Sajida Khair
Sajida, a graduate of IDSP University of Community Development in Quetta, specializes in Mainstream Gender and Development and is now a faculty member. She learned to cook from her mother and enjoys preparing traditional Balochi dishes.
Scroll on to experience a deep dive into Sajida's favorite dishes'
Balochistan's Home Cooked Culinary Heritage (2023)SOCH Outreach Foundation
Watch our film on Sajida's home-made dishes.
Qurut Baingan, in Quetta (2023)SOCH Outreach Foundation
Eggplant and Liquidised Cheese (Qurut Baingan)
Qurut baingan is a unique vegetable dish from Iran. Qurut, famously known as ‘Kashak’, is a dairy product in the form of dried cheese popular from Central Asia to Balochistan.
Step 1: Mix 1½ kg aubergine and 2 tbsp salt with sliced eggplant.
Step 2: Slit green chillies also fried with the eggplant till soft.
Step 3: Slice 2 onions and pound 3 large cloves of garlic.
Step 4: Add 2 inches of ginger and 1 green chilli by hand.
Step 5: Heat the oil and fry onions till brown.
Step 6: ¾ tsp turmeric and ½ tsp red chilli powder are added.
Step 7: Fry and add the pre-fried eggplant.
Step 8: Add liquidised dried cheese (qurut) and cook for a few minutes.
Step 9: Remove from fire and serve, top with cilantro if preferred
Shot of prepared Tereeth, in Quetta (2023)SOCH Outreach Foundation
Flatbread and Liquidised Cheese (Tereeth)
Tereeth is a simple Baloch dish; pieces of chapati (flatbread) mixed with gravy and onion or qurut (liquidised cheese), usually eaten with pickle.
Step 1: Slice 1 onion.
Step 2: Pound 2 cloves of garlic,1 inch of ginger, 1 green chilli, and ½ tsp turmeric and chilli powder.
Step 3: Add the onions and pounded ingredients to heated oil in a pan and fry until soft.
Step 4: Prepared liquid qurut is then added to the mixture and cooked for a minute. A little water can be added to thin the mixture.
Step 5: 3-4 chapatis are made and torn up into small pieces and put in a wide dish.
Step 6: The qurut mixture is then thoroughly mixed with the pieces of chapati and served warm.
Butt o maash kichri, in Quetta (2023)SOCH Outreach Foundation
Butt-o-Maash (Lentils and Rice)
This traditional homemade Baloch dish is a delicious combination of rice and green mung beans. This is a recipe typically reserved for rainy days in Balochistan.
Step 1: Slice 1 onion.
Step 2: Heat ½ a cup of oil.
Step 3: Pre-cook 250g of green mung beans.
Step 4: Add heaped 2 tsp salt, then add 4 large glasses of water to boil 1/2 kg rice.
Top view shot of food spread, in Quetta (2023)SOCH Outreach Foundation
Enjoy your spread!
SOC Films Team
Creative Director: Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy
Producer: Sameer Khan, Huma Shah
Associate Producer: Sara Sharif
Research Associate: Sara Sharif
Project Manager: Quratulain Khalid
DOP: Murtaza Ali
Photography: Shoaib Tariq
Photography Editor: Shoaib Tariq
First Camera: Nadir Siddiqui
Second Camera: Shoaib Tariq
Exhibit Writer: Sameer Khan
Exhibits: Sameer Nazim
Video Editor: Jason Liao, Azeem Charania
Colour Grade: Jason Liao, Azeem Charania
Assistant Video Editor: Misrah Nizami
Sound Design: Sameer Khan
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