Saniya Amir, a 28-year-old Srinagar woman along with her mother-in-law has started an online platform to sell winter delicacy Harisa from her home at Habak.
Saniya said that her mother-in-law’s passion for cooking and her own aim to do something from home amid COVID made her to think about the idea.
As most people prefer home delivery, the trend of selling Harisa online has started in Srinagar and in many other places in Kashmir with young netpreneurs using social media platforms to deliver the winter delicacy at door steps.
“Our family is associated with the tour and travel business which was badly hit amid covid. I along with my mother-in-law and husband thought of starting online sale of Harisa. My mother-in-law is great at cooking it and I also wanted to contribute to the family’s initiative,” Saniya said.
“One month back we started the instagram page as “winter treats”. The response was overwhelming and in a few weeks we started delivering Harisa not only on the outskirts but also in the heart of downtown,” Saniya said.
Saniya who started with her two family members has now half a dozen people employed for delivery.
They have now tied up with Gatoes, an online food delivery app which takes their home cooked Harisa and delivers it around Srinagar.
While platforms like ‘winter treats’ are making and delivering from their kitchens, there are youngsters like Asrar Qazi and Aaqib Bashir, both 22, who have collaborated with Harisa vendors from downtown Srinagar for its delivery.
“Uptown has a dearth of good Harisa outlets as this delicacy is traditionally made in old town Srinagar. I along with my friend thought of opening this platform by the name of ‘Harisa Wala’ so that this delicacy can reach to every corner of Srinagar without people having to go out,” Asrar said.
“Social media has come very handy. Our Instagram page now has around 1 thousand followers in a short span and all the orders are received via social media and over phone,” they said.