Pakistan is located just west of India and east of Afghanistan and Iran. The name Pakistan is derived from the urdu words Pak (meaning pure) and stan (meaning country). Pakistan has a population of over 177 million in which the majority of people live in poverty. Pakistan is famous for its beautiful landscapes, architecture and delicious foods! 
A common misconception that people have about Pakistani food and Indian food is that they think they are different types of food. In reality, Pakistani cuisine is a small subset of Indian cuisine. For most of history, the are known today as Pakistan was once a part of India. The actual food isn't very different at all . Indian cuisine is a huge diverse set of which Pakistani cuisine comes from. Many may argue that they are different but in my opinion, both Pakistani and Indian cuisine have the same dishes, the only difference may be that they are prepared using different techniques. In the end, the final product looks and tastes the same.

Savoury Pakistani Dish

Chicken Biryani
This is a delicious Pakistani rice dish, often made for special occasions such as parties or holidays such as Ramadan. Biryani is a set of rice-based foods made with spices, rich and meat, fish, eggs or vegetables. It was originated in Iran and was brought to South Asian cuisine by Iranian travelers and merchants. Chicken biryani has a lengthy preparation and requires hard work but in the end, it is definitely worth it.

Ingredients:
For the chicken:

• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 small potatoes, peeled and halved
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 (2 inch) piece cinnamon stick
• 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken pieces cut into chunks

For the rice:

• 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 5 pods cardamom
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 (1 inch) piece cinnamon stick
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 pound basmati rice
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Directions

1. In a large frying pan, in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or ghee), fry potatoes until brown. Drain and reserve the potatoes. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and fry onions, garlic and ginger until the onion is soft and golden. Add chili, pepper, turmeric, cumin, salt and the tomatoes. Fry, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Add yogurt, mint, cardamom and cinnamon stick. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes are cooked to a pulp. It may be necessary to add a little hot water if the mixture becomes too dry and starts to stick to the pan.
2. When the mixture is thick and smooth, add the chicken pieces and stir well to coat them with the spice mixture. Cover and cook over very low heat until the chicken is tender for approximately 35-45 minutes. There should only be a little thick gravy left when the chicken is finished cooking. If necessary, cook uncovered for a few minutes to reduce the gravy.
3. Wash rice well and drain in colander for at least 30 minutes
4. In a large frying pan, heat vegetable oil (or ghee) and fry the onions until they are golden. Add saffron, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, ginger and rice. Stir continuously until the rice is coated with the spices.
5. In a medium-size pot, heat the chicken stock and salt. When the mixture is hot, pour it over the rice and stir well. Add the chicken mixture and the potatoes; gently mix them into the rice. Bring to boil. Cover the saucepan tightly, turn heat to very low and steam for 20 minutes. Do not lift the lid or stir while cooking. Spoon biryani onto a warm serving dish.

Source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chicken-biryani/

A Sweet Taste of Pakistan

Besan Ladoo

 Besan Ladoos are one of the easiest and delicious desserts made for any occasion. They originate from South Asian cuisine which includes India, Pakistan and Nepal. Ladoos are usually served on festive and religious occasions such as a wedding or religious festival. Ladoos are traditionally made with flour and sugar with other ingredients that vary by recipe. The recipe below has added besan. The trick to get this sweet right is in browning the besan (gram flour) perfectly.
 
Ingredients:

• 4 cups besan (bengal gram flour)
• 2 cups ghee (clarified butter)
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp cardamom powder      

Preparation:

1. Melt the ghee over a medium flame, in a thick-bottomed pan.
2. Add the besan and brown till you get a cooked aroma from it. The besan willl also turn darker as it cooks and when done should be a deep golden brown colour. This browning process can take up to roughly 20 minutes.
3. Add the cardamom and mix well.
4. Turn off the fire and mis in the powdered sugar. Stir well.
5. Allow the mix to cool
6. When cool, form into golf ball-sized rounds. Place on a lightly greased, flat tray till they set well.
7. Store in an air-tight container in a cool place

Source: http://indianfood.about.com/od/specialoccassionrecipes/r/besanladdoo.htm

A Human Interest Story

A great way to learn about the culture in Pakistan without actually travelling there is to explore the variety of ethnic foods that originate from there. I think that the only way to truly experience Pakistani food is by eating it from a true Pakistani home, because as we all know, homemade food is always better. That's why I was inspired to make an authentic Pakistani dinner for my family. I was always curious as to how my mom would make the food that we ate every day, how she added flavours, and colour to something that would seem so bland. When I turned 15, I decided to surprise my family and make dinner for them. It was my very first time cooking and no doubt, I was as nervous as I'd ever been! 

Chicken Jalfrezi

I wanted to make something traditional but also wanted to add something different and put my own personal touch to it. For the main dish, I decided to make the food that I loved most, chicken jalfrezi and for desert, strawberry falooda. Following an old recipe that my grandmother had used, I began making the chicken dish. I thought that it would be hard to cook the chicken because I always had an issue with standing near the hot stove and a fear of burning myself! I knew I had to overcome this fear if I wanted to learn how to cook and I eventually did; when I took this culinary arts course this year. I had never cooked before and was worried that the spices in the food and the flavour would be slightly off. Spices are one of the most important things in Pakistani food and if that went wrong, the dish wouldn't turn out very well. The common spices used in chicken jalfrezi are garam masala, turmeric powder, coriander powder and capsicum. I wanted to change the recipe a little and add more flavour. Keeping in mind that my family loves spicy food, I decided to add hari mirch and lal mirch which is green and red chili.

Strawberry Falooda

Then it was onto one of my favourite Pakistani desserts, falooda. Falooda is a dessert containing ice-cream, rose syrup and pre-boiled, unsalted spaghetti. It is a sweet dessert that is served cold and any other fruits can be added to it according to what you desire. When I made dinner, I made strawberry falooda by simply adding cut up strawberries at the very end. My family loved the dinner I made for them and it encouraged me to make dinner more often. Cooking for the first time was an amazing experience and I had lots of fun trying it. Ever since then, I've been cooking at home almost every day and I'm learning how to properly prepare all Pakistani dishes.









  

If you want to make these dishes, try these online recipes below

Falooda Recipe: <http://www.zaiqa.com/recipe/9925/strawberry-falooda-by-rida-aftab>
Chicken Jalfrezi: <http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chicken-jalfrezi/>

Sources:

Images from: Google

Restaurant Review

Host India
Located: 622 Montreal Road
Phone: 613-746-4678

For my restaurant review, I decided to go to Host India with my family. When I first opened the door, I thought that the restaurant had a very South Asian and Indian appearance to it. It was a huge and spacious area with several tables and booths. The restaurant looked elegant and was decorated very nicely. The tables had a burgundy coloured tablecloth with a white square sheet on top. The glasses, cutlery and napkins were at each place mat on the table. The walls were painted a mustard-orange colour and were filled with old fashioned Indian décor. There were religious Indian statues, wall hangings and decoration pieces placed throughout the restaurant.


Ras Malai

When we entered, we were seated almost immediately. The waiter took us to a table in the centre of the restaurant, near the main door. As we sat down, it felt really cold all of a sudden. We asked the waiter if we could sit somewhere else that didn’t have a draft and he very kindly moved us to another table. Afterwards, we were talking about how it was still very cold and the waiter overheard us. He quickly brought us a portable heater and put it at our table apologizing for the coldness and told us that one of their heating units was broken. I thought it was really nice of him to bring us a heater, even though we never asked for it. It showed that they care about their customers and want them to leave the restaurant satisfied. 

Vegetable Pakoras


We finally settled in and began to order. We all ordered vegetable pakoras for an appetizer. Then for the main dish, we ordered chicken jalfrezi and butter chicken and finally for desert, I ordered ras malai, my brother ordered mango kulfi and my parents had gulab jamin. We had two waiters that were serving us and I thought they were both very efficient and well informed.
I was impressed because our food was served to us very quickly. They served it within 15 minutes even though there were several other tables seated apart from us. The dining experience I had was really good. I loved all the food especially the vegetable pakoras. The 2 different types of chutneys that it came with added a sweet and sour taste to the spicy pakoras.

Butter Chicken

The butter chicken tasted okay but it was somewhat sweet and I didn’t like it that much. I expected it to be spicy and I ended up not liking the taste at all.

Chicken Jalfrezi

 The chicken jalfrezi was delicious and full of flavour but I personally think that it should have been spicier. What I disliked was that when we needed more drinks, I had to go to the front desk to find our waiter and tell him. The service was good but the waiters wouldn’t be there for half the time and if you needed something, you had to get up to tell them. Another thing I disliked was that the restaurant was really cold and it was uncomfortable but it was nice of the waiter to bring us a heater. I really liked the restaurant’s atmosphere; it felt so cultural and traditional with all the decorations and the service was really good. I loved the food, especially the pakoras and overall, I think the restaurant does a very good job of being consistent with their work.


Despite all the good things about this restaurant, there is always room for improvement. The restaurant is decorated very nicely and seems like a high end restaurant except for the place mats and napkins on the table. I think that if they spent so much time and effort on the physical appearance of the restaurant, they should improve the quality of things that people actually use such as place mats or napkins. I think that instead of using paper thin disposable place mats, they should invest in fabric place mats and napkins which aren’t tissue. In the end it would benefit them financially because they won’t have to keep purchasing more and it would improve the quality that their customers receive. I really enjoyed my dining experience and I’ll definitely be going back sometime soon!

More Information:

Click here for Restaurant Menu:
<http://www.hostindia.ca/Menus/DinnerMenu/tabid/6143/Default.aspx>
Click Here to see Map:
<http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=&daddr=622+Montreal+Road%2C+Ottawa%2C+ON%2C+>
Hours:
Sunday..................................11:30-2, 5-9
Monday-Thursday...............11:30-2, 5-9:30
Friday-Saturday...................11:30-2, 5-10
**Lunch Buffet: 7 days a week from 11:30-2, Mon-Fri $12/person, Sat-Sun $13.99/ person
General email: info@hostindia.ca
Staff (owner) email: ravinder.tumber@hostindia.ca

Fun Facts!

• Pakistan has the 2nd largest Muslim population in the world
• More than 60 different languages are spoken in Pakistan
• Pakistan is the largest producer of ghee (clarified butter) which is used alot in South Asian cuisine
• The majority of Pakistan's population which is Muslim, only use their right hand to eat food
• The mainstay of Pakistani diet is roti which is an unleavened bread very similar to pita bread
• The national sport of Pakistan is field hockey however cricket is most popular
• 1 Canadian dollar is worth 88 Pakistani rupees
• Tea is the most popular drink in Pakistan
• Pakistani cuisine is known for its richness and flavour

Sources:
<http://wanttoknowit.com/interesting-facts-about-pakistan/>
<http://gwkhan.20m.com/PAKISTAN.HTM>

Tourism in Pakistan

Kite Flying at Basant

Pakistan is known for its festivals, ancient architectures and its diverse colors. What fascinates tourists the most is the unique style of food that Pakistan has and all the celebrations that take place. One of the biggest events that take place in Pakistan is Basant. The day of Basant marks the end of winter and the arrival of spring. It is known as the festival of flying kites and is celebrated in the entire country. The festival starts at midnight when the entire sky is lit with bright lights and kites of all different colours, sizes and styles. Everyone participates in various fun activities while kite flying remains the main attraction. Basant is not only a kite flying event, but also a cultural festival of traditional food, dresses, dance and music. Male tourists can be expected to be decorated with yellow scarves while the women are given decorated “Gajras” which are traditional bangles made of flowers. Yellow is the main colour in this event as it illustrates the blossoming spring flowers in the fields of Pakistan. 

Festival of Basant

Kite flying is a spectacular sight to witness. The sky fills with bright colours and music is heard throughout the country. Tourists experience the various flavours of the culturally rich country of Pakistan. Music, performances, kites, shopping bazaars and to top it all off, the delicious food of Pakistan all combine to make this a memorable event of your life! If you are looking for a place to stay during the festival of Basant, the city in Pakistan that experiences the most excitement and fun is Lahore. Lahore is a tourist attraction in itself! A few hotels located in the heart of Lahore are the 5-star Avari Hotel, the luxurious Ambassador Hotel and the most renowned, Pearl Continental Hotel. All accommodations are located a short distance from all main tourist attractions and offer the best quality in terms of living conditions. If you are looking for a place to eat some delicious and traditional Pakistani food, the best rated restaurants in Lahore are Marco Polo, Mirchi and Tabaq. 

Shah Faisal Mosque

If you are fascinated by history and architectural buildings, you would love to see the Shah Faisal Masjid. It is located in Islamabad which is the capital city of Pakistan. It is among one of the largest mosques in the world. It is known for both its enormous size and its architecture which covers an area of over 5000 square meters! The mosque can accompany over 300 thousand people and was designed by a Turkish architect by the name of Vedat Dalokay. It is a huge focal point of Islamabad and is a famous and well recognized icon of the city. 

Pakistan National Monument

Tourists would love to see the beautiful architectural features of the mosque. While you are in Islamabad, you might also want to visit the Margalla Hills which offer a stunning view of the scenery. Other scenic landscapes in Islamabad include the Rawal Lake and the Shakarpariyan Hills which are also home to the Pakistan National Monument. If you are looking for a place to stay overnight while you explore the astonishing city of Islamabad, you can stay at the Islamabad Serena Hotel which is rated at 5 stars! Looking for a bite to eat? Indulge in the delicious, mouth-watering food served at Golden Dragon Restaurant.





Taxila Ruins

Another famous tourist attraction in Pakistan is the Taxila Ruins. Just a short drive from Islamabad, this is one of the most important archaeological sites in the world! There are 18 locations in the area which are world heritage sites, but only 5% have been excavated. The Taxila Ruins is the region from where Buddhism travelled to the Far East and Persians, Greeks and Hindus all subsequently left their mark. At the Taxila Ruins, you can watch the sun set from the remains of a Buddhist monastery or wander through the streets of an excavated Persian city knowing that there are two older ones buried below.

Pakistan is a culturally rich place, filled with colours, festivals and traditions. There are many different places to visit that allows tourists to experience all the excitement and adventure that Pakistan has to offer. So why not make your next vacation, in this culturally diverse country?



Sources:

<http://www.tripadvisor.com/AllLocations-g293960-c2-Attractions-Islamabad.html>

< http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/139>

< http://globalkites.wikispaces.com/Pakistan+-+Basant>

Images from: Google