Recipes

 

My name is mahnoor naeem and i m going to tell u some famous dishes of pakistan with there exciting recipes too.

 

so start with a quote,

“In 1896, when she [Fannie Farmer] published her Boston Cooking-School Cook Book, she for all time took a great deal of the fun out of cookbooks by insisting that recipes were scientific and not an artistic expression…..Every recipe was to be a formula which began with a list of ingredients.”
Mark Kurlansky, ‘Choice Cuts’ (2002)

 

“The failure or incomplete success of a recipe oftentimes depends upon some little detail that has been misunderstood or overlooked in the preparation.”
‘A Book for A Cook’, The Pillsbury Co. (1905)

1 GEOGRAPHIC SETTING AND ENVIRONMENT

Pakistan lies northwest of India and west of China. The country’s name comes from the Urdu language (Pakistan’s official language), meaning “Land of the Pure.” It is approximately the size of Texas and its southern coast borders the Arabian Sea. The Hindu Kush and Himalayan mountain ranges of northern Pakistan have some of the most rugged land found anywhere in the world. Nearly all of the land in these mountains lies above 7,800 feet. The Indus plains are in the central region of the country. The climate there is hot and dry. The region usually receives only about eight inches of rain a year and temperatures may hover around 104°F for months at a time. Despite these conditions, the Indus plains support the largest part of Pakistan’s population.

Urdu is Pakistan’s official language, although only 10 percent of Pakistanis speak it. Sixty percent of the population speak Punjabi. Other languages include Sindhi (13 percent); Pushto or Pashtu, spoken by the Pathans (8 percent); and Kashmiri, 2 percent. With this diversity, and because of the role of language in cultural identity, Urdu has been adopted as Pakistan’s national language.

2 HISTORY AND FOOD

The spreading of the Islam religion, starting in the A.D. 700s, forms the basis of Pakistani cuisine. Because Muslims (those who practice the Islam religion) are forbidden to eat pork or consume alcohol, they concentrated on other areas of food such as beef, chicken, fish, and vegetables.

The Moghul Empire (from India) began its ruling in present-day Pakistan around 1526. Its style of cooking, called Mughal , typically includes such ingredients as herbs and spices, almonds, and raisins. Mughal cooking remains an important part of Pakistani cuisine. Foods such as shahi tukra , a dessert made with sliced bread, milk, cream, sugar, and saffron (a type of spice),

and chicken tandoori are still enjoyed in the twenty-first century. Chicken tandoori is chicken that is cooked at a low temperature in special large clay ovens called tandoors.

Shahi Tukra

Ingredients

• 5 slices bread
• 2 Tablespoons oil
• 4 Tablespoons sugar
• 4 cups milk
• Saffron powder, to taste (optional)
• Raisins or prunes (dried plums)

Procedure

1. Remove the crusts from the bread with a knife. Cut the bread into four triangular pieces.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan (over medium heat) and fry the bread pieces one at a time on both sides until golden brown.
3. In a saucepan, add the milk and sugar and bring to a boil, making a slightly thick sauce.
4. Add the saffron to the sauce (optional). Reduce heat to low.
5. Soak the bread slices in the milk sauce and garnish with the raisins or prunes (dried plums). Serve immediately.

Serves 5 to 10.

Pakistan was part of India until 1947. Although Pakistani cuisine has obvious Indian roots (found in its heavy use of spices, for example), its foods reflect Irani, Afghani, Persian, and Western influences to give it its own distinct character. These cultures brought different uses of herbs, flavorings, and sauces to Pakistan, transferring ordinary staple foods into unique dishes.

3 FOODS OF THE PAKISTANIS

Pakistan is divided into four provinces, each with different cultures and regional specialties. For example, machli (fish) and other seafood are delicacies in the coastal Sind province. In Baluchistan, (the largest province) located in western Pakistan, cooks use thesajji method of barbecuing whole lambs in a deep pit. The people living in Punjab (eastern Pakistan) are known for their roti (bread) and elaborate cooking preparations. The Pathens, who occupy the Northwest Frontier province, eat a lot of lamb. Their cooking, however, is considered more bland than the other regions. Oven-baked bread eaten with cubes of meat, called nan-kebab , is a favorite Pathen dish.

As a whole, milk, lentils, seasonal sabzi (vegetables), and flour and wheat products are the most abundant foods, forming the basis of Pakistani cuisine. Chapatis is a flat bread made from wheat and is a staple at most meals. It is used to scoop up food in place of eating utensils. Vegetables such as alu (potatoes), gobhi (cabbage), bhindi (okra), channa (chickpeas), and matar (peas) are eaten according to the season. Dhal (or dal ) is a stew made with lentils, one of the most commonly eaten vegetables.

Dhal (Lentil Stew)

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon turmeric (a common spice found in supermarkets)
• 1½ teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup dried lentils
• 3 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt

Procedure

1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large frying pan or saucepan.
2. Sauté the onion, garlic, and spices.
3. Add the water and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until lentils are tender, about 45 minutes.
5. 5. Remove the cover and simmer over low heat, stirring frequently, about 20 more minutes (until lentils are mushy and thick).
6. 6. Serve with rice.

Serves 4.

Dhal is made from lentils. There are several varieties of lentils—red, brown, and green. All are used by South Asian (Pakistani and Indian) cooks.

EPD Photos/Himanee Gupta

Pakistan offers many fresh fruits that are most plentiful in the summer and autumn months. Mangoes, papayas, bananas, watermelon, apricots, and apples are some examples. Chikuhave the taste of a date and the texture of a kiwi fruit. Many Pakistanis eat their fruit (especially watermelon) with a light dusting of salt to offset the sweetness or tartness.

While these dietary staples may seem bland, Pakistani cuisine is rich with sauces and condiments to spice up their dishes. A variety of spices (an Indian influence), such as chili powder, curry, ginger, garlic, coriander, paprika, and cinnamon, are at the heart of Pakistani cuisine. A wide range of chutneys (a relish usually made of fruits, spices, and herbs), pickles, and preserves that accompany meats and vegetables give Pakistani cuisine its distinct flavor.

Aaloo Bukhary Ki Chutney (Plum Chutney)

Ingredients

• 1 cup prunes (dried plums)
• 2 cups water
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup vinegar
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• Cayenne pepper, to taste
• Red chili powder, to taste

Procedure

1. In a saucepan, add the water, salt, peppers, and chili powder to dried plums.
2. Bring to a boil and cook until plums are tender, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add sugar.
3. Stir, and cook until the sugar melts and the mixture thickens, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the vinegar and bring the mixture to a boil, about 2 minutes.
5. Serve warm or at room temperature as a condiment with roti (bread), meat, or vegetables.

Those who can afford it eat meats such as sheep, poultry, and sometimes gayka gosht (beef). There are a number of ways meat is prepared in Pakistan. Karai is a method where the meat is cooked with vegetables and served in its own pan. Jalfrezi is meat stir-fried with tomatoes, egg, and chilies. Tikka and bhoti kebab both refer to meat grilled on a spit (a slender rod or skewer) over an open fire.

Chicken Karaii

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
• ½ cup water
• 1 cup tomatoes, chopped
• ¼ cup green chilies, finely chopped
• 4 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 teaspoon allspice powder
• ½ cup vegetable oil

Procedure

1. In a saucepan, boil the chicken in the water for 5 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside.
2. In a frying pan, heat oil over medium heat and add the tomatoes.
3. Stir and cook the tomatoes until they form a thick paste.
4. Add the ginger, salt, allspice, black pepper and chicken.
5. Cook on low heat until the chicken is tender.
6. Add the green chilies and cook for 2 minutes.

Serves 4 to 6.

In rural areas, meat is saved for a special occasion. Eating pork is forbidden for Muslims, who make up about 97 percent of Pakistan’s population. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, mutton (sheep) and beef are not supposed to be sold or served in public places in Pakistan (although the reason for

Fruit and vegetable vendors in Pakistan.

Cory Langley

this is considered economic, not religious). Seafood and machli (fish) are commonly eaten in Karachi, located on the coast of the Arabian Sea.There are a number of foods to cool off the spicy flavors of a Pakistani meal. Dãi (yogurt) can be eaten plain or used in lassi . Lassi is a drink made with yogurt, ice, and sugar for breakfast, or salt for lunch or dinner. Raita is a yogurt curd with cumin and vegetables. Baked yams and sita (boiled or roasted corn on the cob) may also accompany a spicy dish.

Raita (Yogurt and Vegetable Salad)

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 3 to 4 cups mixed vegetables, such as raw spinach and cucumber, cooked potatoes or eggplant
• ½ cup onion, chopped
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 Tablespoons fresh mint, minced
• ½ teaspoon each cumin, salt, and black pepper

Procedure

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Mix well.

Serves 6 to 8.