Sindhis, once inhabitants of Sindh in present-day Pakistan, are renowned for their entrepreneurial zeal, political acumen – and diverse cuisine. Sindhi food has soaked in elements from each of the cultures it has been in contact with, borrowing koftas and pulaos from the invading Mughals, and parathas and pakodas from neighbouring Punjab. Yet it also comes with a unique identity, with an array of distinct recipes, such as the vegetable-rich Sindhi curry, the delectable sai bhaji, and the succulent, meaty kuniwaro teevan. The Sindhi Kitchen celebrates this range with over a hundred recipes, covering a variety of items, from the legendary breads, lolo and koki; to the tangy raw mango pickle, ambriyoon ji khatain; to the spicy, sautéed chapatti entrée, seyal maani; to the legendary tariyal bhendi and seyal karela; to the sharp-tasting prawn and mutton dishes, daag mien gangat and seyal teevan; to chilled desserts like phirni and falooda kulfi. Equally, this book looks back at an era, pre-Partition, when food customs differed – when fish would be buried underground and baked in the desert sun (for palo kok), or Sindhi curry would simmer in brass vessels on slow fires. In the process, it sheds light on the legacies built around food – the offerings of sweetened rice during festivals like Chetichand; the bowlfuls of saffron-milk that accompany the breaking of fasts; the menus, replete with lotus stem curries, that emerge during weddings. Help yourself to a comprehensive guide to the food and food-lives of a community of epicures.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Dr Aroona Reejhsinghani has written 226 books on a variety of subjects, from health and nutrition to cooking. Given her prolific publishing history, she has entered the Limca Book of Records for writing the largest number of cookery books in India. Dr Reejhsinghani was editor-in-chief of Cuisine magazine, and has been a columnist for Deccan Herald, Free Press Journal, Navhind Times among others. In 2007, she was honoured with a doctorate by the World Academy of Arts and Culture, Paris, and the following year, IBI Cambridge, England conferred a lifetime achievement award on her.
