During Ramadan, centuries-old Middle Eastern dish gains special flavor in Pakistani metropolis
KARACHI: During the Muslim month of fasting, one traditional Middle Eastern dish, harees, gains a special flavor in Karachi, where the original recipe is passed from generation to generation by descendants of Arabs who centuries ago migrated to the Indian subcontinent.
Harees is one of the oldest Middle Eastern dishes. It was already featured in the earliest known Arabic cookbook, “Kitab Al-Tabih” (“The Book of Dishes”), compiled in 10th century Baghdad.
The name harees comes from the Arabic word “harasa,” which means to mash, or to squash. Just as the name suggests, in the preparation of harees, wheat is ground with goat or mutton and then cooked over low heat until creamy.
The dish was introduced to the Indian subcontinent by immigrants from the Middle East who in the…
