Traditional Food list Of Baltistan | Village Food of Baltistan

 Well, here's a quick guide to Balti cuisine. In this article I have tried to covered all the Traditional Food Of Baltistan. Village Food of Baltistan is very famous because of its organic and pure taste. Our food are simple meal that provides energy, is considered an integral part of Balti culture. Balti people typically work outdoors in mountain environments and are therefore reliant on the energy provided by food and drink. Milk-producing animals are important to the Balti, but they are not eaten as part of everyday meals. However, cooking entire animals is often a way to welcome guests.

Our famous Balti Saying:

                      " Hospitality is our culture"

If you want to know about the culture of Baltistan, you have to taste its food. The local people are known for their culinary traditions, and the cuisine here is no exception. The cooking methodologies and recipes are centuries old and can still be recognized today. Local people prepare ambrosia cultural meals in their daily lives. They are unique, delicious, and special. Most tourists to Baltistan are looking for the local foods. The top Traditional Food of Baltistan which includes:

Traditional Food Of Baltistan

1- Prapu

2-Marzan

3-Harisa Balay

4-Traspai Balay

5-ChaBalay

6-Beingaz

7-Azoq

8-Zankhor

9-Resabkhor

10-Kiser

11-Mumto

12-Balti local Bread (Gundum ki roti)

13-Rice with chicken curry (Shana Bras)

14-Faring Bally (Apricot soup)

15-Apricot juice ( Faring cho)

16-Goat soup   (Rabaqgee soup)

17-Potato with Goat Meat Curry (Alo Na shaspaq)

18-Namkeen chai (pauo cha)

19-Tumbroo coffee

20-Rose coffee. (seya kahva)

 1-Prapu

Prapu (seeds used for bread noodles w/Walnut Paste) Prapu is a noodle plate thick with a type of nut that has been getting onto land to a powder. 

Note: Dish names on a list may be spelled differently (ie. Prapoo, Prabhu Plapoo) in different valleys of Baltistan. The noodles are hand-made using seeds used for bread grain meal, then boiled until soft. When ready, they are covered in a thick paste which includes getting onto land sort of nut trees natural herbs walnut paste, and eats with organic apricot oil, 

The strong-tasting substance for putting on food includes locally grown high-plateau plants, several of which, and there may also be potatoes in the thick dressing as well.

Prapu with Apricot oil

You can immediately see that the Balti way of cooking is nothing like it, very different from food in Pakistan's low-land and river-basin areas in other villages of Pakistan like Punjab and Sindh.

Now some hotels in Skardu and Khaplu introducing Balti local dish to tourists  so you can taste it in Dewan e Khas and Mount View Hotel Skardu.

2-Marzan

The local village food of Baltistan is quite different from the local cuisines of the rest of Pakistan. Marzan is a simple yet satisfying dish that provides a steady supply of energy to the Balti people. They traditionally work outdoors in rugged mountain settings and milk-producing animals are very important. While they do not eat animals for their everyday diet, they do cook them on special occasions and serve them to guests.

Marzan

Marzan is one of the high energetic food of Balti's cuisines .Our ancestors love to eat Marzan.till now in many homes.In ancients people serve Marzan  to their guest on invitations at home. there are three types of Marzan used to cooked in  Skardu ,khaplu, and Shigar valley.

1-Marzan 

2- Bro Zan

3-Alo Zan

 All of almost the same in taste and the cooking process is also the same. Marzan is prepared by using a floor of local barely cooked on the wooden fire in a pot of boil water mixed it with barely floor mixed them with the uses of the wooden stick under low flame. When it is well mixed put out off and puts on a  plate. This is an uncommon plate that will usually be taken food on special events, as the seed crushed into a meal is got ready in such a special and timely way.When it is ready then served with using organic apricot oil.A basin of clear apricot oil is given to on a small high slope of Marzan, gooey, but slightly dry seed crushed into meal thick paste. The person of representative of the seed crushed into a meal is very like to how it looks, almost like a dumpling or small record put by the net thick paste Brozan is another type of zan but it is heavier than Alozan and Marzan . Bro is cultivated at high altitudes and obtained from them. There are many Benefits of Brozan but it's very famous for all stomach problems. Alozan is another popular dish in Baltistan khaplu and shegar valley but Barah valley is famous for alozan , The taste is unique and special. Because in this dish paste of potatoes also includes while it is cooking. Barah valley cultivates potatoes in large quantities and export as well that is why they used potatoes in Marzan.

3-Harrisa Balay (Nas Balay, Redong Balay):

This is also a type of soup in which local barley is used . To make Harissa Balay you need Grains of Barley, wet them in a bowl for 40 minutes, and grind using a village grinding machine (letanos) it takes 30 to 40 minutes to become a full shape .when it turns in take into a bowl. Put water in the pot boil them put grains of barley which we have collected from the grinder. Here you can use the following ingredients for better taste. salts, Green chilies, onions, potatoes, peas, pieces of meat, and local mint when well being cooked really it will give you a delicious organic taste. In Baltistan people always cooked Harissa in the month of Ramadan and use to Drink on Iftar. You can also  taste this dish in Dewan e Khas Restaurant Skardu

 

 

4-Traspi Balay 

Balay (noodle Soup w/Goat Meat) is cold with mountains fields, and range, there are few things more warming and pleasing when it is cold outside than soup. And soup in Baltistan is not a watery love experience, but rather the balay is thick and strong, healthy and takes food almost like a meat-based dressing.Along with the goat meat thin meat soup that formed the quality of taste and base, there were strong, healthy gummy textured noodles and small bits of meat mix within. It is a great way to begin our old and wise Baltistan food meal in every village.

Balay (noodle Soup Goat Meat

5-ChaBalay (Bajra Soup)

 I hope you will enjoying to read this article but you annoying the word Balay I think it would be or maybe not, In Balti Balay means soup or shorba, but anyway our ancient people like soup very much and always try to make anything shorba.In Baltistan mostly farmers cultivate their lands with vegetables and a variety of fruits. These are their sources of income. Cha means millet, in some areas of Shegar and Khaplu valley this plant is popular and they love to make ChaBalay.In kharkoo valley this plant is cultivated in large quantities and it's famous for cooking ChaBalay .chapolo and chazan is also famous food of this valley. There are many benefits of this dish.

Chabalay

6-Beingaz

This is also a very famous and delicious dish in Baltistan. It serves on the occasion of a wedding or any invitation of the guest at home. Ingredients used to make Beingaz are: local wheat flour, salt, onions, and chilies, Himalayan Herbs, and organic local goat Butter.

Beingaz

7-Azoq

Azoq is also called Paratha in various regions of Baltistan. It serves with Namkeen chai on eid and on occaction of any Religious Festivals. Azoq is the most popular in Skardu Valley Baltistan.

Azoq

8-Zankhor:

Zankhor is Made of Wheat flour as normally like Balti local bread in a little bit of oil. Without putting in hot sand. You  can see below how Balti Bread is being cooked.

One of Balti Traditional Bread ZanKhor

9-Resabkhor (Balti Organic Traditional Sweet)

Resabkhor is totally an organic food made by Barley.Resab will be prepared after the process of barley into many steps. When resab is formed it will be used to make Resabkhor.It has a sweet taste which is why it is also called Balti sweet. When cooked then it is served with pure apricot oil.

Balti Sweets Resabkhor with organic apricot oil

10-Kiser

kiser are considered as a very popular traditional food throughout Baltistan. Whenever a

sudden guest arrives, the hospitality is done with kiser because in a short time, it is very easy to

make and very tasty.

You will add water according to the amount you will make. You can add two or three eggs, salt,

pepper and other ingredients to the water at your own discretion, then add the local flour in

the same water so that the water becomes thick. Then all is well mixed and poured into the

frying pan by local method. You can easily make two or three kiser in five minutes.

                                      

Yummy Balti Keser

                                

11-Mumto:

Mumto Balti Tebatian Famous dish in Skardu Valley

12-Balti local Bread (Gundum ki roti)

This is also called "Khurba" in balti Language. This is a specials Traditional Bread of Baltistan.

Khurba is prepared by local wheat flour. Khurba is prepared by local wheat flour. It is havey then other bread of Pakistani Village.Its also in thick and big size.It cooked on wooden fire on hot iron in village kitchen .When it becomes dry then it will pass into hot ashes. untill it will not fully cooked. As you can see in below piccture.

Traditional Cooking Methods of Khurba

13-Rice with chicken curry

Rice with chicken curry made at every major event in Baltistan, such as at weddings, any sort of

celebration and in the daily food menu at home. Water is boiled by adding salt in water then it

is cooked by adding rice. Simple rice is ready.

Now you have to make chicken curry in local pan by local method. It becomes a very delicious

food, at meal time rice is put in the plate and curry is added to it to make it clear on the table.

This food is made for wonderful and sincere remembrance. There is a very hospitable traditional food for all kinds of guests.

Rice with chicken curry

14-Faring Bally (Apricot Soup)

It is one of the most famous village food, pure organic and very beneficial for our health. Local

people called as faring or fating bally. People drink it with great enthusiasm. 

How to make one;

Dried apricot fruit is washed with water.

Put an average amount of water in a saucepan and add dried apricots.

Boil the dried apricots until soft.

When it is completely soft, it has to be mixed properly through the local hand-made tool

GHURBU.

Now we have to add a little bit of local CHAFEY. Faring bally is ready now.

Faring Bally (Apricot Soup)

15-Apricot juice

Apricot juice is very beneficial for our health. It cleans our stomach. According to research, a

glass of apricot juice daily cures every disease. Soak five or six dried apricots for ten to twelve

hours, then you get one to two glasses of apricot juice. You will find it very comfortable to drink

it. Eating soft fruit after extracting juice is also great fun

Apricot juice

16-Goat Meat soup

The goat was boiled with a few small plants used for food like bulbs with strong taste and orange-red root food, but with very least food to give strong taste and strong-tasting substance for putting on food. It was worked for still on the bone, and self-support to cut thin bits off a thick bit. The meat is readily damaged from being boiled, but it also has a higher than common quality goat-meat muscle quality of being strong. You have knowledge immediately through the quality of taste that this was a home-raised animal, and not from a meat farm. And taking food from the complete goat like this was in fact a special reason, need, cause, and each strong, healthy bite of goat meat was of great value and got pleasure out of to the fullest.

Goat Meat soup

17-Potato with Goat Meat curry:
                  

Potato food cooked in a shut ancients stone vessel (w/Goat Meat) taken into account as to be one of the most not possible to get at and far away, widely different areas in the complete earth, Gilgit-Baltistan has only recently had roadway in even to its own country and money (roads made in 1978). This has let many old and wise practices to go on until today, food as well as social development, and food cooked in a shut vessel like this is one is taken food regularly now, but not an old and wise Balti plate. This is a curry in that the parts are fried to make a heavily strong-tasting dressing before adding water, but then it is worked for as a very thick food cooked in the shunt vessel. It is full of greatly sized thick bits of goat meat, potatoes, and a strong-tasting substance for putting on food mix much more interesting and looks  old and wise food of Baltistan In the curry, you can taste the masala (foods) to give a strong taste including cumin, black pepper, turmeric powder, and dried root with strong taste, yet the (foods) to give a strong taste are often more soft, quiet than in other parts of Pakistan, 

Potato with Goat Meat curry

18-Namkeen Chai (Pauo cha w/ chafay)

Butter tea (given to w/Buckwheat grain meal) one of the backbones of Balti way of cooking is actually a drink. This is not your mean tea, however, and it is much more than simply getting ready green or black leaves in burning water. This tea has in its salt, butter, and milk, and is made with pre-brewed green tea leaves. It is worked for with a side of newly produced get onto land seeds used for bread grain meal, and a small plate of clear apricot oil which you join to personal taste. mix in a spoon each of the brown grain meal and the of great value apricot oil, and have special rights a warming and thick mix of some of the richest liquid idea-forming. In some places, it is old and wise even for several cups of butter tea to be a complete morning meal, and solid food would not be taken food until one has already started work for the day. This herb, which is also known as "Balti tea," is brewed with salt, milk, and butter, and served with fresh ground wheat flour and pure apricot oil.

Chafay with Apricot oil

Across this complete mountain field, ranging from Tibet to Bhutan butter tea is got pleasure out of and it is so well-loved by this mountain be living groups of persons that you can not possibly go to without having at least a few cups together.

19-Tumbroo Tea (Thymus Linearis):

Thymus Linearis is it scientific name found in the Himalayas, especially in Gilgit-Baltistan and it

has lots of value in traditional uses. Local People use its flower and leave to make tea and say

that its tea down blood pressure. The color of the tea is fantastic and the taste is extraordinary

 Tumbroo Herbal Balti tea

20-Rose Root Tea. (seya kahva)

The scientific name is Rosa Brunoni abundantly found in Gilgit Baltistan. It has high

medicinal value and is aromatic in nature. Our local inhabitant uses its flowers, root and

covering of stem to make tea. It gives beautiful color. Local people believe that its root tea

prevents height phobia, whenever you go trekking or hiking rose-root tea must be drunk because it boosts your breath. This Plant is only found at the high altitudes in Gilgit Baltistan.

Seya kahva