Introduction to Pakistani Cuisine
When Maryam Jillani was growing up in Islamabad, the last day of Ramadan was about more than breaking a month-long fast with extended family. A joyous occasion, the Eid al-Fitr holiday also was marked with visits to the market to get new bangles, wearing her best new clothes and getting hennaed. Not to mention the little envelopes with cash gifts from the adults.
Food: A Big Part of Eid
“But, of course, food,” said Jillani, a food writer and author of the new cookbook “Pakistan.” “Food is a big part of Eid.” At the center of her grandmother Kulsoom’s table was always mutton pulao, a delicately spiced rice dish in which the broth that results from cooking bone-in meat is then used to cook the rice. Her uncle would make mutton karahi, diced meat simmered in tomato sauce spiked with ginger and chilies.
Exploring Pakistani Dishes
Cutlets, kebabs, lentil fritters and more rounded out the meal, while dollops of pungent garlic chutney and a cooling chutney with cilantro and mint cut through all the meat. For dessert were bowls of chopped fruit and seviyan, or semolina vermicelli noodles that are fried then simmered in cardamom-spiced milk. This photo taken on June 21, 2022 shows a recipe for mutton pulao from Maryam Jillani’s book, “Pakistan.” (Maryam Jillani via AP)
Variety of Flavors
The vegetable sides were the one thing that changed. Since Ramadan follows the lunar Islamic calendar, it can fall any time of year. These dishes, and many of the associated memories, make it into Jillani’s book, but she would be the first to acknowledge they represent just a sliver of the nation’s varied cuisine. This image shows a dessert recipe called seviyan from the cookbook “Pakistan” by Maryam Jillani. (Sonny Thakur via AP)
Regional Cuisine
Her father, who worked in international development, used to take the family to different parts of the country. Later, she did her own development fieldwork in education across rural Pakistan. Along the way, she found striking differences between the tangier, punchier flavors in the east, toward India and China, and the milder but still flavorful cuisine in the west, toward Afghanistan.
Discovering New Flavors
“I knew our cuisine was a lot more than what we were finding on the internet,” she said. This photo taken on June 21, 2022 shows the ingredients used to make the mutton pulao recipe from Maryam Jillani’s book, “Pakistan.” (Maryam Jillani via AP)
The Cookbook
After moving to Washington, D.C. as a graduate student, she started the blog Pakistan Eats in 2008 to highlight dishes that were lesser known to Western cooks. Research on the book began 15 years later, and she visited 40 kitchens in homes across Pakistan.
A Taste of Home
“Even though I hadn’t lived in Pakistan for over 10 years, each kitchen felt like home,” she writes in the book’s introduction. She includes what she calls “superstars” of the cuisine, such as chicken karahi, one of the first dishes Pakistanis learn to make when overseas to get a taste of home.
Conclusion
The meat is seared in a karahi (skillet) and then braised in a tomato sauce spiced with cumin, coriander, ginger, garlic and chilies before a dollop of yogurt is stirred into the pot. Other recipes reflect the diverse nature of Pakistan’s migrant communities, such as kabuli pulao, an Afghan rice dish made with beef, garam masala, chilies, sweetened carrots and raisins. “The idea behind the cookbook is to try to play my small part in carving out a space for Pakistani food on the global culinary table,” she said. And of course, honoring her grandmother’s mutton pulao. Jillani is hosting Eid this year at her home, now in Manila, Philippines, and she plans to make it, as well as an Afghan-style eggplant, shami kebabs, and the cilantro and mint chutney. By ALBERT STUMM, Associated Press
FAQs
Q: What is the name of Maryam Jillani’s cookbook?
A: The name of Maryam Jillani’s cookbook is "Pakistan".
Q: What is the significance of Eid al-Fitr in Pakistani culture?
A: Eid al-Fitr is a joyous occasion in Pakistani culture, marked with visits to the market, wearing new clothes, getting hennaed, and exchanging gifts.
Q: What is the main ingredient in mutton pulao?
A: The main ingredient in mutton pulao is bone-in meat, which is used to make a broth that is then used to cook the rice.
Q: How many kitchens did Maryam Jillani visit for her cookbook?
A: Maryam Jillani visited 40 kitchens in homes across Pakistan for her cookbook.
Originally Published: March 25, 2025 at 5:51 PM EDT
