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At
its simplest, Pakistani cooking today consists of staple foods which are
rich and abundant. Wheat and other flour products are the mainstay of the diet,
one familiar form being CHAPATI.
Another basic food is LASSI, milk from which
curds and butterfat have been removed. Vegetables, usually seasonal are commonly
used.
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 foods into an exotic cuisine.
Chilli powder, turmeric,
garlic, paprika, black pepper, red pepper, cumin seed, bay leaf, coriander, cardamom,
cloves, ginger, cinnamon, saffron, mace, nutmeg, poppyseeds, aniseed, almonds,
pistachios, and yogurt are some of the most commonly used ingredients in Pakistan.
The
use of wide range of pickles, chutneys, preserves, and sauces, together with curries
of all descriptions and special treatment for meats, sea, food, vegetables and
lentils, gives Pakistani cooking much of its distinctive character. |
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