“I couldn’t find Kashmir in Canada — not the authentic Kashmir,” Mira Safaya Johl tells The Grind. “Not in the taste of the food, the rhythm of cooking, or the way a meal is served with warmth and meaning. Nowhere did I see the grace, nuance, or quiet dignity that defines our heritage. So I chose to build it myself.”
Johl immigrated from Srinagar, Kashmir to Toronto in 2018. She started Vozul when she was in Kashmir and brought the catering company to Etobicoke, starting what she says is Canada’s only authentic Kashmiri food venture.
Her menu features quintessential Kashmiri dishes like rogan josh, lamb curried with Kashmiri chillies and alkanet flowers until it falls off the bone; nadru yakhni, tender lotus stem in yogurt sauce; and kahwa, a green tea scented with spices and rose petals.
Vozul’s dishes are available only for catering and delivery.
Kashmir has become a political pawn in a territorial game between China, India and Pakistan, while Kashmiris fight for their freedom from occupation. Kashmiri culture is one of independence and bravery. It is not found in the Pakistani and Indian restaurants that posture as Kashmiri.
“Authenticity matters — especially when it comes to a culture that has already been silenced,” Johl explains. “Vozul was created as a response to this very problem. We do not imitate. We represent.”
This article appeared in the 2025 Summer issue.
