PAKISTANI FOOD
FOOD
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is ingested by an organism and assimilated by the organism's cells in an effort to produce energy, maintain life, or stimulate growth.
Historically, people secured food through two methods: hunting and gathering, and agriculture. Today, most of the food energy consumed by the world population is supplied by the food industry, which is operated by multinational corporations that use intensive farming and agriculture to maximize system output.
FOOD SOURCES
Almost all foods are of plant or animal origin. Cereal grain is a food that provides more food energy worldwide than any other type of crop. Maize, wheat, and rice - in all of their varieties - account for 87% of all grain production worldwide.
Other foods not from animal or plant sources include various edible fungi, especially mushrooms. Fungi and ambient bacteria are used in the preparation of fermented and pickled foods like leavened bread, alcoholic drinks, cheese, pickles and yogurt. Inorganic substances such as soda and cream of tartar are also used to chemically alter an ingredient.
PLANTS
Many plants or plant parts are eaten as food. There are around 2,000 plant species which are cultivated for food, and many have several distinct cultivars.
Seeds of plants are a good source of food for animals, including humans, because they contain the nutrients necessary for the plant's initial growth, including many healthy fats, such as Omega fats. In fact, the majority of food consumed by human beings is seed-based foods. Edible seeds include cereals (maize, wheat, rice, et cetera), legumes (beans, peas, lentils, et cetera), and nuts. Oilseeds are often pressed to produce rich oils - sunflower, flaxseed, rapeseed (including canola oil), sesame, et cetera.
Seeds are typically high in unsaturated fats and, in moderation, are considered a health food, although not all seeds are edible. Large seeds, such as those from a lemon, pose a choking hazard, while seeds from apples and cherries contain a poison (cyanide).
Fruits are the ripened ovaries of plants, including the seeds within. Many plants have evolved fruits that are attractive as a food source to animals, so that animals will eat the fruits and excrete the seeds some distance away. Fruits, therefore, make up a significant part of the diets of most cultures. Some botanical fruits, such as tomatoes, pumpkins, and eggplants, are eaten as vegetables.
Vegetables are a second type of plant matter that is commonly eaten as food. These include root vegetables (potatoes and carrots), leaf vegetables (spinach and lettuce), stem vegetables (bamboo shoots and asparagus), and inflorescence vegetables (globe artichokes and broccoli).
ANIMAL
Animals are used as food either directly or indirectly by the products they produce. Meat is an example of a direct product taken from an animal, which comes from muscle systems or from organs. Food products produced by animals include milk produced by mammary glands, which in many cultures is drunk or processed into dairy (cheese, butter, et cetera). In addition, birds and other animals lay eggs, which are often eaten, and bees produce honey, reduced nectar from flowers, which is a popular sweetener in many cultures. Some cultures consume, sometimes in the form of blood sausage, as a thickener for sauces, or in a cured, salted form for times of food scarcity, and others use blood in stews such as civet.
Some cultures and people do not consume meat or animal food products for cultural, dietary, health, ethical, or ideological reasons. Vegetarians do not consume meat. Vegans do not consume any foods that are or contain ingredients from an animal source.
COOKING
The term "cooking" encompasses a vast range of methods, tools, and combinations of ingredients to improve the flavor or digestibility of food. Cooking technique, known as culinary art, generally requires the selection, measurement, and combining of ingredients in an ordered procedure in an effort to achieve the desired result. Constraints on success include the variability of ingredients, ambient conditions, tools, and the skill of the individual cook.[24] The diversity of cooking worldwide is a reflection of the myriad nutritional, aesthetic, agricultural, economic, cultural, and religious considerations that affect it.
Cooking requires applying heat to a food which usually, though not always, chemically changes the molecules, thus changing its flavor, texture, appearance, and nutritional properties. Cooking certain proteins, such as egg whites, meats, and fish, denatures the protein, causing it to firm. There is archaeological evidence of roasted foodstuffs at erectus campsites dating from 420,000 years ago. Boiling as a means of cooking requires a container, and has been practiced at least since the 10th millennium BC with the introduction of pottery.
FOOD FROM SUBCONTINENT
PAKISTANI FOOD
Pakistani food can be described as a refined blend of various regional cooking traditions of the South Asian subcontinent. Pakistani cuisine is known for its richness and flavor.
Within Pakistan, cuisine varies greatly from region to region, reflecting the country's ethnic and cultural diversity. Food from the eastern provinces of Sindh and the Punjab, as well as the Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir region, is quite similar to the cuisine of Northern India and can be highly seasoned and spicy, which is characteristic of the flavors of the South Asian region. Food in other parts of Pakistan, particularly Baluchistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, involves the use of mild aromatic spices and less oil, characterizing affinities to the cuisine of neighboring Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia.
International cuisine and fast food are popular in cities. Blending local and foreign recipes (fusion food) such as Pakistani Chinese cuisine is common in large urban centers. Furthermore, as a result of lifestyle changes, ready made masalas (mixed and ready to use spices) are becoming increasingly popular. However, given the diversity of the people of Pakistan, cuisines generally differ from home to home and may be totally different than the mainstream Pakistani cuisine.
HISTORICAL INFLUENCE
Pakistani national cuisine is the successor of Indo-Aryan culture and Muslim culinary traditions. The earliest formal civilizations were the Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa civilizations in present-day Pakistan. At around 3000 BCE, sesame, eggplant, and humped cattle had been domesticated in the Indus Valley, and spices like turmeric, cardamom, black pepper and mustard were harvested in the region concurrently. For a thousand years, wheat and rice formed the basic foodstuff in the Indus valley.[4]
The arrival of Islam within South Asia, via modern-day Pakistan, influenced the local cuisine to a great degree. Since Muslims are forbidden to eat pork or consume alcohol and the halal dietary guidelines are strictly observed. Pakistanis focus on other areas of food such as beef, lamb, chicken, fish and vegetables as well as traditional fruit and dairy. The influence of Central Asian, South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine in Pakistani food is ubiquitous.

BASIC SUBSTANCE
At its simplest, Pakistani food today consists of staple ingredients which are cheap and abundant. Wheat and other flour products is the mainstay of the diet, one familiar form being CHAPATI, unleavened bread akin to a Mexican tortilla. This is made with dough prepared from whole wheat flour.

Another basic Pakistani food is LASSI, milk from which curds and butterfat have been removed. Vegetables, usually seasonal, lentils are commonly used. Families with larger incomes eat more meat, eggs and fruits. And the more affluent cook with GHEE, which is clarified butter, instead of with vegetable oil.

From the earliest times, the imaginative - and sometimes heavy - use of spices, herbs, seeds, and flavorings and seasonings have helped cooks transform rather ordinary staple Pakistani foods into an exotic cuisine.
Pakistani dishes are known for having aromatic and sometimes spicy flavors, and some dishes often contain liberal amounts of oil which contributes to a richer, fuller mouth feel and flavor. Brown cardamom, green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, mace, and pepper are the most commonly used spices in the making of a wide variety of dishes throughout Pakistan. Cumin seeds, chilli powder, turmeric and bay are also very popular. In the Punjab province it is further diluted with coriander powder. Garam Masala (Aromatic spices) is a very popular blend of spices used in many Pakistani dishes.
EATING HABITS
Pakistanis generally eat three meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. During the evening, many families have green tea without sugar which goes along with baked/fried snacks from local bakery (or prepared at home). During the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, the eating patterns change to: sehri and iftar. It is considered proper to eat only with the right hand as per Islamic tradition (also a tradition in many other Asian cultures). Many Pakistani families, particularly in rural areas, eat their meals served on a cloth known as dastarkhan which is spread out on the floor. In NWFP, many street eateries serve food on a takht, in a style similar to Iran & Afghanistan. A takht is raised platform on which people eat their food sitting cross-legged, after taking their shoes off.
BREAKFAST
A typical Pakistani breakfast, locally called NASHTA consists of: eggs (boiled/scrambled/fried/omelets), a slice of loaf bread or roti, parathas (qeema/kolcha),sheermal with tea or lassi, qeema (minced meat), fresh seasonal fruits (mangoes, apples, melons, bananas etc.), milk, honey, butter, jam,shami kebab, and nuts. Sometimes breakfast includes baked goods like bakarkhani and rusks. During holidays and weekends, halwa poori and channay are sometimes eaten. In the Punjab, sarson ka saag (mustard leaves) and maaki ki roti (cornbread) is a local favorite. Punjabi people also enjoy khatchapuri, a savory pastry filled with cheese, much like Bosnian Pita. In Karachi, breakfast might even include nihari, paya and Naan. Due to the comparatively high level of physical activity of agricultural and skilled workers, Pakistani breakfasts tend to be very heavy, almost a feast.
LUNCH
A typical Pakistani lunch consists of meat curries or lentils along with rice. Breads such as roti or naan are usually served for dinner but have become common during the day so that rice maybe served for dinner. Popular lunch dishes may include aloo gosht (meat and potato curry) or any vegetable like gobhi, kadoo, or karela with mutton. Chicken dishes like chicken karahi and chicken korma are also popular. Alternatively highway food stops often sell just daal and tandoori roti or masala Okra and chapattis, which is cheap and filling for people on the move. People who live near the main rivers also eat fish for lunch, which is sometimes cooked in the tandoori style.
DINNER
Dinner is considered the main meal of the day as the whole family gathers for the occasion. Food which requires more preparation and which is more savory (such as pulao, kofte, kebabs, keema, and korma) are prepared. Lentils and Roti is staple dinnertime menu. These are served with roti or naan along with yoghurt, pickle and salad. The dinner may (not commonly) be followed by dessert ranging from anything from fruit to traditional desserts like kheer, gulab jamun, shahi tukray, gajraila, qulfi or ras malai.
SNACKS
Pakistani snacks comprise food items in Pakistan that are quick to prepare, spicy, usually fried, and eaten in the evening or morning with tea or with any one of the meals as a side-dish. A given snack may be part of a local culture, and its preparation and/or popularity can vary from place to place. These snacks are often prepared and sold by hawkers on footpaths, railway station and other such places, although they may also be served at restaurants. Some typical snacks are bhala, chaat, chana masala, and pakoras. Others include khatchapuri, pakoras-either neem pakoras, basin pakoras, or chicken pakoras, samosas--vegetable or beef, and eggrolls.
REGIONAL FOOD
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 the sajji 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 Pathans, who occupy the Northwest Frontier province, eat a lot of lamb. Their cooking, however, is considered blander than the other regions. Oven-baked bread eaten with cubes of meat, called naan-kebab, is a favorite Pathans 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. Chapattis is 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 aloo (potatoes), gobhi (cabbage), bhindi (okra), chana (chickpeas), and matar (peas) are eaten according to the season. Dhal (or daal) is a stew made with lentils, one of the most commonly eaten vegetables.
BALOCHISTAN
Baloch cuisine refers to the food and cuisine of the Baloch people from the Baluchistan region, compromising the Pakistani Baluchistan province as well as Sistan and Baluchistan in Iran and Baluchistan, Afghanistan. Baloch food has a regional variance in contrast to many other cuisines of Pakistan.
Prominent Baloch dishes such as the lamb-skewed Sajji have gained massive popularity among different parts of Pakistan, including the food hubs of Karachi and Lahore. Kaak: Rock-hard prepared bread, is also a notable dish. Dampukht is also a Balochi cuisine which is prepared by meat and it is cooked in fats. Khaddi Kebab is a cuisine in which Baluchistanis cook a whole lamb or goat on fire. Usually there is raw rice in the stomach of the lamb and the rice is cooked by the fats of the kamb. The lamb is cooked on fire.
KASHMIR
Kashmiri cuisines are based on the ancient tradition of this area. The Rigveda mentions the meat eating traditions of this area. The ancient epic of Kashmir, namely the Nilmatapurana informs us that Kashmiris were heavy meat eaters. This habit persists in today's Kashmir. The most notable ingredient in today's Kashmir cuisine is mutton, of which there are over 30 varieties. Kashmiri Pandit food is very elaborate, and is an important part of the Pandits' ethnic identity. It has the earliest influence on Kashmiri cuisine. The food usually uses a lot of yogurt, cream, Mustard Oil, Ghee and spices such as fennel, Kashmiri Red Chili Powder, Cinnamon, Cardamom and Saffron, but avoids onion, garlic, tomatoes, and chicken.

KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA AND FATA
Pashtu cuisine is very similar to Persian and Afghan cuisine. It consists of rice dishes, kebabs. Pashtuns cuisine refers to the cuisine of the Pashtuns, who are predominant in Afghanistan and north-west Pakistan. The cuisine of the Pashtuns people is derived from the cuisine of Afghanistan and that of Pashtuns-dominated areas in northern Pakistan, which is largely based not just upon cereals like wheat, maize, barley and rice but also a plethora of meat dishes (which include, chicken, beef and lamb). Accompanying these staples are also dairy products (yogurt, whey), various nuts, native vegetables, as well as fresh and dried fruits
MAHAJIR
Mohajir cuisine refers to the food of the Mohajir people who migrated to Pakistan from other areas of the Indian subcontinent. Mohajir cuisine is an amalgamation of several regional Indian cuisines, such as Hyderabadi cuisine, Bihari cuisine, Bengali cuisine, Gujarati cuisine, Maharashtrian cuisine, Rajasthani cuisine and the cuisine of Uttar Pradesh - reflecting the diversity of different Mohajir immigrants and the tastes they brought, refers to the food of the Mohajir people in Pakistan, Muslim immigrants originally from India who migrated to Pakistan following the partition of India. Most Mohajir have traditionally been based in Karachi, hence the city being known for Mohajir tastes in its cuisine. Mohajir clung to their old established habits and tastes, including a numberless variety of dishes and beverages. The Mughal and Indo-Iranian heritage played an influential role in the making of their cuisine, having taste vary from mild to spicy and is often associated with aroma. In comparison to other native Pakistani, Mohajir cuisine tends to use stronger spices and flavors. Special dishes include biryani, qurma, kofte, seekh kebab, Nihari and Haleem, Nargisi Kofte, Kata-Kat, Rogani Naan, Naan, sheer-qurma (sweet), qurma, chai (sweet, milky tea), paan and Hyderabadi cuisine, and other delicacies associated with Mohajir culture. The food of Mohajir is renowned for its cultural fusion, due to Mohajir hailing from a number of ethnic backgrounds. As a result, Bengali cuisine, Bihari cuisine, Uttar Pradeshi cuisine and Muslim Hyderabadi cuisine collaboratively impose an influence on the style of food

PUNJAB
Punjabi cuisine is food from the Punjab region of northwestern India and eastern Pakistan. It can be non-vegetarian or completely vegetarian. One of the main features of Punjabi cuisine is its diverse range of dishes. Home cooked and restaurant Punjabi cuisine can vary significantly, with restaurant style using large amounts of ghee, clarified butter, with liberal amounts of butter and cream, with home cooking concentrating on mainly upon preparations with Whole Wheat, rice and other ingredients flavored with masala. For example, Roh Di Kheer is cooked using rice. Rice is cooked for a long time in sugar cane juice.
Within the Punjab region, there are different preferences. People in the area of Amritsar prefer stuffed parathas and milk products. In fact, the area is well known for quality of its milk products. There are certain dishes which are exclusive to Punjab, such as Mah Di Daal and Saron Da Saag. The food is tailor-made for the Punjabi lifestyle in which most of the rural folk burn a lot of calories while working in the fields. The main masala in a Punjabi dish consists of onion, garlic and ginger. Tandoori food is a Punjabi specialty especially for non-vegetarian dishes. Many of the most popular elements of Anglo-Indian cuisine - such as Tandoor, Naan, Pakoras and vegetable dishes with paneer - derive from the Punjab.
SINDH
Sindhi cuisine refers to the native cuisine of the Sindhi people from Sindh, Pakistan. The daily food in most Sindhi households consists of wheat-based flat-bread (phulka) and rice accompanied by two dishes, one gravy and one dry. Today, Sindhi food is eaten in many countries including India, where a sizeable number of Sindhis migrated following the Partition of India.