Care for some Sindhi savouries?

Greatly influenced by the flavours of Punjab, Balochistan and Pakistan, the Sindhi cuisine is an amalgamation of diversified cultures. With a tinge of Islamic flavours, this ethnic group confers a delightful platter best known for its variety and simplicity.

In addition to the current influences, pre-Partition food preferences played an important role in making what Sindhi food is today.

The Sindhi Council of India, with the intention to promote Sindhi food, has come up with Flavours of Sindh, a book dedicated to promoting Sindhi fare of the Shikarpur sect. 

Packed with interesting trivia, anecdotes, recipes, ingredient translations and menu combinations, this book presents the essence of Sindhi culinary delight.

The two basic culinary styles in Sindhi cookery are dry items and gravy.

“Our food is very similar to Punjabi food, but it’s a tad more richer,” says Sheetal C, editor, Flavours of Sindh.

“The dry items are cooked with sautéed onions and tomatoes with dry masalas, while the gravy consists of browner onions and tomato puree.”

Food occupies an important place in Sindhi culture; and in this community, men too, share a keen interest in cooking like the women folk.

While the food is essentially rich and heavy, most of the savouries can be cooked in minimal oil.

The community is known to have a large spread on festivals and special occasions. “Most Sindhi households have a fixed day for kadhi chawal and tooka (Sindhi curry, rice and potato crisps),” says Sheetal. 

The cuisine offers abundant choices. Sheetal enlists some of the cuisine’s most popular dishes: “Mitha lola (sweet paratha) mungan ji dal jo seero (moong dal halwa), koki (masala onion paratha), chilra (vegetarian omelets) and pragri (sweet puff).”