Nadru, or lotus stem, is a quintessential part of Kashmiri cuisine. The seeds are sown just once, and harvest is enjoyed for years. The harvesting season is between September and March when farmers spend all day on their boats, eating, praying and gathering the nadru from Dal Lake, and Anchar Lake in Srinagar, and Manasbal Lake in Ganderbal.
On cold mornings,  farmers in boats, wielding six-foot long wooden poles with metal hooks on one end called shum, pulling out the lotus stems from deep inside the water, is a common sight.

It is cooked in several ways, combined with fish, collard greens (haak), potatoes, spinach, or eaten even just by itself as a curry, or deep fried. Lotus stem is said to be beneficial in the treatment of patients with diabetes, with thyroid problems and cough.