Sindhis are said to have originated in Pakistan’s “Sindh.” As a result, several dynasties like the Mughals, Turks, and Arabs that controlled the Sindh region at various points in time greatly influenced their cuisine. Sindhi food is delicious and flavorful, and it is infused with the finest aromatic spices.
People of Sindh eat many traditional foods that are referred to as Sindhi cuisine. Sindhi food is very famous that is eaten in other countries too, like India as several Hindus migrated from Sindh to India after independence.
Sindh was under the Bombay Presidency before the inception of Pakistan and it was used to be called Bombay and Sindh. Sindh and Gujrat have somehow similar cooking styles due to the fact that Gujrat was placed quite near to it. This tradition was preserved by Sindhi in Ulhasnagar in the form of very special dishes such as; Sev dal. Dahi Sev puri, and patan papdi, etc.
Then, Islam came into Sindh, and cuisine got highly influenced within South Asia because Islam strictly prohibits eating pork and take alcohol and, in this way, Halal food was promoted. People of Sindh who are now the majority of Muslims started eating Lamb, chicken, beef, vegetables, and fish, fruits and dairy products, etc. Later, the influence of South Asian, middle east, and central Asian cuisine in Sindh also became visible.
Their normal routine food consists of a wheat-based flatbread that is called phulka. Rice is another popular dish that is eaten with curd or pickle and gravy. There are so many special dishes which are served on special occasions like chiti kuni and Diwali a bahji. These both dishes are vegetable dishes especially Chiti-kuni is made with seven vegetables.
Moreover, they have another special dish that is after some recovery of severe disease like Chicken pox, “mitho lolo”. It is sweet roasted sort of bread, its dough is made of flour, oil and sugar syrup and ground Cardamom for its better flavor.
Their tradition has several dishes like Sai bhaji chawal, one of the most famous dishes that contain white steamed rice and spinach curry and is being served with Tarka of onion, garlic, and tomatoes. Then other dishes are Koki, seviyan, sindhi kadi, mitho lolo, taryal patata, palli and palao machi, etc.
Sinshi kari is another dish that is specially prepared in some occasions. It contains thick spicy gravy that is made from chick pea flour and seasonal vegetables and served with rice.
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The special drinks of Sindhi food include Sharbat, khirni, falooda, thandai, and lassi.
Mitho lolo, as mentioned above is eaten as chilled buttermilk that is also called Mtho in some of their certain occasions. Seviayan is the typical sweet that is prepared with milk. It is specially prepared in eid-ul-fitr and eid-ul-azha. Their other sweet dish is Kheer Kharkun that is prepared in Eid-ul-fitr occasion. It is the blend of dates and milk. It is cooked for a few hours to make them mixed. It is eaten cold or hot.
Taryal patata is a staple dish. It is like thick sliced, pan potatoes, and local spices. This dish is consumed mostly in rural areas at dinner time or some time in breakfast. Pallo machi (fish) is their dish that is prepared with Hisha fish. It has several cooking procedures to cook it. It is sometimes deep fried with local spices or sometime it is cooked with onions and potatoes which is basically a traditional way.
List of Traditional Sindhi Dishes
• Sindhi Kadhi
• Dal Pakwaan
• Arbi Tuk
• Seyun Patata
• Sindhi Koki
• Sindhi Chicken/ Mutton Biryani
• Teevan (Sindhi Mutton Curry)
• Tahiri
• Khorak
