Neighbour's cooking

The flavours are different but the ingredients aren't and that's what makes the Pakistani food fest a must-try

Pakistani food fest-Gosht Karachi Biryani

Ever wondered how food across the border would be like? Just because the food is from across the border, it need not drastically vary from what we eat in India. And it also surely needn't mean that Pakistanis consume only meat and spice. Just as tastes and flavours vary from state to state and region to region in India, Pakistani cuisine is a mix. If one region uses tomatoes extensively, another uses hari mirchi and some other makes generous use of whole spices.

After competing in Foodistan —the food show in NDTV Goodtimes, chef Girish of Hyderabad Marriott was keen to know why he lost to his Pakistani counterpart. “After the show was over, I walked over to my opponent's kitchen to see what had earned him the brownie points. And when I tasted the food, I was not surprised. The flavours burst in your mouth. The food was innovative and a cut above the rest,” says Girish.

And to give a taste of these different flavours, Hyderabad Marriott is hosting the Pakistan food fest, bringing in chef Akhtar Rahman from the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad. And Akhtar surely is cooking up a storm. Right from the dips to the bites and licks, every dish is unusual. A few things are similar to Indian cooking. Like Pakistan's

began ka kebab is nothing but the

begun bhaja which is a must in a Bengali household. What makes the

begaun ka kebab stand apart

begun bhaja are the dips they are served with. An

anar (pomegranate) and

imli chutney . The

anar chutney is sweet and sour and it is impossible to tell what it's made from unless you are told. This is one speciality of Pakistani cooking — besides vegetables it makes good use of fruits in the main courses.

Then comes the

shaman tikki , a deep-fried saffron-flavoured vegetable croquet. It is exquisitely delicate. The raseelay subz kebab is made of smoked minced vegetable — cauliflower, carrot and green peas. The non-veg starters feature the sulemani kebab . A unique preparation made of stuffed minced lamb kebab, cooked in milk fudge (or khoya ) and pistachio. For chicken lovers, there is rasmisay murg key kebab , made of fresh fruit and minced chicken.

The choices of soups aren't too many. Lentil lovers will love the dal shorba , a thick soup made of masur and moong dal cooked with fresh chilli flakes and roasted whole coriander seeds. Among the breads, nothing can match the taftan — a finer version of the sheermal, presented with a lot of melted butter. A combination of the taftan and the chicken or mutton gravy dishes will make you lick your fingers.

There is a choice of veg and non-veg biryanis. Go for the

gosht karachi biryani , anaromatic braised-lamb preparation with basmati rice cooked

dum style. The choice of desserts includes

gajar ki kheer, roo ki kheer, multani sohan halwa, besan ka halwa and

matanjan .The fest ends on February 29.