Saraiki cuisine ( skr, ) refers to the native

cuisine A cuisine is a style of cooking characterized by distinctive ingredients, techniques and dishes, and usually associated with a specific culture or geographic region. Regional food preparation techniques, customs, and ingredients combine to ...

of the

Saraiki people The Saraikis ( skr, ), are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group inhabiting parts of central and southeastern Pakistan, primarily in the southern part of the Pakistani province of Punjab They are mainly found in a region of southern Punjab known ...

in central Pakistan. The style of cooking is present in the Saraiki-speaking region of

southern Punjab South Punjab may refer to: *the southern part of the region of Punjab in South Asia *South Punjab (region), an historic region in the 8th–9th centuries; see Timeline of Pakistani history *two proposed provinces in this region in Pakistan: **Sara ...

, as well as parts of southern

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP or KPK, is one of the Administrative units of Pakistan, four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, ...

, northern

Sindh Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...

and northeastern

Balochistan Balochistan ( ; bal, بلۏچستان; also romanised as Baluchistan and Baluchestan) is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. ...

. Saraiki food comprises many unique local dishes, and also shares influences with neighbouring regional cuisines. The metropolitan city of

Multan Multan (; ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan, on the bank of the Chenab River. Multan is Pakistan's seventh largest city as per the 2017 census, and the major cultural, religious and economic centre of southern Punjab. Multan is one of the List ...

is a hub of Saraiki cooking.

Dishes

Mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree ''Mangifera indica''. It is believed to have originated in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South a ...

is a seasonal fruit of the region during summers. Multani Saraiki cuisine include Phikka Khuwa, Maal Pooray, Chilra (Dosa), Satto, Kupri, Bhatt, Dodha, Lassi, Kakko, Dillay aali Siwiyan, Billay aali Siwiyan, sohbat etc. Sohan halwa is a traditional speciality of southern Punjab, particularly

. It is a

halwa Halva (also halvah, halwa, and other spellings, Persian : حلوا) is a type of confectionery originating from Persia and widely spread throughout the Middle East. The name is used for a broad variety of recipes, generally a thick paste made f ...

dessert that is prepared by boiling a mixture of water, sugar, milk and cornflour until solidified. Saffron is used for flavoring while

ghee Ghee is a type of clarified butter, originating from India. It is commonly used in India for cooking, as a traditional medicine, and for religious rituals. Description Ghee is typically prepared by simmering butter, which is churned from c ...

is used to prevent it from sticking to the pan. Almonds, pistachios and cardamom seeds are added as additives. The southern Punjab cities of

Dera Ghazi Khan Dera Ghazi Khan (), abbreviated as D.G. Khan, is a city in the southwestern part of Punjab, Pakistan. It is the 19th largest city of Pakistan by population. Lying west of the Indus River, it is the headquarters of Dera Ghazi Khan District and ...

Bahawalpur Bahawalpur () is a city in the Punjab province of Pakistan. With inhabitants as of 2017, it is Pakistan's 11th most populous city. Founded in 1748, Bahawalpur was the capital of the former princely state of Bahawalpur, ruled by the Abbasi fa ...

Uch Sharif Uch ( pa, ; ur, ), frequently referred to as Uch Sharīf ( pa, ; ur, ; ''"Noble Uch"''), is a historic city in the southern part of Pakistan's Punjab province. Uch may have been founded as Alexandria on the Indus, a town founded by Alexand ...

and

Mailsi Mailsi () is a city in southern Punjab, Pakistan. It is the headquarters of Mailsi Tehsil, an administrative subdivision of Vehari District. Description It is one of the largest tehsil of Vehari District; the cities of Lodhran and Vehari were ...

are also known for their sohan halwa products. Multani Chaamp is a meat dish consisting of lamb chops prepared with various flavours and spices, placed on sewers and grilled over charcoal. Sohbat is a food of saraiki belt of

, Pakistan and

saraiki belt South Punjab ( ur, ) or Saraikistan (Urdu, skr, ) is a proposed new province of Pakistan, comprising the areas which has a majority of Saraikis in the southern part of Punjab province. Made up of Bahawalpur Division, Multan Division and Der ...

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

, Pakistan. It is the traditional dish of

Damaan Damaan Valley is a valley of Dera Ismail Khan District in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is situated 55 km from Dera Ismail Khan. Sherani mountain range on its west side and Sulaiman Range in the south-west. Pezu mountains Sheikh ...

and other Saraiki belt of DI Khan,

Tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engin ...

Bhakkar Bhakkar ( ur, ), is the principal city of Bhakkar District located in Punjab, Pakistan. It lies on the left bank of the Indus River. It is the 86th largest city in Pakistan. Administration Bhakkar city is also the administrative centre of B ...

Layyah Layyah ( Saraiki and ur, ), previously spelled as Leiah, is a city in the Pakistan.Mianwali Mianwali ( Punjabi/ ur, ) is the capital city of Mianwali District in Punjab, Pakistan. The 81st largest city of Pakistan, it is known for its diverse population of, Punjabi and Pashtun ethnicities. History Mianwali District was an agricu ...

Taunsa Sharif Taunsa (Urdu, Balochi, Punjabi, Saraiki: ) is a city in Taunsa District of Punjab province of Pakistan and capital of this district. Location Taunsa is located on the Karachi-Peshawar Highway, which is also known as Indus Highway. It is approx ...

Vehoa Wahova, also spelled Vehova, is a Town and headquarter of Wahova Tehsil in Taunsa District of Punjab, Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the wo ...

, and

DG Khan Dera Ghazi Khan (), abbreviated as D.G. Khan, is a city in the southwestern part of Punjab, Pakistan. It is the 19th largest city of Pakistan by population. Lying west of the Indus River, it is the headquarters of Dera Ghazi Khan District and ...

. The Sohbat is equally popular in Saraiki and Pathans of

. Although one of the lesser known dishes, the Painda or Sohbat is a special dish that is quite popular in Northern Pakistan. A watery gravy with tikka masala is served on a bed of pieces of hot chapatti.

Gallery

File:Sohan Halwa.JPG, Multani-style Sohan halwa File:Cholistani Camel Meat Pulao.JPG, Cholistani-style pulao, made from

camel meat A camel (from: la, camelus and grc-gre, κάμηλος (''kamēlos'') from Hebrew or Phoenician: גָמָל ''gāmāl''.) is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. C ...

File:Sajji.JPG,

Sajji Sajji ( Balochi and Urdu: سجی) is a Balochi dish originating from the Balochistan province of Pakistan. Traditional and authentic sajji consists of lamb, marinated only in salt with a few spices. Sajji is considered done when it is at the ' r ...

, a popular dish in southern Punjab

References

{{reflist Pakistani cuisine

Dishes

Gallery

See also

References