From the Arabian Sea to mountains and desert or the fertile valley of the Indus, the traditional cuisine of Pakistan has been shaped by the contours of the land and the arrival of Islam in the 8th century. Pork and alcohol may not be on the menu but there’s plenty to tickle the taste buds and satisfy the appetite.
Food is not as hot as in India but still reflects the Moghul influence, whether it’s fish curry, two-onion mutton or devilled brains, or the delicious meat dish cooked in seven grains once favoured by Moghul Emperor Akbar.
Regional preferences are dictated by local produce. King prawns and fish are popular in the Sindh, Moghul fare in the Punjab, with plenty of lentils and bread, river fish around Lahore, lamb in the North West and in Balochistan where it is barbecued in a pit. Quetta, Hunza and Swat are rich in tropical fruit, including mangos, guavas, melons and papayas.
Tandoori and Biryani
Tandoori takes it name from the ubiquitous clay oven or tandoor used to bake marinated lamb or beef, sometimes chicken, and fish or meat kebabs.
Biryani rice is cooked in fish or meat sauce, with cinnamon, cloves and other spices, and perhaps a sprinkling of rose water, and is often served on special occasions. Coloured with saffron, decorated with thin silver foil, it is accompanied by seasoned yogurt, which may be flavoured with cucumber and mint. Such occasions are also a time to offer sweets or pineapple cake to family and friends and if it’s the end of Ramadan, to enjoy a vermicelli pudding
Spices and Yogurt
Spices and yogurt are essential ingredients of Pakistani cuisine.
Spices add flavour to a staple diet of wheat-based products, lentils, lamb or beef, and seasonal vegetables. Chilli powder, saffron or turmeric, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg and mace are just a few, complemented by garlic, coriander, bay leaf, poppy seeds, almonds and pistachio, raisins or slivers of fresh fruit.
Spices are intended to enhance rather than disguise the original taste and are tempered by the generous use of yogurt, or lassi, savoury or sweet. Lassi comes with vegetables, lentils, snacks or as a drink. it's pleasantly cool and helps digestion, on a par with the popular Pakistani milk-based desserts.
Asian Street Food
Most Pakistani start the day with a hearty breakfast of meat and chapatti, and maybe semolina pudding, but the smell of spices and herbs lingering in the air can stir up an appetite any time. As a rule, street food cooked on demand is safe but cheap ingredients are likely to make it hotter than in upmarket venues.
Favourites include samosas, filled with potato or meat, deep fried vegetables, chickpea or potato snacks with tamarind or chutney, and spicy barbecued meat. Sweet offerings range from syrupy jalebi whirls, wrapped in dried leaves, to pistachio and almond toffee. Drinks include a variety of fruit juices, such as lime or sugar cane in season, sweet tea with milk and nutmeg, and lassi.
Author Twinkle Brar
Food is not as hot as in India but still reflects the Moghul influence, whether it’s fish curry, two-onion mutton or devilled brains, or the delicious meat dish cooked in seven grains once favoured by Moghul Emperor Akbar.
Regional preferences are dictated by local produce. King prawns and fish are popular in the Sindh, Moghul fare in the Punjab, with plenty of lentils and bread, river fish around Lahore, lamb in the North West and in Balochistan where it is barbecued in a pit. Quetta, Hunza and Swat are rich in tropical fruit, including mangos, guavas, melons and papayas.
Tandoori and Biryani
Tandoori takes it name from the ubiquitous clay oven or tandoor used to bake marinated lamb or beef, sometimes chicken, and fish or meat kebabs.
Biryani rice is cooked in fish or meat sauce, with cinnamon, cloves and other spices, and perhaps a sprinkling of rose water, and is often served on special occasions. Coloured with saffron, decorated with thin silver foil, it is accompanied by seasoned yogurt, which may be flavoured with cucumber and mint. Such occasions are also a time to offer sweets or pineapple cake to family and friends and if it’s the end of Ramadan, to enjoy a vermicelli pudding
Spices and Yogurt
Spices and yogurt are essential ingredients of Pakistani cuisine.
Spices add flavour to a staple diet of wheat-based products, lentils, lamb or beef, and seasonal vegetables. Chilli powder, saffron or turmeric, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg and mace are just a few, complemented by garlic, coriander, bay leaf, poppy seeds, almonds and pistachio, raisins or slivers of fresh fruit.
Spices are intended to enhance rather than disguise the original taste and are tempered by the generous use of yogurt, or lassi, savoury or sweet. Lassi comes with vegetables, lentils, snacks or as a drink. it's pleasantly cool and helps digestion, on a par with the popular Pakistani milk-based desserts.
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Asian Street Food
Most Pakistani start the day with a hearty breakfast of meat and chapatti, and maybe semolina pudding, but the smell of spices and herbs lingering in the air can stir up an appetite any time. As a rule, street food cooked on demand is safe but cheap ingredients are likely to make it hotter than in upmarket venues.
Favourites include samosas, filled with potato or meat, deep fried vegetables, chickpea or potato snacks with tamarind or chutney, and spicy barbecued meat. Sweet offerings range from syrupy jalebi whirls, wrapped in dried leaves, to pistachio and almond toffee. Drinks include a variety of fruit juices, such as lime or sugar cane in season, sweet tea with milk and nutmeg, and lassi.
Author Twinkle Brar
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