Self Drive/travel in convoy.

Kashmir is known as 'Paradise on earth' for its natural habitats and beautiful lakes. Prepare your taste buds for a culinary journey to this picturesque valley. This gastronomic extravaganza will celebrate the rich and diverse flavors of the special cuisine, offering a delightful experience for food enthusiasts. Let your taste buds be captivated by the aromatic spices, rich gravies, and delightful sweets as you experience the essence of Kashmiri culinary artistry.

The deliciously prepared menu will be presented in a Kashmiri house setting with its unique wooden furniture and antique wares.

Presenter: Anjum N Reshi is a talented Kashmiri resident in Islamabad and has promoted Kashmiri culture including its cuisine, wood carving and intricate embroidered shawls in various national programmes and TV shows.

In preparation for the Islamic holy month of Ramzan/Ramadan we will be introduced to the very special menu for Sehri (Sunrise: begining of day fast) & Iftar (Sunset:end of fast). Most dishes can be served both times.
The menu will include:
Starters: Dates, Dhahi Bhale, Bhel Puri, Aaloo Piyaz Pakoray, Aaloo Cholay, Samosas;

Main: Special Bhori Fried Chicken , Lagan Seekh, Chicken Biryani, Khichra Haleem and different types of 'chatni’'

Desserts & Drinks: Daal Halwa. Saboodana Special, Gur Pani Jasmine sherbats.
In addition to the above , there will be a demonstration of a healthy pancake with vegetables & also a granola bar full of nuts for energy!

Pakistani cuisine can be characterized as a blend of regional cooking styles and flavours from across South, Central and West Asia. It also maintains certain Mughal influences within its recipes and cooking techniques. It’s ethnic and cultural diversity, diverse climates, geographical environments, and availability of different produce lead to diverse regional cuisines.

Ever wondered what a traditional Pakistani breakfast/brunch is like? Join us for this very special food tasting foray in the hospitable ambiance of a private home!

The mouth watering menu will include:

• Qeema (a special dish of minced meat)
• Nihari ( the perfect breakfast beef meat concoction for wintry days )
• ‘Pakistani’ version of omelettes served with different Parathas ( a layered flatbread exclusive to the Subcontinent-with different fillings: radish/ potato etc.)
• Poori also spelled as Puri (Small portions of unleavened dough is rolled to small discs and deep fried in hot oil. A perfectly made puri puffs as soon as it hits the hot oil!)
• Served with Channa Alu (Chick peas and potato mix) and Suji halwaa ( A delicious semolina dessert)
• and then to digest all this soul satisfying session - Doodh Patti Chai ( Mixed tea with milk and cardamom)..

Our very gracious host - Anisa A. Rehman Quraishi- with expertise in Pakistani, Arabic, Chinese and European cuisines,has earned her name in catering for exclusive private events in Islamabad.

Türkiye is a land of many landscapes, topographies and therefore many 'food' styles. Its cuisine evolved based on numerous cultural interactions throughout centuries, especially during the Ottoman Empire, and has now acquired an international status...

An opportunity to test / taste the delicious authentic Türkiye dishes prepared by experts!

-Turkish dips, Adana kebabs, Shish Touk, Chicken Shawarma served with bread and rice- topped by a special Kibbeh dish of ultra-lean meat, bulgur, onion purée and spices. And lets not forget the delicious Turkish dessert-Baklava flaky pastry layers filled with chopped nuts and drenched in sweet syrup - served along with the Turkish tea!

The 'Bohra' cuisine-while blending in with local tastes- is known for its unique taste . It is influenced by Gujarati, Persian, Yemeni, and Egyptian cooking styles...

The Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community lives in over 40 countries- moving from Yemen to Indian Gujrat and then -after partition- to various cities of Pakistan, mainly Karachi, Hyderabad, Rawalpindi. Traditionally, a meal starts with a pinch of salt to clear the gut, cleansing the palate and helps fight several diseases! The dishes are served in a large round thaal (platter) with 8-10 people eating from it, mostly seated on the floor...

We have selected some of the most popular items for you including: Adla Soft Chunks of Beef on Bone with green masala, Khow Suey Chicken (an adopted Burmese dish) , Moong Pulao Beef, Stuffed Capsicum with Potato, Uttapam served with masala potatoes, beetroot halwa etc.

Some of these dishes will be demonstrated and others served along with a cultural briefing and history about the community!

• Guest Presenters: Munira and Owais of 'Moni’s Food'- a catering service based in Rawalpindi- cater to the community, and others with a taste and appreciation for this popular cuisine!

'BOHRA' CUISINE- CELEBRATING DIVERSE CULINARY TRADITIONS!

The 'Bohra' cuisine-while blending in with local tastes- is known for its unique taste . It is influenced by Gujarati, Persian, Yemeni, and Egyptian cooking styles...

The Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community lives in over 40 countries- moving from Yemen to Indian Gujrat and then -after partition- to various cities of Pakistan, mainly Karachi, Hyderabad, Rawalpindi. Traditionally, a meal starts with a pinch of salt to clear the gut, cleansing the palate and helps fight several diseases! The dishes are served in a large round thaal (platter) with 8-10 people eating from it, mostly seated on the floor...

We have selected some of the most popular items for you including: Adla Soft Chunks of Beef on Bone with green masala, Khow Suey Chicken (an adopted Burmese dish) , Moong Pulao Beef, Stuffed Capsicum with Potato, Uttapam served with masala potatoes, beetroot halwa etc.

Some of these dishes will be demonstrated and others served along with a cultural briefing and history about the community!

• Guest Presenters: Munira and Owais of 'Moni’s Food'- a catering service based in Rawalpindi- cater to the community, and others with a taste and appreciation for this popular cuisine!

The mesmerizing mountainous territory of Gilgit- Baltistan is renowned for its history and and stunning scenery!

With their own unique traditions and languages the cusine of Gilgit -Baltistan mirrors the region's cultural mosaic, reflecting a vibrant blend of influences from Central Asia, the Middle East and South Asia... each dish carries a story of tradition , heritage and centuries old practices...

We will start with 'Balay soup' - a traditional soup with homemade noodles, followed by 'Sharte Chap Shorro'-

a delicious pastry filled with meat. The main dishes will be 'Chap Ulu Alo' and 'Channa Pulao'...winding up with the delicious 'Rabri Pasta' dessert!

• Our guest Chef Musarrat is originally from the valley and runs a small catering business offering a taste of her local cusine.

A programme not to be missed. Limited space...first come, first served!

Balochistan is a land of many landscapes, topographies and therefore many cuisines.Nilofer Afridi Qazi has 'Food Mapped' Pakistani heritage recipes for several years. Her purpose is to document Pakistani culinary culture before many of the undocumented recipes disappear.

She will be giving us a little taste of the traditional Balochi dishes, like Washagai, a local snack filled with the fruits and nuts form in a fried or baked pouch; and Aash which is dish from the Hazara tribes, this also shows us the linkages with Afghanistan and the Central Asia- along with other dishes made with local favorites like “dodai” (bread), “kurt” (dried milk) and “Landi” ( dried meat).The session will end with a delicious and an unusual Shenai icecream which she has developed along with Chef Ammar Mumtaz. Shenai is a wild pistachio bean found exclusively in Balochistan and usually used as a chewing nut across the Northern Belt of Balochistan!

‘Culinary Tales from Balochistan’ that she has authored- is an endeavor to map the gastronomic traditions of the largest yet most sparsely populated province of Pakistan. In her book, Nilofer not only documents the various foods from this region of immense topographical, ethnic, and climatic diversity but also traces the origins, evolution, and recipes of the staple food items integral to the cultural and culinary fabric of various communities living in Balochistan including Baloch, Pashtun, Brahvi, Hazara, Makrani, Gwadari, Punjabi, Zoroastrian and many more. It is a passion project that this food blogger and documentary maker, and development practitioner took on during the pandemic !

Demonstrations and a taste of the delicious 'Iranian' cuisine, along with with its cultural history ...an opportunity not to be missed!

Iranian cooking is heir to no less than two and a half thousand years of saffron and rosewater-scented history. In many ways, Persian food is considered one of the world's most important and influential cuisines- the original mother cuisine!

The foods of the courts of ancient Persia (as Iran was called until the 1930s) included perfumed stews flavored with cinnamon, mint, and pomegranates; elaborate stuffed fruits and vegetables; and tender roasted meats — dishes that have influenced the cooking of countries as far-flung as India and Morocco...

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Join us for a taste of the delectable ‘HUNZAAI ' cuisine!

The mesmerizing Hunza Valley sits in the far north of Gilgit Baltistan, a mountainous territory of Pakistan filled

with many historical treasures and stunning scenery.

Living at elevations of over 2000 m, the people of Hunza

have their own unique traditions, languages, and cuisines.

The food in particular is rich in flavor and variety, and it is

totally different from anything you can find in other parts of the country.

Like all mornings in the valley we will also begin with Azoq -a crispy doughy delight served with tea, followed by a traditional chicken soup, Dawdoo, which is primarily served in winters. You will also be able to witness the preparation of Beef Mamtus, which are Hunzai dumplings. The main meal on the menu is Rabongshah, a meat dish with beans,served with rice and Hoi La Garma which is a hot spinach dish. This will be finally followed by a delicious dessert made from walnuts!

Mussarat-our presenter- hails from the heart of the valley and has a Masters in IR and training in Guest relations from Serena hotel. She is currently working in a Government school teaching the finer aspects of the Hunzaii culture & cuisine to her students !