor flat.