THE FLAVOURS
AND ESSENCE OF
PAKISTANI FOOD
A cuisine in its own right, food writer Sumayya
Jamil explores Pakistan's rich culinary history.
ESPITE BEING RELATIVELY young,
Pakistan’s culinary past is steeped in
history. Boasting one of the oldest
known civilizations in the world, the
Indus Valley Civilization in Pakistan is noted for
the rich vein of cultural influences that courses
through its cuisine.
Throughout history, its geographical position
meant Pakistan was vulnerable to invasion.
However, invaders into India tended to lose
their gusto as they stalled on the plains of
Sumayya Jamil
Sumayya is a Pakistani food writer, cookery
teacher and Supperclub host in London. She was
born and brought up in Pakistan and recently
left the legal profession in London to follow her
passion for food. She is on a mission to spread
the love of Pakistani cuisine and to give it an
identity of its own.
WWW.BRITISHCURRYCLUB.CO.UK
the River Ganges, meaning that the strong
influence of their cuisines were felt most in the
area that now forms modern-day Pakistan.
Influences from Central Asian, Turkish, Persian
and Arab cuisine all left their mark on the
previously bland food.
A little later, the food was injected with
an array of vibrant spices imported from
neighbouring India, creating a rich, creamy,
spicy fusion of Pakistan’s many influences.
These dishes then developed into Mughlai
food, and were eaten by the Persian emperors
that ruled India for hundreds of years.
In the late 1940s after the partition of India
there was mass migration. Pakistan was now
bustling with a huge Muslim population that
had migrated from across India, bringing
with them their various culinary traditions.
This added to an already rich and diverse
plethora of Pakistani foods. Amidst this were
Tindhi’s with their vibrant, ancient culture,
Balouchi’s, Punjabi’s, and the people in the
north of Pakistan, who are greatly influenced
by Persian and Afghani food. In addition to
this the food of the minority communities also
had an impact, and as a result Pakistani food
has developed into an authentically different
cuisine - a melting pot of cross-cultural and
border food traditions.
In the UK, Pakistani food is almost always
considered the same as Indian. Pakistani food
is different in its heritage, aroma, methods
of cooking, taste and the way we use spices
and ingredients. Unlike India our food is meat
heavy and we love to barbeque. We use simple
vegetables and no meal is complete without
both rice and bread.
Pakistani food is alive with intoxicating
aromas and a warmth of spices such as
cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, mace with
browned onions, tomatoes and yoghurt, and
lots of fresh herbs, ginger and garlic. These
are of course cooked in a uniquely Pakistani
way. This involves either cooking under ‘dum’,
a process of slow cooking on a low heat,
or perhaps ‘bhuno’, which involves gently
stir-frying over a period of time to release
the aromatic aromas. All this adds a distinct
flavour that defines Pakistani food.
In Pakistan, cooking is a celebration of
each ingredient, and creating each dish with
passion, knowing what every individual spice
brings to your final dish is key. To Pakistani’s
food is everything and if you give us something
to eat, you win our hearts forever!
Over the page are some recipes I grew up
eating in Pakistan, mostly passed down from
my mother and grandmother. Some however,
are just ones that remind me of home and
happy times. Enjoy! <

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