Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Fish Biryani




Ingredients:
450 grams rohu (any white fish fillets)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 level teaspoon cumin seeds, zeera
1/2 level teaspoon mustard seeds
1 clove garlic cloves, chopped
1 inch piece ginger fresh, peeled
1 teaspoon ajowan (carum)
4 green chillies
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
As per taste salt
10 green cardamoms
4 black cardamoms
6 cloves
10 pieces black pepper
1 inch piece cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves (taze patta)
10 dried plums (aaloo bukharay)
Some ghee or cooking oil
6 pieces green chili, finely chopped
2 tablespoon coriander leaves, fresh
3 Pinch yellow food color
Method:
Wash the fish and pat dry. Cut into 1 inch pieces. In a blender grind the garlic ginger and chilies to a fine paste. Mix the paste with salt, chili powder and ajowan. Smear the fish pieces with spice paste. Set aside for at least 2 hours In the meantime heat the oil in a shallow frying pan, add the cumin and mustard seeds; they should pop and splutter at once.
Add the chop onions and , stirring frequently, fry them to a rich golden color. Add the chopped tomatoes, still stirring frequently, fry the onions for about 10 minutes until the tomatoes are reduced to a pulp. Add a little water, if essential, to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Keep frying until the oil begins to separate.
Add the fish and stir well to coat it with the tomato mixture. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a tight fitting lid and cook for 15 minutes until the fish is tender. Sprinkle with finely chopped coriander. Keep warm Soak the rice in water for half an hour. In another pan boil the rice with 2-3 tsp. of salt and plenty of water .when the rice are 3\4 cooked drain the water. Add 1\4 cup oil or butter and fluff with a fork to prevent the rice to stick each other. Keep rice to one side
In a large pan place 2 inch layer of rice at the bottom, then a layer of fish mixture and dried plums on top, repeating this until the fish and rice have been used up. sprinkle the coriander and mint leaves over the top layer of the rice Pour 1\2 cup water and seeds of cardamom over the rice. Do not stir. Mix the food color with a little water and sprinkle over the rice Cover with a tight fitting lid and allow to cook for 20 minutes until the rice are cooked
Once the dish is cooked, leave it covered for a few minutes then eliminate the lid, fluff up the rice with a fork serve up with Raita.

Egg Fried Rice




Ingredients:
Long grain rice 1 kg (soaked in water for 20 minutes)
Eggs 4 whipped
Spring onion leaves 1 cup finely chopped
Garlic water 2 tbsp
Carrots 3 finely chopped
Soya sauce 2 tbsp
Black pepper ½ tsp
Ajinomoto ½ tsp
Cinnamon 1 inch piece (roasted and powdered)
Salt to taste
Dalda or your choice of cooking oil 1 cups

Method:
*Heat oil in a large pan. Add garlic water and immediately pour in the whipped eggs, stir for 2-3 minutes. Add chopped spring onion leaves, carrots, salt, black pepper, Soya sauce and vinegar. Stir again for two minutes.
*Meanwhile drain all the water from the rice. Add rice to the pan and carefully stir for 3-4 minutes until rice begins to change in color. Add 4 measured cups of water and powdered cinnamon. Cover the rice with a tight fitting lid. Lower the heat and cook for about 15-20 minutes, until the water has been completely absorbed and the grains are separate. Gently fork the rice, gradually working down to the bottom. Serve hot.

Chicken Tikka Biryani Rice



Ingredients:
½ kilogram Boneless Chicken (cut into 4 cm cubes)
1 tbsp. Heavy Cream
A pinch of Saffron (Zaafran)
1 Onion (sliced)
1 tsp. Garlic Paste (Pisa Lehsan)
2 tbsp. Lemon Juice (Nimbu Arakh)
1 tsp. Salt
½ tsp. Black Peppers (Pisi Kaali Mirch) (grounded)
2 cups Basmati Rice
1 tsp. Salt
2 to 3 tbsp. Butter (Makhan)
2 Egg Yolks (beaten)
½ tsp. Black Pepper (Pisi Kaali Mirch) (Grounded)
1 tsp. Salt
½ tsp. Whole Black Peppercorns (Saabut Kaali Mirch)
Cherry Tomatoes
Method:
* Mix the marinade ingredients with the chicken. And set aside for 4 hours
* Mix the saffron with the cream. Thread the chicken pieces onto a skewer. Brush the pieces with some of the saffron-cream mixture
* Wash the rice and let it soak for 1 hour. Then cook the rice with salt in 5 cups of boiling water then drain
* Mix the butter and beaten egg yolk and black pepper powder softly into the rice with a fork. Then the rice back on low heat. And let it cook for 4 to 5 minutes
* Grill the chicken in a medium-hot oven for 8 to 9 minutes, or until tender, basting with the rest of the saffron-cream mixture
* Then place rice on a platter And organize chicken on skewers on top of the rice
* Then garnish with the peppercorns and whole cherry tomatoes and serve.

Chicken Fried Rice



Ingredients:
Long grain rice 1 kg (soaked for about 20 min)
Chicken small pieces 1 cup finely chopped
Carrots 2 finely chopped
Green pepper (capsicum) 1 thinly sliced
Fresh green peas (optional) ½ cup
Garlic water 2 tbsp
Soya sauce 1 tbsp
Vinegar 1 tbsp
Ajinomoto (Chinese salt) ½ tsp
Salt to taste
Cinnamon 1 inch piece (roasted and powdered)
Cooking oil ½ cup

Method:
Heat oil in a big, heavy based pan. Add chicken pieces, Soya sauce, garlic water, salt and vinegar, fry for 5 to 7 minutes. Then add chopped shallots, carrots, green pepper and fresh peas, stir for a few minutes. Now add the drained rice carefully, stir for 10 minutes (do not stir too hard otherwise the rice will break). Add 6 cups of water to the rice, cover the rice and lower the heat. Cook for 12-15 minutes until the water has dried and the grains are separated. Mix in the cinnamon and Ajinomoto. Serve hot.

Bhel Puri Recipe




Ingredients
\250 gms. potatoes
½ cup of diced tomato
2-3 onions sliced (rough form)
1 cup of boondi (see note) or besan pakoray
1 cup of pre-boiled chick peas
1-2 green chilies - chopped.
1/2 cup of chopped fresh coriander (Dhaniya) leaves.
Papri (chips made of dough)
cornflakes
Salt according to taste
2 cup plain rice pops crispy (murmuray)
1-2 cup Sweet Imli chutney
1 kg. Yogurt whipped
Chaat masala as required.

Instructions

Boil potatoes till soft, peel and dice.

In a bowl combine the potato, tomato, sliced onion, fresh dhaniya, green chilies, and boondi and chick peas.

Keep the chutney and yogurt in separate bowls to be added according to taste.

In another bowl combine the papri and rice crispies. You can also add a handful of plain corn flakes to make it crunchier.

To serve up, in a plate add the vegetable mixture. Top it with the dry ingredients mixture. Add yogurt, chutney, salt and chat masala according to taste.

Bengan ka Bhurta Recipe




Ingredients
½ grm. eggplant (Bengan)
1 tsp. cumin seeds (Zeera)
2 spring onions
2 tbs. tamarind (Imli) paste
1 tsp. salt (according to taste)
½ tsp. chili (Lal Mirch) powder
4 tbs. oil
¼ tsp. turmeric (Haldi) powder
3-4 tbs. yogurt
2-3 green chilies – chopped
2 tbs. mint (Podina) leaves – chopped
1 tbs. lemon juice

Instructions
Roast the eggplant in hot oven till the skin gets slightly burnt and shriveled.
Put the hot eggplant in a bowl of water and remove the skin.
In a pot add all the ingredients to the eggplant pulp meshed nicely and cook on medium flame till the water has dried up (stirring continuously otherwise it will burn). When ready it will come in a ball shape and will turn light brown
It can be served with rice, chapati or as salad when cooled.

Serving: 3-4 persons

Palak Paneer




Ingredients:
Ghee or Oil for deep frying
2 tbsp Ghee or Oil
400g/14oz Paneer
1 Onion, finely chopped
2.5cm/1 inch Fresh Ginger, finely chopped
4 Garlic Cloves, crushed
1 teasp Cumin Powder
1/2 teasp Coriander Powder
1/4 teas Turmeric Powder
1 teasp Chilli Powder
60ml/2fl.oz. Sour Cream
450g/1lb Fresh Spinach, finely chopped
salt to taste

Method:

Heat the ghee or oil awaiting hot then fry the paneer until golden brown.
Drain well then cut it into 12mm/1/2 inch squares and set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee or oil in a saucepan, add the onions and fry for 8-10 minutes until light brown, stirring constantly.
Add the garlic and ginger and fry for 3 minutes, adding little water if the mixture sticks to the bottom of the pan.
Add the chili powder, salt, cumin, coriander and turmeric powder and fry for 3-4 minutes, stirring from time to time and adding a little more water to prevent it drying out and sticking.
Add the sour cream and spinach, mix well, cover and bake over medium heat until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes.
Add the cheese, cover and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Serve hot with boiled rice or a flatbread such as roti, paratha or naan.

Carrot cake with lemon butter cream icing



Ingredients:
250g unsalted butter, softened
250g caster sugar
150g carrots
250g self-raising flour
100g ground almonds
1tsp baking powder
1tsp ground cinnamon
1tsp ground mixed spice
4 eggs, beaten
splash of milk
For the lemon buttercream icing:
150g unsalted butter, softened
300g icing sugar
finely grated rind of 1 lemon
splash of milk
100g walnuts, finely chopped
Method:
Line a 23cm round cake tin with non-stick baking parchment. Beat the butter until very soft, then add the sugar and keep beating until the mixture is really fluffy. Finely grate the carrots and blot with kitchen roll to mop up any excess moisture. Add them to the butter mixture with all the remaining cake ingredients and beat thoroughly. Add a splash of milk if the mixture is too stiff. Spoon into the lined tin and level the surface. Bake at gas mark 4/180ºC/350ºF for 1 hour and 15 minutes, covering the top of the cake with a piece of kitchen foil after 30 minutes to stop it getting too brown. Set aside to cool. To make the icing, beat the butter until fluffy, then beat in the icing sugar. Mix in the grated lemon rind. Add a splash of milk to soften the consistency slightly. Swirl the icing on top of the cake once it has cooled and sprinkle with walnuts, if you like.

Lemon Pickle Nimboo Ka Achar


Ingredients:
1 1\2 kg lemons
250 g green chilies
2 liters. Mustard oil
1\2 cup. salt
1cup aniseed (saunf)
1\4.cup turmeric
1 cup nigella seeds (kalonji)
1 cup fenugreek seeds (methre)
1\2 cup Red chili powder or (according to the taste).

Method:
Wash the lemons and pat dry.
Cut the lemons into half.
Divide the salt into three parts.
Place the lemons in a bowl, sprinkle one part of the salt, mix well , cover and leave to marinate over night.
Next day drain out all the water released by lemons.
Cover them and leave to marinate for one more day.
Wash the green chilies and dry them properly.
Slit the chilies carefully into half, leaving them still held together at the stalk.
Place the green chilies in a separate bowl, sprinkle 2nd part of the salt, mix well, cover and leave to marinate for one day along with the lemons.
Next day gently squeeze out all the water released by the lemons and green chilies, taking care not to squeeze the juice from the lemons.
Heat mustard oil to smoking point, remove from heat and leave it to cool.
Mix all the ingredients including the 3rd part of the salt, with enough oil just to bind the spices.
Material the green chilies with half of the spice mixture.
Rub the rest of the mixture over lemon pieces to coat them liberally.
Place the lemons and chilies in an earthenware jar, Mix thoroughly with hands.
Pour in the remaining oil.
The oil should cover the lemons and green chilies by about 2.5 cm (1 inch).
Cover the jar with a muslin cloth and maintain it in an airing place.
Stir the contents of the jar for the first two weeks at least once a day.
Do this to make sure that all pieces are completely dipped in the oil.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Mango Ice Cream




Ingredients
1 Peach mango (peeled, chopped)
1 Pawpaw (peeled, chopped)
1 tablespoon. Lemon juice
-4 Egg yolks
2 /3 cup Icing sugar
1/2 cup Thickened cream
1/4 cup Fresh coconut milk
1 tablespoon. Ground almonds
-Garnish Fresh fruit or mint sprigs
Method
1. Puree the mango and pawpaw together with the lemon juice.
2. Beat the eggs and icing sugar in the top of a double boiler until the eggs are pale and thick. Remove from the heat, pour into a bowl and continue to beat until the mixture is cool. Fold the fruit puree into the egg mixture and add the cream, coconut milk and almonds.
3. Pour the mixture into a mould or freezer tray and freeze for 2-3 hours.
4. To Serve: Dip the mold into hot water for 30 seconds before turning out, or scoop out as ice cream balls. Garnish with fruit or fresh mint sprigs.

Kulfi Pistay Wali


Ingredients
Condensed milk 397g
- Evaporated milk 550ml
- Nestle cream 1/2 can (45g) for machine and one full can for beater.
- Breakfast bread two slices, brown edges removed and cut into small pieces.
- Pistachio 2 tbs. ground & 2 tbs. sliced.
Cardamom 1 teaspoon. ground.
1/2 teaspoon. kewra (screwpine)
Method
1. Pour milk, cream and bread in the blender. Blend for few seconds.
2. Add ground pistachio, cardamoms and kewra in the milk mixture.
3. Pour mixture in the Ice cream machine (manual or electronic) and make ice cream according to manufacturer’s instructions.
4. If you do not own a ice cream maker, pour the mixture into a suitable container and place in a freezer. In such case you must take the mixture out of the freezer every hour and whisk thoroughly with a beater for the first three hours and then let it set for several hours.
5. Allow kulfi gets soften by keeping it out of freezer for about 10 minutes.
6. Garnish with sliced Pistachio.
Note: If you like to use Almonds in place of Pistachios then use half cup of blanched almonds, cut into slivers.
For machine, always use rock salt to maintain the ice temperature.

Jalaibi


Ingredients
1 cup white flour (maida)
1 \2 level teaspoon. bicarbonate of soda
1 tablespoon. plain yogurt
2\3 cup water
- few drops of jalaibi (orange red) color
For syrup:
- 11\2 cup sugar
- 11\2 cup water
- ghee or oil for deep frying
Method
1.Sieve flour and bicarbonate of soda together in a bowl. Add yogurt, food color and water. Whisk to a smooth batter. The consistency should be like thin pancake batter. Add little more water if necessary. Leave aside to rest for about 5 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Put sugar, water and cardamoms in saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Boil rapidly for about 10-15 minutes or until a thick syrup has formed.
3. Heat ghee or oil in a deep frying pan or karahi to 170C or 325F. Pour batter in polythene bag or in a muslin cloth and hold it like a piping bag, make about 3mm hole at the base. Pipe jalaibi shape (pretzel shape ) into hot oil. Fry both sides for about 3-5 minutes or until crisp.
4. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on absorbent kitchen paper and then place in the hot syrup for 3-5 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to serving dish.
5. Serve warm with green tea or warm milk.

Ghulab Jamun




Ingredients
2 1/2 tablespoon Flour
-Crushed almonds For garnishing
1 cup Sugar
-Water As required
-5 tablespoon Ghee + for deep frying
1 cup Dry milk powder
1/8 teaspoon Baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Cardamom powder
Method
1. Place milk powder in amedium bowl. Add melted ghee to it and using your hands mix it well.
2. Add flour, baking soda, cardamom powder and mix again.
3. Now add 3 Tablespoons of very cold water and knead with hands until a smooth dough is formed.
4. Make small balls of this dough (about 3/4 inches in diameter) and leave for some time.
5. Take sugar in an other pan, add equal amount of water and boil for some time( prepare aik taar ka sheera).
6. Deep fry all prepared balls (gulab jaman) until they become brown.
7. Place them in sugar solution( sheera).
8. Dish out and garnish with crushed almonds. They are now ready to be serve.

Kheer



Ingredients
2 Ltrs. Milk
-Crushed almonds For garnishing
1 1/2 cups Sugar
1/2 cup Rice
-3-5 Cardamum (Ilaychi)
2 tablespoon Corn Flour
Method
1. Take milk in the boiling pan.
2. Soak rice in water for about 15 minutes.
3. Add rice to the milk.
4. Cook for 15 minutes on low heat, till rice get tender and become one with milk.
5. Take corn flour in another bowl and add 4 tablespoons of milk to it.
6. Prepare a paste and add it to the boiling kheer.
7. Stir well and keep cooking for another minute, till it becomes thicker.
8. Add sugar and cardamums to it and let the mixture boil once.
9. Kheer is ready, dish it out and garnish with crushed almonds.

Gajraila


Ingredients
1 kg fresh carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
3 /4 cup rice
3 liter milk
2 cups sugar
8 to 10 green cardamoms
100 g blanched almonds, cut into slivers
50 g unsalted pistachio nuts, cut into slivers
50 g green raisins
12 cardamoms seeds, crushed
Sliver leaf for decoration, optional
- few drops of kewra essence
Method
1. Put the rice in a sieve and wash it thoroughly under a running cold tap until the water runs clear. Soak in plenty of cold water for 30 minutes. Drain in a sieve.
2.Put the grated carrots, rice and cardamoms in a large heavy-based sauce pan and add milk. Simmer, uncovered, over low heat, for two hours. Keep scraping the sides and bottom of the pan to loosen coagulated milk that may stick there and add this to the carrots and rice mixture to help to thicken the milk in the pan. Keep stirring and scraping the pan until the carrot and rice turns soft mushy and the milk has thickened ( the consistency should be that of thick porridge ).
3. Add the sugar and stirring continuously, dissolve it. This will also thicken the pudding slightly. Stirring constantly cook for another 152 0 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir well.
4. Transfer to a serving dish and decorate with silver leaves. Serve hot or cold.

Burfee







Ingredients
1 liter Milk
-A pinch Alum powder
-40gms. Sugar
-100ml Alphonso Mango (fresh pulp)
1/8th of a teaspoon. Cardamom (powdered)
-A few drops Kesar color
-For decoration Pistachios
Method
1. Boil milk, sprinkle alum power and add sugar. When it reduces to 1/3rd, add mango pulp. When it forms a soft ball consistency, add cardamom powder and color.
2. Cool it and mold it in the shape of a mango.
3. Decorate as desired.

Coconut Rice




Ingredients
- Half a coconut,grated
2 cups water
2 cups basmati rice
4 cloves
1 stick of cinnamon
4 cardamoms
Salt,to taste
3 -5 tablespoon ghee
- A pinch of turmeric diluted in 1 tablespoon of coconut milk
Method
1.Grind the grated coconut and a little hot water and squeeze through a muslin clothes to extract milk.Repeat the process two more times until you have 2 cups of coconut milk Keep it aside.
2. In a deep pressure cooker, fry the whole spices and rice in ghee until the rice begins to stick to the pan.
3. Add water and coconut milk and stir well. Add salt to taste and the diluted turmeric. Cook under pressure for 5 minutes.
Note:Serve hot garnished with deep-fried onion slices.
Did you try our Chicken Pulao?

Gur Walay Chawal

Ingredients:
225 grams rice, basmati
400 ml water
200 grams gur, break into small pieces
1\4 cup ghee
1 teaspoon aniseed (saunf)
8 green cardamom seeds, crushed
4 cloves
100 grams almonds blanched
50 grams unsalted pistachios, sliced
25 grams raisins green
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Method:
* Rinse the rice in a sieve under the running water and then soak it in cold water for 30 minutes. Drain
* Put water and gur in a pan and bring to boil. Boil for two minutes and then remove from heat and strain
* Heat ghee in another heavy based pan; add cardamom, aniseed and clove. Stirring all the time, fry these for few seconds. Stand well back, in case of spluttering, and add the rice along with syrup. Bring to boil, and then reduce the heat to low
* Add almonds, pistachio nuts, green raisins and lemon juice. Stir just once, cover with a tight fitting lid and cook for 20 minutes until the syrup is completely absorbed
* Variations : Add 1\2 cup grated carrots or boiled yellow lentils (channa dal) along with nuts
* Serve Immediately
* Serve Hot

How is Pakistan?

It's often easy to motivate somebody about a place or activity and it's easy to make the person start dreaming about going there / doing it. But this dream often ends when it is crushed by what we call reality. Sadly this "reality" is often only a lack of information or our own mindset. Often the dream is in fact very much feasible to fulfill and we just didn’t know.
If you are one of those who actually started to think about coming to Pakistan for purpose of AIESEC Internship, traveling or any other, but stopped yourself because “it's not possible” – this section is for you.
We have tried to put together different aspects of life in Pakistan that might be interesting to know and can show you how is life in this amazing country.
Despite being offered 144 million webpages when you search “Pakistan” in Google, we hope that this one will be the one that surprises you and shows you Our Pakistan :)
From talking to people, the things that are bringing the most stress are:
• Safety
• Visas
• Traveling
• Health

Ingredients and cuisine of Pakistani food





Curries, made out of chicken and goat meat or using pakoras are also popular is some parts of Pakistan. Daal or lentils are also an integral part of the staple Pakistani cuisine. Known as the dish of the commoners, Daal is popular along the length and breadth of South Asia- Pakistan and India in particular. Daals are not served during occasions and when serving guests. Haleem is a special dish consisting of various vegetables, lentils, meat loathes, traditional bread (Chapati or roti) rice is one of the most commonly served dishes on occasions.
Owing to a significant influence of the Punjabi culture, Tandoori or barbecued food is particularly popular at places like Lahore, Gujranwala and Sialkot. Tandoori chicken is one of the most popular dishes to have come out the Punjabi culture. Other Tandoori dishes include Chicken Tikka, Mutton Tikka, Sajji (which a predominantly Baluchi dish) and fish tandoori. Cheese and chicken marinated with yogurt, freshly prepared in the tandoori cauldron are also popular amongst all sections of the society. Pulao and Biryani are two version of the same rice dish (well, almost same). While pulao usually consists of vegetables, Biryani is predominantly a non-vegetarian dish. Naan, Parantha and chapati are some variants of wheat breads. Usually, food in Pakistan is served with either rice or chapati or both served along with a main course dish and two or more side dishes. Kheer, rasmalai and firni are some of the traditional Pakistani desserts and are popular amongst kids and grown-ups alike.

Pakistani Food Recipe Collection





Pakistani food is primarily derived from three broad cultures- the Iranian culture (Pakistan has strong cultural and diplomatic nearness to Iran), the central Asian culture and from the South Asian culture. The disparity in food and recipes of Pakistan is vivid, yet interestingly tasty. The food here is habitually spicy and consists of meat (beef in particular) and commonly found green vegetables in the temperate climatic zone. Within the country, there is a vast disparity in the recipes from region to region and this is pronounced when you near the borders and the frontier districts of Pakistan. Towards the Indian border, Pakistani food has influence of Indian culture and towards the western borders, Pakistani food has a marked Middle Eastern influence.
Food in the Sindhi and Punjab belt of Pakistan is marked by a strong presence of spices and chillies. The food can be excruciatingly hot and shows an affinity to the South Asian food. In the North West Frontier Province and Baluchistan region, relatively less hot food s used with a lavish use of aromatic spices- giving the food an essentially Iranian feel. Beef, goat, lamb and chicken are the most popular meats in Pakistani food. Seafood is usually not a popular entity here, but is relatively popular along the coastal regions, especially those of Sindh and Baluchistan.

Meat Dishes




Meat is definitely the best of the Pakistani food. The starters are usually kabbabs and there are more types of kabbabs that one can mention in this article. The most popular are shammi kabbab (minced meat, lentils and spices fried), seekh kabbab (marinated meat cooked over charcoal or in a tandoor), chapli kabbab (minced beef cooked in animal fat), sishleek kabbab (grilled lamb chops).
The main dishes can be an exceptional array of meat preparations cooked in curd with spices. The staple meat is mutton, though chicken and beef are also popular.
The Pakistani meal is incomplete without a sumptuous desert. Some of the popular deserts are sheer khorma, kheer, kulfi, gajar ka halwa, firini, etc.

The Festival Menus

The Pakistani food is extremely rich and tasty. A typical festival menu would include the following:
There are any types of breads served in Pakistan:
1. Puri – this is usually half palm sized circles deep fired in oil. It is eaten with curry or sweet dishes. This is also used most commonly for breakfast.
2. Paratha – this is a chapatti to which ghee is added while cooking. It is eaten with curds (for breakfast), fried vegetables or meat dishes.
3. Naan – this is made out of white flour an cooked in the tandoor; best eaten hot. There are many types of naan, such as Roghni Naan or Kandahari naan, butter naan, etc.
4. Taftaan – this is leavened flour kneaded with cardamom and saffron. This is sweet and flavored.
5. Sheermaal – this is cooked with milk and butter and usually accompanied sweets at marriage feasts
Rice:
The rice served at festive occasions are Basmati (a highly aromatic and long grained rice) which is prepared in different styles such as jeera rice (with cumin seeds), peas pulao (rice coked with peas), vegetable pulao (rice cooked with vegetables), etc. The most common rice preparation is the biryiani.

Pakistani Food - A Delectable Treat

Pakistani food is heavily influenced by the Mughal and Persian styles of cooking which is rich and extremely spicy. The food is most often cooked in clarified butter or ghee and garnished with a wide variety of dry fruits and cashew nuts.
The most common of all Pakistani food is the biryani which is a combination of meat and high quality rice cooked over steam or very low fire. Biryani is extremely rich and is served with a mixture of minced cucumber, tomato and onion in yoghurt.
Other very common delicacies in Pakistan are the kabbabs – these are meat pieces (chicken, mutton or beef) heavily marinated in different spices and cooked over charcoal or inside a tandoor (a special oven for naan and this type of meat). These kabbabs can be used as starters or as the main dish if accompanied by roti (unleavened bread), naan or tandoori roti.
The meal of the common man usually comprises of rice or roti, dal (which is a type of lentils cooked as a soup), a vegetable curry and/ or a meat dish. The every day cooking would not involve too many spices with the exception of the meat dish which is always treated as special. Some favorites are the mutton/ chicken karahi, Peshawari karahi or Lahori karahi.
The food is always eaten with the right hand; the left hand should not be used while eating as this is the hand with which is used to clean the body after defecation.

Pakistani Food

In Pakistan, food varieties vary from one region to another. The foods of Pakistan are influenced by the food culture and trends of India, Iran, and Afghanistan. In Punjab and Sindh hot and spicy foods are eaten while in NWFP and Blouchistan province salty and roasted foods are eaten with less or almost no spices. In these regions the food trend, which is followed, comes from Afghanistan, Iran and Middle East. While the food trend, which is followed in Sindh and Punjab, also follow in India. One thing is common among the lays of Pakistani people i.e. “Roti” (wheat bread) and rice. Salad is taken with the food. Sweet dishes or desserts are eaten finishing the food.
Meat is very popular among Pakistani people, because of its taste and nutritious value. A Pakistani prefers to eat meat rather than grain. White meat i.e. chicken meat, fish meat is very popular. Meat of goat and buffalos are also very popular and different kinds of dishes are prepared from these meats.
Most popular and routine dishes include curries often prepared in the combination with different vegetables such as bitter gourd, spinach, saag cauliflowers, cabage and others.
Special curry is the “karhai” chiken karhai or mutton karhai made with the tomato paste and garlic. Other most popular are sri pae, kofta, nihari, and korma.
“Daal” or pulses are most commonly prepared and eaten in Pakistan, “Daal chawal”is the popular most dish. The special dish, which is made with pulses and meat, is “Haleem”. Barbeque is another special kind of food, which is full of spices these dishes are: seekh kabab, chicken tikka, tandori chicken, chargah, mutton tikka, chakna. In balouchistan, sajji is the special dish, which is a raosted lamb that is stuffed with rice; only salt is used in this dish. Rice dishes are also very popular; Biryani is the most popular dish in Sindh while pullao in Punjab. There are different ways to prepare different kinds of biryani such as bombai biryani, sindhi biryani and others.
Wheat bread or “roti” is a most common type of bread that is used almost everywhere in Pakistan. Other kinds of roti are: Sheermaal, Taftan, Paratha, Puri, Roghni naan, chapatti and others. Kabab is a popular type of grilled meat, different kinds of kababs are: Chapli kabab, seekh kabab, Shami kabab, Bihari kabab, murgh kabab and others. Bun kabab is a popular kind of sandwich. Sweets and desserts are taken after salt food. Popular desserts are kheer, sheer khourma, Ras malai, falooda, kulfi. Sweets are gulab jamon, barfi, chumchum, bhashani and others. Halvas are also very popular and important sweet dish, Multani sohan halva is very popular in Pakistan. Other kinds of halva are gajar ka halva (carrot’s halva), soji halva and others. Pakistani people are fond of drinking “tea”and lassi is popular in Punjab. Qehwa is popular in NWFP and Balouchistan. Other popular drinks are Lemonade, Rooh afza, jam-e-shiri, tang, sharbat of sandal (sandle wood) and others.

Welcome to Pakistan Food Recipies

Recipes of famous pakistani dishes. Best Pakistani cuisines. recipes in urdu. Learn how to coock Pakistani dishes. These all are our basic objectives for having online presence. Soon we will post on our web site the best hotels and restaurants all over pakistan sepcially in Lahore, islamabad, Karachi and other areas of Pakistan that are popular for its cuisines.
Pakistan food recipes is the best place for food lovers to gather recipes online for their favorite dishes. These recipes are not only based on Pakistani food and cuisines or dishes but other continental foods.
Our main recipes include how to cook recipes for Rice, wheat, vegetables, meat, chicken, mutton, fish, seafood, crabs, prawns or shrimps, lintels (daal chaawal or chawal), spices, poultry eggs and many more.
Mixture of these food products are used in making delicious pakistani dishes. Other desi elements or products used in our recipes include butter or makhan, lassi, ghee, chatni, pickles, achaar and many more.
Not only this, but if you think you are a cooking expert of Pakistani dishes and want to share your recipes with other pakistani ladies, we'll soon develop area where you can post your recipes and make other women or men benefit from your ideas. Most our recipes for Pakistani dishes are healthy, fast and easy so young girls can easily pick and follow.
We have listed ideas for preaparation of Pakistani wedding food or wedding feast.
We can help you in designing menu for including dishes in weddign feast.

Food and Spices

There are four basic things about food in Pakistan:
- spice
- meat
- social activity
- hands
…so lets have a look at them.

Spice
Masala (Urdu for spice) is in everything: foods, soups, biscuits, even juices (salt and masala orange juice!). Even in the smallest shop you can find at least 30 different kinds of spices, each with a different usage – most of them you cant find even in wikipedia. The level of hotness of Pakistani food is really high, if you are coming from a country that doesn’t use spices too much (CEE, non-South Asia) make sure to do some training before coming to Pakistan (I recommend Thai chilli :) , else there will be nearly no Pakistani food you can eat and will be left with bread, pasta, McDonalds, KFC and Subway :P
Meat
As Pakistan is a Muslim country, pork is not eaten. The most common meat is chicken, followed by beef (example of basic difference to India) and mutton (goat). Meat, like spices, is nearly omnipresent - vegetarians have often a hard time :) . All kinds of ways of preparation of food are available and all of them delicious.
Social activity
Alcohol is present in Pakistan, but non on an official social level (if you drink, you drink at home or in limited group of friends), that’s why any social activity is revolving around: food, chai (milk tea), sheesha (waterpipe) or FOOD. Mostly the latter :) …for most of Pakistanis social activity or family meeting is equal with eating together.
Hands
Pakistanis eat with bare hands, from the poorest beggar to members to the highest class of society. Cutlery is used only for a few local foods and imported cuisine. This on one side is a reason why its easy to get stomach problems, but on the other side it also gives eating and the food a different feeling and makes the food taste even better…

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Traditional Pakistani Food






Today I have for you something different, something like a culinary treat. Being an American with Asian roots, I have had exposure to a wide variety of foods from the simplest to the most exotic, from the totally bland to the fiery hot fiesta food that can light up every cell in your body!

I love food and I must confess that I love authentic Pakistani food. This blog is about healthy food and authentic Asian food which is just as healthy. So I am going to try my best to create a blissful and tasty mixture of foods from both the east and the west.
When one thinks of Pakistani food it would be a crime not to mention the traditional Lahori food. Lahore is in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and is a very busy metropolitan city. The splendor of Lahore is mostly accredited to the historical Mogul architecture in various parts of the city and of course, the traditional authentic Pakistani Food. Many people even call Lahore the CULINARY CAPITAL of Pakistan.
Now if you want to make sure you are able to try all the best and most popular traditional foods then be sure to head straight for the Gawalmandi FOOD STREET. It is THE PLACE for people who want to TASTE Lahore!

If you are a food lover this place is not to be missed!!
A very popular and heavy brunch that is a specialty in Lahore is HALWA-POORI. It is also famous in western parts of India especially East Punjab. Halwa -poori has developed into a traditional breakfast consisting three main components which are:

1. The Poori : A flat bread made of white flour which is deep fried for 2-3 seconds till it blows up into a ball. It is very soft and crispy
2. The Halwa : A sweetmeat made with semolina and loaded with sliced almonds and pistachios.
3. The Curry: It is called Aloo choolay, which means potato and chickpea curry. It is very spicy and very tasty.
4. Condiments: Traditional mango pickle and onion pickle are also served along with fresh yogurt.
This dish is a flavorful combination of sweet and spicy and is so good! You have to try it to believe it Or take my word for it !
Happy Eating!