Cooking Oil Consumption In Pakistan

[Jacquelyne Betance]

Pakistanicuisine (Urdu: پاکستانی پکوان, romanized: pākistānī pakwān) can be characterized as a blend of regional cooking styles and flavours from across South, Central and Western Asia. Pakistani cuisine is influenced by Persian, Indian, and Arab cuisine. The cuisine of Pakistan also maintains certain Mughal influences within its recipes and cooking techniques.[2][3] Pakistan's ethnic and cultural diversity, diverse climates, geographical environments, and availability of different produce lead to diverse regional cuisines.

Pakistan's national cuisine directly inherits both Indo-Aryan and Iranic culture coupled with Muslim culinary traditions. Evidence of controlled preparatory cuisine in the region can be traced back to as early as the Bronze Age with the Indus Valley Civilization. Around 3000 BCE, sesame, eggplant, and humped cattle were domesticated in the Indus Valley;[6] spices like turmeric, cardamom, black pepper and mustard were harvested in the region concurrently.[7] For a thousand years, wheat and rice served as basic comestibles in the Indus Valley.[8]

The arrival of Islam in South Asia and intermittent conquests influenced the local cuisine of the region to a great degree. Due to its Muslim-majority population, Pakistan's cuisine sees a strict observance of Islamic dietary laws. Most prominently, forbiddance on the consumption of pork and alcohol by Islamic regulation has shifted the focus of Pakistani cuisine to other types of meat, such as beef, lamb, chicken, and fish, alongside a variety of fruits, vegetables, and dairy.

Pakistani dishes are known for being aromatic and spicy. Some dishes contain liberal amounts of oil, contributing to a richer, fuller mouthfeel and flavour. Brown cardamom, green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, mace, star anise 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, spice blends are characterized by their use of coriander powder. Garam masala (a mixture of aromatic spices) is a popular blend of spices used in several Pakistani dishes including Bannu Pulao.

Balochi cuisine belongs to the Balochistan region of Pakistan. Baloch food has a regional variance in contrast to the many cuisines of Pakistan.[9][10] Among the most popular Balochi dishes are Balochi sajji (skewered lamb or chicken filled with rice), mutton rosh (mutton chops) and dampukht (meat slow-cooked in fats).

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

Kalashi people have a rich food culture that includes various types of breads and cheese. The famous bread is made with flour and different types of nuts. Some breads are bilili (walnut bread), j'u, (walnut bread), and kurau (flour kindled in crushed grape juice).

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. Paye/kharoray (made from legs and joints of cow, goat, buffalo or sheep), pulao, saag (mustard leaves), makai roti (maizeflour tortilla) and murgh cholay (chicken and chickpeas slow-cooked) are considered authentic Punjabi specialties in Pakistani cuisines. The most popular Punjabi drink is Lassi.

Sindhi cuisine refers to the native cuisine of the Sindhi people from Sindh, Pakistan. Sindhi Cuisine is considered to be very meaty (not many vegetarian dishes) and consists of a variety of chicken dishes. Karhi, daal pakwan, Palo fish and many other. They usually eat less spicy food.

The capital of Sindh Karachi is mixture of all regions. However the same is heavily dominated by the Mughlai, Deccani and other cuisines of Muslims who migrated from present day India post partition of British India in 1947.

Saraiki cuisine refers to the native cuisine of the Saraiki people from the Saraiki regions of Pakistan, including Southern Punjab, Northern Sindh, and Eastern Balochistan. Saraiki cuisine is known for its flavorful dishes, often incorporating a variety of spices and ingredients. Key dishes include: Sohbat, Corn on the cob (Makai da Sitta), Murgh Cholay, Kunna Gosht, Saraiki Sajji, Cholistani Pulao, and Moringa flowers' buds curry (locally known as Sohanjrra'n). The most peculiar and popular desserts include Multani Halwa and Phikka Khoya.

Gilgiti cuisine is the cuisine of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. Prominent Gilgiti dishes, such as the Chapshoro have gained massive popularity among different parts of Pakistan. Dumplings (Locally called Mumtu) are often served with yogurt and parsley and black pepper, vinegar, chili sauce.

Staple foods like barley, wheat, and millet form the foundation of dishes such as chapshuro and thukpa, hearty soups that provide warmth in the cold climate. Fresh fruits like apricots and cherries are transformed into jams, dried fruits, and juices, while dairy products like yogurt and cheese play a significant role in both savory and sweet offerings. Dishes like buckwheat bread, rosehip oil bread, and almond bread are commonly prepared in Hunza.

Dumplings locally called mumtu are well known in Gilgit cuisine. As Gilgit itself is a blend of cultures from neighboring districts like Hunza, Ghizer and Chilas, the cuisines of these regions is also widely found here.

A typical Pakistani breakfast, locally called nāshtā (ناشتہ), 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) are local favourites. 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 (نہاری) (a dish which is cooked overnight to get the meat extremely tender. The name "Nihari" comes from the Arabic word "Nahar", meaning "Day" or "Daybreak".) Many people used to eat "Bong" (Shank curry) in their Sunday brunch.

A typical Pakistani lunch consists of meat curry or shorba (depending on the region) along with a carbohydrate such as rice or roti. Daal chawal is among the most commonly served dishes at lunch. Breads such as roti or naan are usually served for dinner, but have become more common during the day; rice may be served for dinner as well. Popular lunch dishes may include aloo gosht (meat and potato stew) or a vegetable and mutton salan (stew). 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 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, Bannu pulao, kofte, kebabs, qeema, korma) is prepared. Lentils are also a dinnertime staple. These are served with a bread such as roti or naan or rice, 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.

Pakistani snacks comprise food items that are quick to prepare, spicy, usually fried,[11] 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 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, cutlass (aloo tikki), chaat and 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, 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.

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.[12] 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[13] 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).

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