Food is a very important element in life. Food changes as the geography changes as well as culture and the availability of the sources. In Pakistan the main staple is the wheat and followed by the rice.
Given a very huge country with a population of 139 million, with different cultures in different region, the Pakistani food is quite a variety according to the regions. Most pakistani foods are around - poultry, lamb and meat. Seafood is more popular in the south like Karachi as the location is near the Arabian Sea. This time I am showcasing the food that I had tried in Pakistan, either from street, small restaurant or big restaurant.
The map indication important cities of Pakistan
CHICKEN
the most famous and cheaper version of food. There are so many dishes is made of chicken but one of the most popular traditional chicken dish in Pakistan is from Quetta, Balochistan. Sajji is a famous smoked chicken that originated in Quetta. The whole chicken usually being smoked near the fire but not touching the fire. They smoke it for hours until the whole chicken is fully cooked but maintaining its juices inside.
Akbar restaurant in Quetta
Sajji Chicken in Quetta
A group of polite 'crosslegged' roast chicken in
Peshawar Old City
KEBAB
It is made of minced beef, lamb or chicken but the most famous ones are lamb and beef. It looks more like a sausage but Pakistani kebab is mixed with spices and chillis. Mostly very spicy. They are eaten with either roti, chappati or rice. Kebab usually grilled on top of the fire and served hot.
Kebab being grilled on fire
ready to eat kebab.
Chicken grilled on fire. Chicken boti
ROTI/CHAPPATI /NAAN
The main staple of Pakistani people is wheat. From wheat we can get many types of carbo sources like roti, Naan,and chappati. Most of the roti is accompanied with chicken or meat dishes,or dall.
Roghni naan in Peshawar
The breadmakers in Peshawar. In Summer they have to withstand
The heat of the city as well as the heat of their tandoor (the earth
pot)
The fussion Naan, In Saddar Bazaar - Peshawar. Naan with a little
twist of topping of vegetable. Can be camouflage as Pakistani Pizza.
The fussion Naan.
The breadmakers in Peshawar.
Naan with Chicken Karahi
Chappati with chicken karachi and chicken botti.
Biryani and naan with fresh salad and chciken karahi.
RICE
Rice is a secondary staple for akitani people. Rice is cooked and served differently in dfferent parts of Pakistan. The 2 famous rice dish that I had before in Pakistan is either Biryani or Kabuli Pulao. Chicken biryani has a different taste from Kracahi to Lahore. Karachi, whichis in the south of Pakistan has a more spicy Biryani wehere in Lahore the biryani is less spicy than Karachi. Kabuli pulao can be found every in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ( KPK) area. They are not spicy at all and cooked with spices and beef stock from the beef bones. These rices dishes usually accompanied with salad, beef or chicken dishes or kebab.
Kabuli Pulao
kabuli pulao - close up
Kabuli Pulao accompanied with fresh kebabmeat ( not minced)
Biryani rice accompanied with shami kebab ( Lamb patties)
The biryani set with chicken kebab, raita ( Yogurt), fresh salad
in Tandoori Restaurant in Islamabad.
The biryani set with Chciken Jafrelzi, and beef kebab.
Kabuli Pulao with Raita, fresh salad and chicken karahi
TEA
One of the most important drinks in the Pakistani society. tea with milk or doodh pathi is a very delicious drink in Pakistan. It is made by boiling the tea leafs in the boiling milk and sugar are added while they are still on fire. Doodh pathi is my favourite drinks in Pakistan. They are served in boiling hot.
Another favorite tea in the nOrthern part of Pakistan is the green tea. Green tea is served hots, very sweet and cardamon is added to leave a spicy taste to the tea. I usually get free green tea when I did my shopping in Peshwar Old City, by the hsop owners. Sometimes even I did not buy anything from them, I still get invited to join them for tea.
Doodh Pathi.
The tea maker in Peshawar.
The Green tea - in Old City Peshwar
The modern tea, served in a trendy coffee outlet in Islamabad.
Taste is just bland.
BREAKFAST
Pakistani have a very simple hot breakfast like having paratha with omelette and dooh pathi
or naan with ommelette. But I saw in some street food outlet which serve the hot friedcow liver in chilli and eaten with bread. I never tasted this.
Naan Break with chapali kebab - Chappali kebab is a deep fried
minced beef with spices and tomato and served hot.
Samosa and hot tea.
Naan bread with omelette and chick peas and and hot tea.
Cow liver with naan bread.
In further North area like Gilgit, beef dumplings with
hot chilli sauce are served for breakfast.
FISH
It is funny how places like Islamabad and Lahore is famous for fish. These 2 cities do not have sea around them. Fish usually being marinated withs pices and deep fried. They are eaten with naan or chapatti.
Deep fried fish in Peshawar
Fish and chicken outlet in Peshawar
Fish outlet stall in Islamabad.
SWEET DISH
Sweet dish or dessert usually are very sweet for some people. My favorite dessert is Gulab jamun and Gajar Halwar. Desssert or sweet dish usually are very important for occassions like Eid. or birthday parties.
Ras golay - as sweet as it looks they are literally sweet
Made of carrot, sugar and cheese.
Gulan Jamun - the balls made of rice flower served
in rose syrup water and served hot.
Dessert Seller
SNACKS
2 of the most common street snacks are the samosa and pakora. They are not just available b the street but also in the bakeries. Samosa and pakora are also important during the Ramadan month as they are the main food for breakfasting before actually having the big meal. Samosa is the triangular pastry filled with potatoes in curry flavour and pakora is the mixed vegetable wrapped in flour and deep fried.
Pakora (middle0 and samosa( Left) ready to be sold.
Snacks outlet in Peshawar.
Jaleebi - s deep fried crunchy flour coated with
sugar water.
No comments:
Post a Comment