WESTERN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

La Paz, Iloilo City

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
ASIAN CUISINE

MIDTERM PERIOD
TOPIC 3: SOUTHWEST ASIAN CUISINE

Learning Objectives:
After studying, you will be able to:
 Learn various dishes of India, Nepal & Maldives.
 Describe the history and identify the specialty food of India, Nepal & Maldives

INTRODUCTION
South Asian cuisine includes the cuisines from the Indian subcontinent. Foods in this area of the
world are flavoured with various types of chili, black pepper, cloves, and other strong herbs and spices
and often with flavoured butter and ghee. Turmeric and cumin are often used to make curries.
Common meats include lamb, goat, fish, and chicken. Beef is less common than
in Western cuisines because cattle have a special place in Hinduism. Prohibitions against beef extend to
the meat of cows, and yaks to some extent. Pork is considered a taboo food item by all Muslims and is
avoided by some Hindus.

INDIAN CUISINE
Indian cuisine consists of a variety of regional and traditional cuisines native to the Indian
subcontinent. Given the diversity in soil, climate, culture, ethnic groups, and occupations, these cuisines
vary substantially and use locally available spices, herbs, vegetables, and fruits. Indian food is also
heavily influenced by religion, in particular Hinduism, cultural choices and traditions. Centuries of Islamic
rule, particularly by the Mughals, also introduced dishes like samosa and pilaf.
Historical events such as invasions, trade relations, and colonialism have played a role in
introducing certain foods to this country. The Columbian discovery of the New World brought a number
of new vegetables and fruit to India. A number of these such as the potato, tomatoes, chillies, peanuts,
and Guava have become staples in many regions of India. Indian cuisine has shaped the history
of international relations; the spice trade between India and Europe was the primary catalyst for
Europe's Age of Discovery. Spices were bought from India and traded around Europe and Asia. Indian
cuisine has influenced other cuisines across the world, especially those from Europe (especially Britain),
the Middle East, Southern African, East Africa, Southeast Asia, North America, Mauritius, Fiji, Oceania,
and the Caribbean.
Indian cuisine reflects an 8,000-year history of various groups and cultures interacting with
the Indian subcontinent, leading to diversity of flavours and regional cuisines found in modern-day India.
Later, trade with British and Portuguese influence added to the already diverse Indian cuisine.

Antiquity
Early diet in India mainly consisted of legumes, vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy products,
and honey. Staple foods eaten today include a variety of lentils (dal), whole-wheat flour (aṭṭa), rice, and
pearl millet (bājra), which has been cultivated in the Indian subcontinent since 6200 BCE. Over time,
segments of the population embraced vegetarianism during the Śramaṇa movement while an equitable
climate permitted a variety of fruits, vegetables, and grains to be grown throughout the year. A food
classification system that categorized any item as saatvic, raajsic, or taamsic developed in Yoga tradition.
The Bhagavad Gita proscribes certain dietary practices. Consumption of beef is taboo, due to cows being
considered sacred in Hinduism. Beef is generally not eaten by Hindus in India except for Kerala, parts of
southern Tamil Nadu and the north east.

Foods mentioned in ancient Indian scripture

While many ancient Indian recipes have been lost in history, one can look at ancient texts to see
what was eaten in ancient and pre-historic India.
 Rice  Mango
 Rice cake  Rose Apple
 Curd  Barley
 Sugar  Mustard
 Ghee  Figs
 Bread Fruit  Betel Leaves
 Pomegranate  Honey

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 WESTERN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
La Paz, Iloilo City
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
 Salt  Turmeric
 Saffron  Sugarcane
 Sesame Oil  Chickpeas
 Grape Wine  Sorghum

Middle Ages to the 16th centuries

During the Middle Ages, several Indian dynasties were
predominant, including the Gupta dynasty. Travel to India during this
time introduced new cooking methods and products to the region,
including tea. India was later invaded by tribes from Central
Asian cultures, which led to the emergence of Mughlai cuisine, a mix
of Indian and Central Asian cuisine. Hallmarks include seasonings
such as saffron. In the late 18th/early 19th century, an
autobiography of a Scottish Robert Lindsay mentions a Sylheti man
called Saeed Ullah cooking a curry for Lindsay's family. This is
possibly the oldest record of Indian cuisine in the United Kingdom.
Bhang eaters from India c. 1790. Bhang is an edible preparation of cannabis native to the Indian
subcontinent. It has been used in food and drink as early as 1000 BCE by Hindus in ancient India.

A page from the Nimmatnama-i-Nasiruddin-Shahi, book of delicacies and

recipes. It documents the fine art of making kheer.

Medieval Indian Manuscript Nimmatnama-i-

Nasiruddin-Shahi (circa 16th century) showing samosas being
served.

Ingredients
Staple foods of Indian cuisine include pearl millet (bājra), rice, whole-wheat flour (aṭṭa), and a
variety of lentils, such as masoor (most often red lentils), tuer (pigeon peas), urad (black gram),
and moong (mung beans). Lentils may be used whole, dehusked—for example, dhuli moong or dhuli
urad—or split. Split lentils, or dal, are used extensively. Some pulses, such
as channa or cholae (chickpeas), rajma (kidney beans), and lobiya (black-eyed peas) are very common,
especially in the northern regions. Channa and moong are also processed into flour (besan).
Many Indian dishes are cooked in vegetable oil, but peanut oil is popular in northern and western
India, mustard oil in eastern India, and coconut oil along the western coast, especially in Kerala and parts
of southern Tamil Nadu. Gingelly (sesame) oil is common in the south since it imparts a fragrant, nutty
aroma. In recent decades, sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, and soybean oils have become popular
across India. Hydrogenated vegetable oil, known as Vanaspati ghee, is another popular cooking
medium. Butter-based ghee, or deshi ghee, is used frequently, though less than in the past. Many types
of meat are used for Indian cooking, but chicken and mutton tend to be the most commonly consumed
meats. Fish and beef consumption are prevalent in some parts of India, but they are not widely
consumed except for coastal areas, as well as the north east.
The most important and frequently used spices and flavourings in Indian cuisine are whole or
powdered chilli pepper (mirch, introduced by the Portuguese from Mexico in the 16th century), black
mustard seed(sarso), cardamom (elaichi), cumin (jeera), turmeric (haldi), asafoetida (hing), ginger (adra
k), coriander (dhania), and garlic (lasoon). One popular spice mix is garam masala, a powder that
typically includes seven dried spices in a particular ratio, including black
cardamom, cinnamon (dalchini), clove (laung), cumin (jeera), black peppercorns, coriander seeds
and anise star. Each culinary region has a distinctive garam masala blend—individual chefs may also have
their own. Goda masala is a comparable, though sweet, spice mix popular in Maharashtra. Some leaves
commonly used for flavouring include bay leaves (tejpat), coriander leaves, fenugreek (methi) leaves,
and mint leaves. The use of curry leaves and roots for flavouring is typical of Gujarati and South Indian
cuisine. Sweet dishes are often seasoned with cardamom, saffron, nutmeg, and rose petal essences.

Indian Cuisine Popular dishes include:

 Biryani
 Butter chicken
 Vindaloo & Rogan Josh
 Tandoori chicken
 Idli-Dosa-Vada with sambar
 Palak paneer

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COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
 Chole-Bhature
 Dal makhani
 Malai Kofta
 Naan
 Samosa and pakodas
 Pav Bhaji
 Panipuri -Chaats
 Kebabs
 Aloo gobi
 Lassi – Shakes
 Pickles.

Beverages
Non-alcoholic beverages
Tea is a staple beverage throughout India, since the country is one of the largest producers of
tea in the world. The most popular varieties of tea grown in India include Assam tea, Darjeeling
tea and Nilgiri tea. It is prepared by boiling the tea leaves in a mix of water, milk, and spices such as
cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger. In India, tea is often enjoyed with snacks
like biscuits and pakoda.
Coffee is another popular beverage, but more popular in South India. Coffee is also cultivated in
some parts of India. There are two varieties of coffee popular in India, which include Indian filter
coffee and instant coffee.
Lassi is a traditional dahi (yogurt)-based drink in India. It is made by blending yogurt with water
or milk and spices. Salted lassi is more common in villages of Punjab and in Porbandar,
Gujarat. Traditional lassi is sometimes flavoured with ground roasted cumin. Lassi can also be flavoured
with ingredients such as sugar, rose water, mango, lemon, strawberry, and saffron. Sharbat is a sweet
cold beverage prepared from fruits or flower petals. It can be served in concentrate form and eaten with
a spoon, or diluted with water to create a drink. Popular sharbats are made from plants such
as rose, sandalwood, bel, gurhal (hibiscus),lemon, orange, pineapple, sarasaparilla and
kokum, falsa (Grewia asiatica). In Ayurveda, sharbats are believed to hold medicinal value.
Other beverages include nimbu pani (lemonade), chaas, badam doodh (almond milk with nuts
and cardamom), Aam panna, kokum sarbat, and coconut water.
Modern carbonated cold drinks unique to southern India include beverages, such as "Panner
Soda" or "Gholi Soda", which is a mixture of carbonated water, rose water, rose milk, and sugar.
"Narenga Soda", a mixture of carbonated water, salt and lemon juice and "Soda Nannari Sharbat", a
mixture of sarasaparilla Sharbat with carbonated water are most popular non-alcoholic beverages
in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Street shops in Central Kerala and Madurai region of Tamil Nadu are most
popular for these drinks which are also called 'Kulukki Sharbats' in Kerala

Alcoholic beverages
Beer
Most beers in India are either lagers (4.8 percent alcohol) or strong lagers (8.9 percent). The
Indian beer industry has witnessed steady growth of 10–17 percent per year over the last ten years.
Production exceeded 170 million cases during the 2008–2009 financial year. With the average age of the
population decreasing and income levels on the rise, the popularity of beer in the country continues to
increase.

Others
Other popular alcoholic drinks in India include fenny, a Goan liquor made from either coconut or
the juice of the cashew apple. The state of Goa has registered for a geographical indicator to allow
its fenny distilleries to claim exclusive rights to production of liquor under the name "fenny.”
Hadia is a rice beer, created by mixing herbs with boiled rice and leaving the mixture to ferment
for around a week. It is served cold and is less alcoholic than other Indian liquors. Chuak is a similar
drink from Tripura. Palm wine, locally known as Neera, is a sap extracted from inflorescences of various
species of toddy palms. Chhaang is consumed by the people of Sikkim and the Darjeeling Himalayan hill
region of West Bengal. It is drunk cold or at room temperature in summer, and often hot during cold
weather. Chhaang is similar to traditional beer, brewed from barley, millet, or rice. Kallu(Chetthu Kallu) is
a popular natural alcohol extracted from coconut and pine trees in Kerala. It is sold in local Kallu shops
and is consumed with fried fish and chicken. Its alcoholic content is increased by addition of alcoholic
additives.

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COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
Eating Habits
Indians consider a healthy breakfast important. They generally prefer to drink tea or coffee with
breakfast, though food preferences vary regionally. North Indian people prefer roti, parathas, and a
vegetable dish accompanied by achar (a pickle) and some curd. Various types of packaged pickles are
available in the market. One of the oldest pickle-making companies in India is Harnarains, which had
started in the 1860s in Old Delhi. People of Gujarat prefer dhokla and milk, while south Indians prefer idli
and dosa, generally accompanied by sambhar or sagu and various chutneys.
Traditional lunch in India usually consists of a main dish of rice in the south and the east, and
whole wheat rotis in the north. It typically includes two or three kinds of vegetables, and sometimes
items such as kulcha, naan, or parathas. Paan (stuffed, spiced and folded betel leaves) which aids
digestion is often eaten after lunch and dinner in many parts of India. Apart from that, many households,
specially those in north and central India, prefer having sweets after the dinner (similar like the western
concept of dessert after meals).
Indian families often gather for "evening snack time", similar to tea time to talk and have tea and
snacks. Dinner is considered the main meal of the day.

Dietary Restrictions
In India people often follow dietary restrictions based on their religion or faith:
 Hindu communities consider beef taboo since it is believed that Hindu scriptures condemn cow
slaughter. Cow slaughter has been banned in many states of India. However, these restrictions are
not followed in the North-Eastern states, West Bengal and Kerala.
 Vaishnavism followers generally are strict lacto-vegetarians due to an emphasis on Ahimsa. They
also do not consume garlic and onions because they are advised against it in the Bhagavad Gita.
 Jains follow a strict form of lacto-vegetarianism, known as Jain vegetarianism, which in addition to
being completely lacto-vegetarian, also excludes all root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes
because when the root is pulled up, organisms that live around the root also die.
 Muslims do not eat pork or pork products.
 Unlike some East Asian countries, dogs and cats are not considered suitable for consumption.

Etiquette
Eating by Hands
Traditionally, meals in India were eaten while seated
either on the floor or on very low stools or mattress. Food is most
often eaten with the right hand rather than cutlery. The left hand
is used to serve oneself when the courses are not served by the
host. Often roti is used to scoop curry without allowing it to touch
the hand. In the wheat-producing north, a piece of roti is gripped
with the thumb and middle finger and ripped off while holding
the roti down with the index finger. A somewhat different method
is used in the south for the dosai, the adai, and the uththappam,
where the middle finger is pressed down to hold the crepe down
and the forefinger and thumb used to grip and separate a small part. Traditional serving styles vary
regionally throughout India.
Contact with other cultures has affected Indian dining etiquette. For example, the Anglo-Indian
middle class commonly uses spoons and forks, as is traditional in Western culture.
In South India, cleaned banana leaves, which can be disposed of after meals, are used for
serving food. When hot food is served on banana leaves, the leaves add distinctive aromas and taste to
the food. Leaf plates are less common today, except on special occasions.

PAKISTAN CUISINE
Pakistani cuisine can be characterized by a blend of various regional cooking traditions of
the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia as well as elements from its Mughal legacy. The various cuisines
are derived from Pakistan's ethnic and cultural diversity.
Cuisine from the eastern provinces of Punjab and Sindh are characterized as "highly seasoned"
and "spicy", which is characteristic of flavors of the East. Cuisine from the western and northern
provinces of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Tribal Areas and the Gilgit-
Baltistan are characterized as "mild" which is characteristic of flavors of the adjoining regions of Central
Asia and Western Asia.

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La Paz, Iloilo City
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
International cuisine and fast food are popular in the 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 masala mixes (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 different from mainstream Pakistani cuisine.

Historical Influences
Pakistani national cuisine is the inheritor of Indo-Aryan and Iranic culture and Muslim culinary
traditions. The earliest formal civilizations were the Mohenjo-daro and Harappan civilizations in Pakistan.
At around 3000 BCE, sesame, eggplant, and humped cattle were domesticated in the Indus Valley, and
spices like turmeric, cardamom, black pepper and mustard were harvested in the region concurrently. For
at least a thousand years, wheat and rice formed the basic foodstuff in the Indus Valley.
The arrival of Islam within the Indian subcontinent, influenced the local cuisine to a great degree.
Since Muslims are forbidden to eat pork or consume alcohol, halal dietary guidelines are strictly observed.
Pakistanis focus on other types of meat, such as beef, chicken and fish, with vegetables, as well as
traditional fruit and dairy. The influence of Central Asian, South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine in
Pakistani food is ubiquitous.

Elements
Pakistani dishes are known for having aromatic and sometimes spicy flavors. Some dishes contain
liberal amounts of oil, which contribute to a richer, fuller mouth feel and flavour. Brown cardamom, green
cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, mace, and black pepper are the most commonly used spices in
the making of a wide variety of dishes throughout Pakistan. Cumin seeds, chili powder, turmeric and bay
leaves are also very popular. In the Punjab province, it is further diluted with coriander powder. Garam
masala (a mixture of aromatic spices) is a very popular blend of spices used in many Pakistani dishes.

Regional Cuisines
Balochistan
Balochi cuisine is the food and cuisine of the Baloch people from the Balochistan region,
comprising the Pakistani Balochistan province, the Sistan and Baluchestan Province in Iran
and Balochistan, Afghanistan. Baloch food has a regional variance in contrast to the many cuisines of
Pakistan and Iran. Among the most popular Balochi dishes are Balochi sajji (skewed lamb or chicken filled
with rice) and dampukht (meat slow-cooked in fats).

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Rice dishes and kebabs feature prominently in Pashtun cuisine. Lamb is eaten more often in
Pashtun cuisine than any other Pakistani cuisines. Kabuli Palaw, chapli kabab, tika, and mutton karahi are
the most famous dishes. Historical variations include Peshawari cuisine. The Pashtun and Balochi cuisines
are traditionally non-spicy.

Kalash
Kalash cuisine consists of indigenous dishes as well as many local Pakistani cuisine influences.
Foodstuffs such as apricots, grapes, mulberries, walnuts and wheat are grown in the Kalash valleys.

Punjab
Since Punjabi identity is considered geographical and cultural, almost all inhabitants
of Punjab follow some variations within the cuisine, but on the other hand show many similarities
together. This cuisine then falls into the broad category of Punjabi cuisine. Regional cuisine is mutual with
some differences in many regions, including the South Punjab regions. Bong Paye (made from legs and
joints of cow, goat, buffalo or sheep), Nihari (usually made from buffalo or veal shanks and bone
marrow), Murgh Chanay or Murgh Cholay (Chicken and Chickpeas slow cooked in butter) are considered
authentic Punjabi delicacies in Pakistani cuisines.

Saraiki
Saraiki cuisine refers to the native cuisine of the Saraiki people in central Pakistan. The style of
cooking is present in the Saraiki-speaking region of southern Punjab, as well as parts of southern Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa, northern Sindh and northeastern Balochistan. Saraiki food comprises many unique local
dishes, and also shares influences with neighbouring regional cuisines. The metropolitan city of Multan is
a hub of Saraiki cooking.

Sindh

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COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
Sindhi cuisine refers to the native cuisine of the Sindhi people from Sindh, Pakistan. Sindhi
Cuisine is considered to be spicy and consists of a variety of chicken dishes. Sindhi Biryani (made from
white rice, chicken and regional spices) is particularly popular picnic food.

Karachi
The cuisine of Karachi is similar to the Mughlai cuisine, which is influenced by Hyderabadi cuisine.

Hunza
Kashmiri cuisine is the cuisine of the Kashmir Valley region. Rice is the staple food of Kashmiris
and has been so since ancient times. Meat (chicken, mutton, beef, or fish), along with rice, is the most
popular food item in Kashmir. Kashmiris consume meat voraciously.

Meal Structure
Pakistanis generally eat three meals a day, which are breakfast,
lunch, and dinner. During the evening, many families have tea, which goes
along with baked/fried snacks from a local bakery (or prepared at home).
During the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, the eating patterns change
to suhur, pronounced “Sehar” in Pakistan, 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 when
guests are too many to fit at a table, eat sitting at a cloth known A Punjabi/Sindhi-style wooden
as Dastarkhān, which is spread out on the floor. In Pakistan, many street woven plate for chapati (flat
bread)
eateries serve food on a takht, in a style similar to what is seen
in Afghanistan. A takht is a raised platform, where people eat their food
sitting cross-legged, after taking their shoes off. Most Pakistanis used to eat on a takht. Pakistanis often
eat with their hands, scooping up solid food along with sauce with a piece of baked bread (naan) or rice.

Breakfast
A typical Pakistani breakfast, locally called nāshtā, consists of eggs
(boiled/scrambled/fried/omelette), a slice of loaf bread or roti, parathas, sheermal with tea or lassi,
kulcha with chole, qeema (minced meat), fresh seasonal fruits (mangoes, apples, melons, bananas,
etc.), milk, honey, butter, jam, shami kebab or nuts. Sometimes breakfast includes baked goods
like bakarkhani and rusks. During holidays and weekends, halwa poori and chickpeas are sometimes
eaten. In Punjab, sarson ka saag (mustard leaves) and maakai ki roti (cornbread) is a local favourite.
Punjabi people also enjoy khatchauri, a savory pastry filled with cheese. Pakistan is not unlike many other
Asian nations, in the sense that meat dishes are eaten as breakfast, especially on holidays. A traditional
Sunday breakfast might be Siri-Payay (the head and feet of lamb or cow) or Nihari (a dish which is
cooked overnight to get the meat extremely tender. The name "Nihari" comes from the Arabic word
"Nihar", meaning "Day" or "Day break".) Many people used to take "Bong" (Shank curry) in their Sunday
brunch.

Lunch
A typical Pakistani lunch consists of meat curry along with rice or a pile of roti. Daal chawal is
among the most commonly taken dishes at lunch. Breads such as roti or naan are usually served for
dinner, but have become more common during the day so that rice may be served for dinner. Popular
lunch dishes may include aloo gosht (meat and potato curry) or any vegetable with mutton. Chicken
dishes like chicken karahi are also popular. Alternatively, roadside food stalls often sell just lentils and
tandoori rotis, or masala stews with chapatis. 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 savoury (such as biryani, nihari, pulao, kofte, kebabs,
qeema, korma) are prepared. Lentils are also a dinnertime staple. These are served with roti or naan
along with yogurt, pickle and salad. The dinner may sometimes be followed by fresh fruit, or on festive
occasions, traditional desserts like kheer, gulab jamun, shahi tukray, gajraila, qulfi or ras malai.

Snacks and fast foods

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 popularity can vary from place to place. These

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COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
snacks are often prepared and sold by hawkers on footpaths, railway stations and other such places,
although they may also be served at restaurants. Some typical snacks are Dahi Bhala, Aloo tikki, chaat &
Samosa Chaat, Bun kebab, Chana Masala, Chapli kebab, Shami kebab, Seekh Kebab, Malai Tikka Kebab
(Meat and Yogurt), Reshami Kebab, Pakora, and Papar. Others include Katchauri, pakoras—either neem
pakoras or besan (chickpea) Pakoras, Gol Gappay, Samosas—vegetable or beef, Bhail Puri, Daal Seu,
Panipuri, and egg rolls. Nuts, such as pistachios and pine nuts, are also often eaten at home.

Main Courses
In Pakistan, main courses are usually served with wheat bread (either roti or naan) or rice. Salad
is generally taken as a side dish with the main course, rather than as an appetizer beforehand. Assorted
fresh fruit or sometimes desserts are consumed at the end of a meal.[citation needed] Meat plays a much
more dominant role in Pakistani food, compared to other South Asian cuisines. According to a 2003
report, an average Pakistani consumed three times more meat than an average Indian. Of all the meats,
the most popular are goat, lamb and mutton, beef and chicken, which are particularly sought after as the
meats of choice for kebab dishes or the classic beef shank dish nihari. Seafood is generally not consumed
in large amounts, though it is very popular in the coastal areas of Sindh and the Makran coast of
Balochistan and was a dominant element of the cuisine of the former East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).
Curries, with or without meat, combined with local vegetables, such as bitter
gourd, cauliflower, eggplant, okra, cabbage, potatoes, rutabaga, saag, and chili peppers are most
common and cooked for everyday consumption. A typical example is aloo gosht (literally "potatoes and
meat"), a homestyle recipe consisting of a spiced meat and potato stew, and is ubiquitously prepared in
many households. Korma is a classic dish of Mughlai origin made of either chicken or mutton, typically
eaten with naan or other bread, and is very popular in Pakistan.

Vegetable and Legume Dishes

There are plenty of vegetarian-friendly dishes which are popular in Pakistan. These are often
cooked using traditional spices and flavoring agents such as chilies, turmeric, garlic, ginger, cumin, cloves,
cinnamon, fennel seeds, etc. Vegetable and legume dishes are also very popular in Pakistan. Dishes such
as Baingan bartha and Sarson da saag are typical examples eaten in most homes. Aloo mutter is made
with potatoes and peas.
There are plenty of vegetables which are grown seasonally in Pakistan, which are cooked into
tasty and spicy curries which are eaten for lunch or dinner. Some vegetable dishes, such as "aloo
paratha" and "channa puri" are also consumed for breakfast.

Meat Dishes
The meat dishes in Pakistan include bovine, ovine, poultry and seafood dishes. The meat is
usually cut in 3 cm cubes and cooked in a stew. The minced meat is used for Kebabs, Qeema, and other
meat dishes. The meat dishes are also cooked with pulses, legumes and rice.

Barbecue and Kebabs

Meat and grilled meat have played an important role in Pakistan for centuries. Kebabs are a
staple item in Pakistani cuisine today, and one can find countless varieties of kebabs all over the country.
Each region has its own varieties of kebabs, but some like the Seekh kebab, Chicken Tikka, and Shami
kebab are especially popular throughout the country and in some other parts of South Asia.

Pulses
Various kinds of pulses or legumes, make up an important part of Pakistani cuisine.
While lentils (called daal) and chickpeas (called channa/chanay ki daal) are popular ingredients in
homestyle cooking, they are traditionally considered to be inexpensive food sources. Because of this
reason, they are typically not served to guests who are invited for dinner or during special occasions.
Combining meat with lentils and pulses, whether in simple preparations or in elaborate dishes such
as haleem.
Beans such as black-eyed peas (lobia) and kidney beans (rajma) are sometimes served in a
tomato-based masala sauce, especially in Punjab.
Chickpeas, red kidney beans, and other legumes are also popular in Pakistani cooking. They are usually
cooked in a spicy gravy and served with rice or traditional flatbread (roti). Chickpeas, known as channa,
are also a common breakfast food when served with puri. "Channa chaat" is another favorite street food
and iftaar dish, which is made of chickpeas, chopped onions, tomatoes, and chilies, and seasoned with
spices (chaat masala) and tamarind paste.

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La Paz, Iloilo City
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
There are a wide variety of lentils, known as daal, that are consumed in Pakistan and frequently
consumed with rice. "Daal chawaal" (lentils and rice) is known as a popular comfort food in many
Pakistani households.

Rice Dishes
Pakistan is a major exporter and consumer of rice. Basmati is the most popular type of rice
consumed in Pakistan.
Dishes made with rice include many varieties of pulao:
 Maash pulao - A sweet and sour pulao baked with mung beans, apricots and bulgur (a kind of roughly
milled cracked wheat). Exclusively vegetarian.
 Matar pulao - Pulao made with peas.
 Murgh pulao - Chicken and stock added. Creates a brown rice.
 Yakhni pulao - Meat and stock added. Creates a brown rice.
 Kabuli Palaw - is an Afghan dish, which is popular in Pashtun dominated regions in Pakistan such as
the Tribal Areas, FATA, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in North-West Pakistan, and Balochistan in the
South-West Pakistan. It is a variety of pilaf, consisting of steamed rice mixed with raisins, carrots,
and lamb

Biryani is a very popular dish in Pakistan, and has many varieties, such as Lahori and Sindhi
biryani. Tahiri, which is a vegetarian form of biryani, is also popular. All of the main dishes (except those
made with rice) are eaten alongside bread. To eat, a small fragment of bread is torn off with the right
hand and used to scoop and hold small portions of the main dish. Pickles made out of mangoes, carrots,
lemon, etc. are also commonly used to further spice up the food.
In the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, feasts using mountains of spiced rice combined with pieces of
slowly roasted lamb are often served for guests of honour. These kind of pulaos often contain dried fruit,
nuts, and whole spices such as cloves, saffron and cardamom. Kabuli Palaw is very popular
in Pashtun dominated regions in Western Pakistan. Such rice dishes have their origins in Central Asia and
the Middle East.

Varieties of Bread
Pakistanis eat breads made of wheat flour as a staple part of their daily diet. Pakistan has a wide
variety of breads, often prepared in a traditional clay oven called a tandoor. The tandoori style of cooking
is common throughout rural and urban Pakistan, and also has strong roots in neighboring India, Iran and
Afghanistan. Some of these are:
 Chapati - Most common bread made in urban homes, where a tandoor is not available. Chapatis are
cooked over a flat or slightly convex dark colored pan known as 'tava'. Chapatis are made of whole-
wheat flour and are thin and unleavened. Tortillas are probably the most common analogous to
chapatis, though chapatis are slightly thick. A variant, known as 'romali roti' (lit. Handkerchief bread),
is very thin and very large in size.
 Kandahari Naan - Long, salty naan originating in Western Pakistan and commonly eaten with
Peshawari Karahi or Chapli Kebab.
 Kulcha - This is a type of naan usually eaten with chickpeas and potatoes and mostly popular in
urban centers of Punjab.
 Naan - In Urdu, the national language of Pakistan, the word Naan means bread. Unlike chapatis,
naans are slightly thicker, typically leavened with yeast and mainly made with white flour. Some
varieties like Roghani and Peshwari naan may also be sprinkled with sesame seeds. Naans are
seldom, if ever, made at home since they require tandoor based cooking and require prep work.
Numerous varieties of plain, as well as stuffed naans are available throughout Pakistan and each
region or city can have their own specialty. Naan is a versatile bread and is eaten with almost
anything. For instance, 'saada naan' or 'plain naan', is often served with Siri-Payay (cow's head and
trotters) or Nihari (slow cooked beef stew) for breakfast in many parts of the country.
 Paratha - A flat, layered bread made with ghee or cooking oil and generally cooked on a 'tava'.
However, a 'tandoor' based version is also common in rural areas. Parathas are very similar to pastry
dough. Parathas most likely originated in the Punjab, where a heavy breakfast of parathas with
freshly churned butter and buttermilk was commonly consumed by the farmers to prepare
themselves for the hard day of work ahead. However, parathas are now a common breakfast
element across the country. Along with the plain layered version, many stuffed versions, such as
'Aloo ka Paratha' (Potato stuffed paratha), 'Mooli ka Paratha' (Radish stuffed paratha), and 'Qeemah
ka Paratha' (Ground meat stuffed paratha) are popular.
 Puri - This is a breakfast bread made of white flour and fried. Typically eaten with sweet
semolina halwa or gravy (made out of chickpeas and potatoes). Puri is a fairly urban concept in

DR. LONEY FARILLON-PULMONES| 8

 WESTERN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
La Paz, Iloilo City
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
Pakistan and puris are not part of rural cuisine anywhere in Pakistan. However, Halwa Puri has now
become a favored weekend or holiday breakfast in urban Pakistan, where it is sometimes sold in
shift carts or in specialty breakfast shops.
 Roghani Naan (lit. Buttered Naan) - It is a preferred variety of Naan sprinkled with white sesame
seeds and cooked with a small amount of oil.
 Roti - This bread is extremely popular all over Pakistan. Tandoori rotis are baked in a clay oven,
known as a tandoor, and are consumed with just about anything. In rural Pakistan, many houses
have their own tandoors, while the ones without it use a communal one. In urban Pakistan, bread
shops or "nanbai"/"tandoor" shops are fairly common and supply fresh, tandoor baked breads to
household customers.
 Sheermal – Saffron-flavored traditional flatbread. It is a festive bread prepared with milk ('sheer')
and butter with added candied fruits. Sheermal is often a vital part of food served in marriages,
along with taftan. It is often sweetened.
 Taftan - This is a leavened flour bread with saffron and a small amount of cardamom powder baked
in a tandoor. The taftan made in Pakistan is slightly sweeter and richer than the one made in
neighboring Iran.

Desserts
Popular desserts include Peshawari ice cream, sheer khurma, qulfi, falooda, kheer, feerni,
zarda, shahi tukray and rabri. Sweetmeats are consumed on various festive occasions in Pakistan. Some
of the most popular are gulab jamun, barfi, ras malai, kalakand, jalebi and panjiri. Pakistani desserts also
include a long list of halvah, such as multani, hubshee, and sohan halvah.
Kheer made of roasted seviyaan (vermicelli) instead of rice is popular during Eid ul-Fitr. Gajraila
is a sweet made from grated carrots, boiled in milk, sugar, cream and green cardamom, topped with nuts
and dried fruit. It is popular in Pakistan, as well as in other parts of South Asia, including Afghanistan.

Tea Varieties
Pakistanis drink a great deal of tea, which is locally called "chai." Both black (with milk) and
green teas are popular and there are different varieties common in different parts of Pakistan.
 In Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral, as well as areas near the Chinese border, salty Tibetan-style butter
tea is consumed.
 Doodh Pati Chai is made by cooking tea leaves with milk and sugar, sometimes served with
cardamom for fragrance. Extremely sweet, this is a local variation of a builder's tea.
 "Kashmiri chai" or "noon chai", a pink, milky tea with pistachios and cardamom, is consumed
primarily at special occasions, weddings, and during the winter, when it is sold in many kiosks.
 "Sabz chai" or "kahwah", a green tea often served after every meal in Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,
and the Pashtun belt of Balochistan, served with saffron and nuts.
 Sulaimani chai is black tea served with lemon.

Beverages
Besides tea, there are other drinks that may be included as part of the Pakistani cuisine. All of
them are non-alcoholic as the consumption of alcohol is prohibited by Islam. During the 20th century,
beverages such as coffee and soft drinks have also become popular in Pakistan. It is very common to
have soft drinks nowadays with Pakistani meals.
 Almond sherbet - Sherbet made with almonds
 Gola ganda - Different types of flavors over crushed ice
 Kashmiri chai/Gulabi chai - A milky tea known for its pink color, with an either sweet or salty taste
 Lassi - Milk with yogurt, with an either sweet or salty taste
 Lemonade (Limu pani)
 Qehwa - Green tea with cardamom
 Sardai - Mixture of different nuts and kishmish
 Sathu - Famous drink from Punjab
 Sherbet (syrup mixed in water)
 Sherbet-e-Sandal - Drink made with the essence of sandal wood
 Sikanjabeen - Lemonade (mint is also added)
 Sugarcane juice (Ganney ka ras)
 Thaadal - A sweet drink from Sindh

Halal

DR. LONEY FARILLON-PULMONES| 9

 WESTERN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
La Paz, Iloilo City
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
Observant Muslims follow the Islamic law that lists foods and drinks that are halal, permissible to
consume. The criteria specify both what foods are allowed and how the food must be prepared. The
foods addressed are mostly types of meat.

Foreign Influences
In addition to the traditional food, fast food is also very famous across the country. In big cities,
there is a presence of outlets of many International Fast Food Restaurants that includes KFC, McDonald’s,
Pizza Hut, Subway, Domino's, Burger King, Hardee's, Papa John's Pizza, Dunkin' Donuts, Baskin-
Robbins and Taco Bell etc.
Occasionally, many people in Pakistan have dinner outside at a restaurant with foreign influenced
food, such as Western, Arab and Chinese dishes. Many westernized, Chinese restaurants and fast food
outlets are dotted in all urban parts of Pakistan. The Punjab and Sindh provinces, where the majority of
urban chains of many American, European and British restaurants have opened in many metropolitan
cities, such as Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Islamabad Rawlpindi, Gujranwala, Peshawar, Multan,
Hyderabad, Quetta, Sargodha, Bahawalpur, Sialkot, Sukkur, Larkana and many others. Marketing and
advertisements have made these a haven for social and modern spots for all Pakistanis to try out.
Outside Pakistan, Pakistani cuisine is prevalent in countries, where they have large Pakistani
communities. The Balti curry is a British dish that is claimed to have origins in the Kashmir region that
borders Pakistan.
Pakistani food makes use of fresh hand-pounded masalas. Ghee is used, but the main component
of the meal or a dish is meat (beef, lamb, chicken, goat, or fish), and vegetables are sparingly used.
Surprisingly, Pakistani food also makes extensive use of olive oil. Sparingly used vegetables does not
mean there is no vegetarian food on the menu. Since the cuisine is very similar to Punjabi-style of
cooking, tikka, simmered dals, tawa sabzi, and chaat feature here.

MALDIVES CUISINE
Maldivian cuisine also called Dhivehi cuisine is the cuisine of the Nation of Maldives and
of Minicoy, India. The traditional cuisine of Maldivians is based on three main items and their derivatives:
coconuts, fish and starches.

Coconut
The coconut is used in the grated form, squeezed to obtain coconut milk, or as coconut oil in
dishes that are deep-fried. The hunigondi is the traditional Maldivian implement used to grate the
coconut. It is a long low chair with a serrated steel blade at its end. Grated coconut is used in dishes such
as mas huni.
The grated coconut may be alternatively soaked in water and squeezed in order to obtain
coconut milk (kaashi kiru). Coconut milk is an essential ingredient in many Maldivian curries and other
dishes.

Fish
The favourite fish is skipjack tuna, either dried or fresh. Other similar fish species that are part of
the average Maldivian diet are little tunny (latti), yellowfin tuna (kanneli), frigate tuna (raagondi), bigeye
scad (mushimas), wahoo (kurumas), mahi-mahi (fiyala) and mackerel scad (rimmas). These can be eaten
boiled or processed.
Processed tuna (Maldive fish) is used as pieces or as shavings. In order to make curries, the raw
or the still-soft processed tuna is cut into 1⁄2-inch-thick (13 mm) sections. Dry processed tuna is mainly
used to make short eats called gulha, masroshi, kulhi bōkiba, kavaabu, bajiya (the local version of the
Indian samosa), and fatafolhi. Mixed with coconut, onions and chili it is an essential Maldivian breakfast
item, known as Mas huni. Unlike Pacific islanders, Maldivians do not have a tradition of eating raw fish.
The tuna-based thick brown paste known as rihaakuru is also an essential item in Maldivian cuisine.

Starchy Items
These are starches such as rice, which is eaten boiled or ground into flour, or tubers such
as taro (ala), sweet potato (kattala), and cassava (dandialuvi), as well as fruits
like breadfruit (bambukeyo) or screwpine (kashikeyo). Tubers and breadfruit are eaten boiled. The
screwpine fruit is mostly eaten raw after having been cut into thin slices.

Curries

DR. LONEY FARILLON-PULMONES| 10

 WESTERN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
La Paz, Iloilo City
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
The most important curry in the cuisine of the Maldives is cooked with diced fresh tuna and is
known as mas riha. Kukulhu riha (chicken curry) is cooked with a different mixture of spices.
Vegetable curries in the Maldives include those that use bashi (eggplant), tora (Luffa aegyptiaca),
barabō (pumpkin), chichanda (Trichosanthes cucumerina) and muranga (Moringa oleifera), as well as
green unripe bananas and certain leaves as their main ingredients. Pieces of Maldive fish are normally
added to give the vegetable curry a certain flavor. Curries are usually eaten with steamed rice or
with roshi.

DR. LONEY FARILLON-PULMONES| 11