Bohri Cuisine; Another Gem in Karachi’s Food Heritage

What a great honor it’s been for A Cup of Karachi to get connected to the renowned Pakistani writer, chef, and artist, Zeenat Iqbal Hakimjee. She has been an inspiration to so many and with her continuous efforts to present the world of her famous Bohra cuisines, Zeenat Hussain is nothing but a true source of intellect.

She shares her passion for authentic Bohri dishes. She is the daughter of Pakistan’s famous and reputable writer/journalist Adam Jivanjee. With many cookbooks and poetry books to her name, we are very honored to share some of her unique and authentic recipes. 

Zeenat Iqbal Hakimjee

Fig and Date Barfi (Anjeer and Khajoor Barfi)

         Ingredients:-

• 1 cup dates seeds removed
• 1/2 cup figs
• 3 tbs ghee

Nuts like badam pista and cashew

Method

Soak dates and figs separately for  2 hours. Blend each with little water.
Grease a pan with some ghee and add the figs, mix for 3 minutes then add the dates. Keep mixing until the sides of the pan are clear. The mixture should be thick and sticky, add the chopped dry fruits.
Grease a steel pan with ghee and pour the mixture, let it set. Then cut it into square shaped bars.

Bohra style masala potatoes

Ingredients:-

• Potatoes 4 (boiled and cut in small pieces)
• Red chilli powder 1 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
• Coconut (crushed) 2 tbsp
• Green chillies 4
• Garlic 6-8 cloves
• Salt 1 1/2 tsp
• Tamarind pulp 1 tsp
• Oil 4 tbsp
• Curry leaves few
• Fresh coriander for garnishingMethod
• Grind crushed coconut, green chilies, garlic, cumin seeds, red chili powder and tamarind pulp into a fine masala or paste.
• Heat oil in a pan
• Put grinded paste in it
• Add little water, salt and curry leaves
• Cook till water dries
• Add boiled potatoes
• Stir so that all the potatoes are coated with the masala
• Cover and cook on a very low flame for about 2 minutes