Key ingredients and techniques

Many recipes in this book feature a key ingredient or one that needs some preparation. Using and creating these base ingredients was something I learnt by andaza (estimation), but I have aimed to describe them and break down some processes into methods you can follow. I have tried to make these as straightforward and modern as possible, but I never steer too far from authenticity.

Sweetness

Gur / jaggery

Many Pakistani desserts and sweets use jaggery, which is natural unrefined sugar cane, date, coconut sap or palm molasses. In Pakistan we mainly use sugar cane jaggery: the flavour is nutty and fudgy, the sweetness is caramel-like and less sweet than white sugar. It is healthier than refined white sugar too, and has health benefits including detoxifying the liver and aiding digestion. It can be bought crushed, in liquid form, or powdered (sold as ‘shakar’ to be used in tea), but is mostly found in solid blocks. The fresher it is, the crumblier the block is. Most South Asian stores stock jaggery, but a close substitute would be dark brown sugar, muscovado sugar, demerara sugar or panela – but you will need to alter the quantity according to taste. As a child, I loved sucking on chunks of jaggery, and would call it natural fudge!

White sugar

Sugar is an ingredient that Pakistanis would be lost without. It’s used in savoury dishes, sweets and drinks across the Subcontinent, making sugar a store cupboard essential. When I was young, we could only buy coarse white sugar: the grains were chunky and it was a treat sneaking a teaspoon of it from the sugar pot. Of course, these days fine sugar is easily available. Pakistanis also use misri (rock sugar), which is composed of relatively large sugar crystals formed by dissolving sugar in water and then leaving it to crystallise over a number of days. Misri is usually used as an after-dinner mouth freshener, or the crystals are stuck on to sticks to be stirred through tea (an adopted Iranian custom), but I find misri adds an interesting sugar crunch to desserts too.

Generally, white sugar (or you can use golden caster sugar) is added to halvas, together with the main ingredient, or it is added as a sugar syrup. The consistency of these syrups is really important. Pakistanis don’t usually own a sugar thermometer and all syrups are made to a consistency of ‘ek taar’ (single thread) or ‘do taar’ (double thread), and sometimes ‘teen taar’ (triple thread). The recipe for these is below.

My typical measure is 2 parts sugar to 1 part water and I use an ordinary cup to measure with
In a saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the water over a medium heat and bring to the boil. When it starts to bubble, lower the heat and allow it to simmer. While it’s simmering, use the finger press method to determine whether it’s ready.

Dip a wooden spoon into the mixture, then carefully touch your finger against the syrup on the spoon – then press your finger against your thumb. As the two pull apart, notice how many threads stretch between your finger and thumb. As soon as the desired thread consistency is reached, take the syrup off the heat.

Single thread syrup is reached at approximately 110°C/230°F–112°C/234°F. It’s used for sweets that absorb the syrup, such as Pakistani jalebis.

Double thread (or soft ball syrup) is reached at approximately 112°C/234°F–116°C/241°F. This is used for making sweets that need sugar to set, such as balushahi curd doughnuts.

Triple thread syrup creates a hard ball of sugar which can be used to make hard candies or brittles, such as the sesame rewri. Keep simmering the syrup until it reaches approximately 121°C/250°F–130°C/266°F.

Condensed milk

Condensed milk is sweet and milky. I have placed it under ‘sweetness’ rather than ‘milky’ because, for me, it primarily alters sweetness and reduces or eliminates the need to add sugar to a dessert. It also helps thicken puddings and saves time in recipes that might require you to reduce milk.

Sheerni / mulberry syrup

Mulberry syrup is frequently used as a sweetener in the north of Pakistan, where white and black mulberries grow from late spring through to summer. Sheerni is made by simmering one part fresh black mulberries (or dried mulberries) together with one part sugar over a low flame overnight. By morning, what’s left is a thick syrup. It’s divine on Chitrali rishiki and on buttered toast – use sparingly, though, as it is really heady, sweet and intense. You can also buy mulberry syrup in specialist grocery stores and online.

Honey

Honey is produced across Pakistan from Punjab to the Swat district and is popularly added to milk drinks and drizzled over pancakes and on flatbreads for breakfast.

Spice

Saffron

Saffron has an earthy, floral smell in the jar, but when steeped in hot water or hot milk, it releases its real potency. Use sparingly to evoke a hint of Pakistan’s sultry summer days.

Green cardamom

Green cardamom is very frequently used in Pakistani desserts. The seeds are removed from the husk and freshly ground, releasing an intense aroma. This mellows when used in cooked, milk-based desserts and is heightened in baking.

Black cardamom

This is not traditionally used in Pakistani desserts, but I love the smoky peaty essence it gives when infused in milk- and rice-based desserts or pancake batters.

Cloves

In Pakistan, cloves are added to most halvas, especially carrot, daal and semolina ones. As opposed to that Christmas scent cloves are associated with in the West, cloves merely bring about a warm, spicy yet mellow flavour in Pakistani desserts, and are usually used in partnership with cardamom and rose water. Use judiciously in order to avoid a bitter flavour in halvas.

Black pepper

Though not used very often in desserts, I think black pepper works well with nuts and jaggery – it’s one to play around with, especially if you add it to dessert recipes from northern Pakistan, where pepper is the main spice in many savoury dishes.

Dried ginger

Dried ginger powder has a much stronger ginger hit than the fresh stem. It’s found in many drinks and a few regional desserts, but generally used sparingly to add a warming heat.

Nutmeg and mace

These are twin spices. They both add a comforting aroma to milk-based desserts. Nutmeg is much easier to use grated, whereas mace can be used to infuse syrups or milk by slowly boiling. Mace should be used more carefully than nutmeg as it has a greater impact on flavour. Very few Pakistani desserts use this spice, but I love experimenting with it where I can as its floral spicing is very unique.

Rose

Rose is one of the most popular floral flavours in Pakistani desserts. We add this either as rose syrup (Rooh Afza is the most common brand), rose essence or rose water. The aromas of Pakistani desi gulab (a local, red rose variety) are exotic and powerful and they give desserts a regal and festive finish.

Kewra

Kewra is extracted from the pandanus plant and is usually sold as kewra water, or as a stronger extract or essence. You can find these in most Asian shops. The aroma is pungent, but floral. It can appear mellow in sugar syrups or intense when combined with milk. Use sparingly as it is strong and an acquired taste.

Texture

Roasted vermicelli

Vermicelli is durum wheat (semolina)-based fine pasta that has been pre-roasted. This can be found in most Asian stores, especially around the time of Eid, as it is a traditional dessert ingredient. Pre-roasting gives it a nutty flavour, and it soaks up sugar syrups or milk and doubles in size (just like pasta), so be careful how much you use. The texture is crunchy when toasted in butter or ghee and sugar, but it can also be softened in milk or sugar syrup.

Grains

Pakistani desserts are often made from semolina (both coarse and fine), ground and whole basmati rice, channa daal, moong daal, buckwheat and wheatgerm. Pakistani desserts tend to favour grains as they add a nutty flavour, gritty texture and bulk that allows many desserts and sweets to either thicken more quickly (halvas) or bind together well (for sweetmeat-style sweets).

Flours

Many desserts use chickpea flour, rice flour or buckwheat flour. Chickpea flour has a nutty flavour, as well as a soft pliable texture when wet (unlike white flour which can become sticky). Rice flour is gritty and expands when cooking, so it can thicken up sweets or (when used as a dry coating) create a crunch on the outside of fried sweets.

Nuts

Nuts form a big part of Pakistani desserts, either as the main ingredient or a garnish. In the north, trees are laden with walnuts, and there are pine nuts, pistachios and apricots (the kernel is widely used like a nut). In the south, there are almond trees – the raw fruit of which is eaten as well as the nuts.

Milky

Khoya / Pakistani milk fudge

Milk fudge is the closest comparison to khoya – a key base ingredient used in many Pakistani desserts. Khoya is essentially thickened whole milk, cooked down for hours to resemble dulce de leche. The milk is cooked without any added sweetener, but over hours of slow cooking it develops a slight sweetness from the concentration of lactose as it becomes milk solids. Be careful to keep the milk over a low heat and stir frequently to avoid it burning from the bottom of the pan, which adds bitterness and changes the colour of the khoya. I found out by accident that the burnt milk flavour adds a certain smokiness to khoya, which isn’t all that bad. Making khoya does take time and there’s a bit of a knack to it, so keep practising! There are many cheat versions using dried milk in a microwave or substituting milk with ricotta cheese (which works well). But if you have the time, try the following recipe.

1 litre/13/4 pints/4 cups whole milk
In a heavy-based saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. Keep stirring and scrape any dried milk from the sides of the pan, stirring it into the boiling milk. Keep cooking on a low heat until the milk reaches the consistency of mashed potatoes or ricotta cheese (around 45 minutes). Allow to cool in the pan. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until needed. Use within a week.

Malai / Pakistani clotted cream

Growing up, the only milk we had was fresh buffalo’s milk delivered daily from a local farmer in large stainless steel urns. My mother would find many uses for the milk and its by-products. She would boil the milk to sterilise it, then leave it to cool. While the milk cooled, a rich, thick skin formed on its surface and slowly full cream would rise to join this skin and the result would be a thick cream that hardened on the surface of the milk like a frozen lake. As kids, we would love to smear this precious milkiness on toast with honey or rub some on a paratha with sugar. To me, the closest in flavour and consistency in the West is clotted cream. You can’t get Pakistani malai abroad, but what you can do is either substitute it with clotted cream, or make a thickened cream at home. You can then use it as a topping, garnish or a side – some Pakistani desserts would be naked without it. It’s an indulgence for special days, especially if you flavour it with rose water, orange blossom water, kewra or honey.

250ml/9 fl oz/generous 1 cup double (heavy) cream 50ml/2 fl oz/scant 1/4 cup sour cream
Combine the ingredients in a small heavy-based saucepan. Slowly bring to the boil, stirring continuously. Lower the heat right down and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour into a heat-resistant bowl and allow to cool. Once cool, cover and wrap it up in a tea towel overnight. In the morning it should be thick and resemble clotted cream. Refrigerate and use within 2 days.

Burutz / lassi cheese

This cheese is made in the mountainous Hunza in two ways. One way involves making a thick lassi from yogurt and milk and filtering this through a cheesecloth until only the solids remain. A quicker way is to heat the lassi over a low heat until the milk splits and solids form around the whey. It is then hung in a cheesecloth until all the whey drips away. I usually just substitute this with a curd-based cheese. It’s lovely served with dried fruit and fresh seasonal fruit, as is the norm in the north. See here for the method.

Chhana / soured milk cottage cheese

This is probably the most popular cheese for use in desserts, and is just as delicious when eaten on its own. Here’s how I make mine.

1 litre/13/4 pints/2 cups whole milk
In a heavy-based saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat to low and add 2–3 tablespoons of lemon juice and stir. When the whey and milk solids separate, turn the heat off and keep stirring. When all the solids appear to have separated, pour the mixture through a cheesecloth and elevate this over a colander (I tend to tie the cheesecloth onto the kitchen tap with the colander in the sink below). Let the whey drip overnight. In the morning, you’ll find a firm cottage cheese. Consume within 1 day.

Buttery

Ghee / clarified butter

Most of our desserts are cooked in ghee (clarified butter). This can be bought ready made, but making your own doesn’t take much time and the flavour is far more authentic. My mother used to make it by collecting the top cream off boiled whole milk and then cooking it down until the milk solids separated and the oil rose. This is pure desi ghee, translating as ‘clarified butter of the land’. I make an easier version using unsalted butter, as below.

250g/9oz/1 cup unsalted butter
Heat the butter in a saucepan over a low heat until it has entirely melted and scum rises to the top (this can take anywhere between 25 and 40 minutes). Skim occasionally, until all scum stops rising. Allow to cool slightly before pouring through a sieve into a sterilised, heatproof storage jar with a lid. Allow to cool completely before closing the lid. Keep at room temperature and use within 10–15 days. Alternatively, keep for up to 3 weeks in the fridge.

Vegetable oil

Some desserts call for oil, either for frying or cooking with. Try to use one with a subtle aroma, like sunflower or corn.

Makhan and kuch / homemade butter from cream or lassi

Makhan is another milk-based product made from buffalo milk. We would whip the cream that formed on the top of the milk until it thickened and became butter. This was incredible on toast with honey or rose petal jam or on parathas. My friend Moneeza, who is a Pathan, told me about a lassi-based butter called kuch made in her father’s village in the north. Salty lassi was made every day in the summer in a huge earthenware pot filled with yogurt, ice and water. This lassi was then hand churned until butter floated to the top. The butter, called kuch, was eaten with simple vegetables and roti or spread over parathas. It can be made in a small blender at home.

350ml/12 fl oz/11/2 cups whole plain yogurt
To the full fat yogurt, add 2 trays of ice cubes, 150ml/5 fl oz/ 2/3 cup freezing cold water and a pinch of salt. Blend until you have a lassi. Leave to stand and very soon you will see butter rising to the surface. Pour the whole mixture through a cheesecloth over a colander and squeeze out all the liquid until all you have left is the butter. This takes a little patience, but the flavour is worth it.