The Sindhis are originally from Sindh, now a part of Pakistan. Since the sindhis were under Muslim rule for centuries, Muslim influence on Sindhi food is strongly felt. In he 8th century, the Caliph of Bhagdad sent his general, along with his Arab soldiers to march over Sindh,. The Arabs fought and defeated the Rajput rulers and took over Sindh. From the Arabs, Sindh was taken over by the Mughals, who were fascinated by its difficult terrains, its vast stretches of desert land and iits mighty river, the Sindhu, which flowed fast and often very treacherously. Sindh also became an ideal hiding place for the Mughals. The great Mughal ruler Humayun is said to have taken shelter in the small village of Amarkot in Sindh to escape from Shershah, and it was here also that Pronce Akbar was born. Later, Dara, the step brother of Auramgzeb took shelter in Sindh fromhis brother. In 1590 Akbar annexed Sindh to Delhi and after his death, Shahjahan appointed his son Aurangzeb asthe governor of Sindh. Mughal rule abated in Sindh only with the coming of the Europeans on the Indian scene.
It is not surprising that the pullaos and biryanis and some of the most exotic dishes in Sindhi cuisine, are an influence of the Mughals. Besides the Muslims, the Punjabis too have influenced Sindhi food. This is due to the fact that both Punjabis and Sindhis mixed freely with each other through centuries of Muslim rule, for Punjab too like Sindh, was under the Mughals.
But this does not mean that the Sindhis do not have their own distinctive cuisine. The Sindhis have a rich heritage in traditional dishes,which have remained unchanged through the centuries. These include dishes like Palo Kok, and lotus stems cooked in earthenware pots. They are so old that their origin is lost in antiquity. Sindhis fancy themselves as gourmets and they are correct in their belief because they evince great interest in food. Today, Sindhi cuisine is recognized all over India. Sindhi halwas, mithais and above all, papads are unbeatable and eaten throughout India by people of various castes and creeds. They are also exported to various parts of the world. In Sindh only pure ghee was used in the preparation of food.
Papads and Kheecchas:
With every meal the Sindhis consume a large quantity of crisp and crunchy papads and khechas. These spicy preserves add zest to even the most prosaic of meals.
Fish:
Fish is a regular part of Sindhi food, but only fresh water or river fish, mainly hilsa and surmai, are favoured by the majority of Sindhis. However, pomfret has also gained popularity ever since the Sindhis migrated to India. Shellfish is not highly regarded and prawn is the only shellfish which is eaten.
Rotis:
The only bread popular in Sindh is roti which in Sindhi is called koki. The koki is prepared in a variety of ways, from plain to creamy to sweet to savoury, to the stuffed koki. Besides this the only other authentic Sindhi bread is called phulkas. Parathas are also popular but they are not of Sindhi origin but typically punjabi preparation. Kokis are ideal for breakfast, for taking to school o work, or for picnic and travel. They are not only very nutritious but also retain their flavour and appearance for a long period of time.
Mutton Recipes:
The Sindhis are not often very given to meat eating as is the case with most Indians. Only lamb is appreciated by them appears frequently in their diet. There are no recipes of either pork or beef. Beef is out completely because Sindhis are staunch Hindus, and pork is not eaten because Sindhis come from a Muslim country where the killing of pigs was absolutely taboo. Neither are there any outstanding poultry and wild game recipes because they are not favoured much by Sindhis. But the mutton dishes are deliciously satisfying, whether made into curries, fried or roasted or combined with vegetables.
It is not surprising that the pullaos and biryanis and some of the most exotic dishes in Sindhi cuisine, are an influence of the Mughals. Besides the Muslims, the Punjabis too have influenced Sindhi food. This is due to the fact that both Punjabis and Sindhis mixed freely with each other through centuries of Muslim rule, for Punjab too like Sindh, was under the Mughals.
But this does not mean that the Sindhis do not have their own distinctive cuisine. The Sindhis have a rich heritage in traditional dishes,which have remained unchanged through the centuries. These include dishes like Palo Kok, and lotus stems cooked in earthenware pots. They are so old that their origin is lost in antiquity. Sindhis fancy themselves as gourmets and they are correct in their belief because they evince great interest in food. Today, Sindhi cuisine is recognized all over India. Sindhi halwas, mithais and above all, papads are unbeatable and eaten throughout India by people of various castes and creeds. They are also exported to various parts of the world. In Sindh only pure ghee was used in the preparation of food.
Papads and Kheecchas:
With every meal the Sindhis consume a large quantity of crisp and crunchy papads and khechas. These spicy preserves add zest to even the most prosaic of meals.
Fish:
Fish is a regular part of Sindhi food, but only fresh water or river fish, mainly hilsa and surmai, are favoured by the majority of Sindhis. However, pomfret has also gained popularity ever since the Sindhis migrated to India. Shellfish is not highly regarded and prawn is the only shellfish which is eaten.
Rotis:
The only bread popular in Sindh is roti which in Sindhi is called koki. The koki is prepared in a variety of ways, from plain to creamy to sweet to savoury, to the stuffed koki. Besides this the only other authentic Sindhi bread is called phulkas. Parathas are also popular but they are not of Sindhi origin but typically punjabi preparation. Kokis are ideal for breakfast, for taking to school o work, or for picnic and travel. They are not only very nutritious but also retain their flavour and appearance for a long period of time.
Mutton Recipes:
The Sindhis are not often very given to meat eating as is the case with most Indians. Only lamb is appreciated by them appears frequently in their diet. There are no recipes of either pork or beef. Beef is out completely because Sindhis are staunch Hindus, and pork is not eaten because Sindhis come from a Muslim country where the killing of pigs was absolutely taboo. Neither are there any outstanding poultry and wild game recipes because they are not favoured much by Sindhis. But the mutton dishes are deliciously satisfying, whether made into curries, fried or roasted or combined with vegetables.
Desserts and Sweetmeats:
Desserts are not unusual in Sindhi cuisine, being limited largely to a few standbys like halwas, sheeras and kheers. However, the art of sweet making is inmate in the Sindhis. This is evident from the fact that many sweetmeat shops belong to the Sindhis, where there is an amazing array of sweets to choose from.
Tea- time savouries:
The Sindhis are extremely fond of savouries, which are served with spicy chutneys and preserves. A typical Sindhi housewife offers her guests a plate of savouries as soon as they arrive. Whenever a guest is invited for tea it is more often a substantial meal, consisting entirely of mouth watering, delicious savouries which, if eaten once, cannot be easily forgotten.
Pickles and Chutneys:
No Sindhi meal is complete without a bowl of chutney and pickle. Every Sindhi housewife has jars of piquant pickles and chutneys in her pantry. Making pickles at home not only saves money but also gives an individuality to meals which is hard to come by in commercial varieties. At the same time, they are easy to prepare.
Rice:
Rice is eaten at least once every day in every Sindhi home. Usually plain boiled rice is served, but on special occasions, pullaos and biryanis with exotic garnishing are prepared. Most of the pullaos and biryanis are adapted from Mughlai cuisine Of special mention is yakhani pullao, which, though an authentic and original Mongol dish, has been taken up by the Sindhis with great gunto. Today no Sindhi wedding is complete without a dish of yakhani pullao on the menu.
Vegetarian Dishes:
Most of the Sindhis are vegetarians. This is probably due to the climate and geographical condition of their homeland. The climate of Sindh is such that bountiful crops of a variety of vegetables are produced all the year round which ake it possible for the people to exclude meat from their diet completely. Vegetables of all types are so overwhelmingly popular in Sindhi cuisine, that the infinite variety of vegetable recipes surpasses in taste and appearance even the best of non vegetarian dishes.
No comments:
Post a Comment