Asphyxia – when low lighting, restricted movement, crying babies, and a zillion people crammed into small confined spaces have you looking left and right to ensure that every person is going through the same degree of torture as you are. And no, I’m not describing how one gets smuggled in a container. I’m describing the experience of travelling in a C-130 aircraft, which me and my husband boarded on July 27, 2015, when travelling to Quetta from Islamabad.
Ah, Quetta! What can be said about that city; a wealth of culture and traditions, and a wealth of natural resources. Where every day one walks through illuminating history. Quetta is also well known for it’s cuisine. And as I like to say, “where there’s food, there’s me and my husband”. My better half grew up in the city, and has the passion for Baloch cuisine in his blood. Weeks before our trip, he would tell me how they used to eat Khadda Kebab as children, as I would speculate wildly as to why a food would be named so – do they have to sit in a pit or what? Then there is Rosh, the most tasty meat known to me. And not to forget, the Khurad Marai, another name that’ll leave you wonder what to expect.
We were travelling to Quetta to attend a wedding. I remember it was a mehndi event that day when we took off for the outskirts of the city to find a famous hotel that served the best Rosh.
Rosh
It is essentially a big chunk of meat, cooked under pressure in animal fat for several hours with secret ingredients and spices; mostly salt and black pepper. Rosh is served with Shrumbay, a very sour variation of Lassi. The logic is that Shrumbay helps digest the Rosh, which may feel light on the heart, but gives your stomach a tough job later on. We ended up having a lot of shrumbay. No points for guessing what happens when you have a lot of meat and lassi – we could barely our eyes open. We finally made it back to the place we were staying in and slept like babies. We were, unsurprisingly, late for the mehndi. As we dragged ourselves to the function, we found that our cousins were planning a picnic at Hannah Lake the next day, where they had arranged for khadda kebabs to be prepared.
Khadda Kebab
This is a whole lamb roast in which the animal is gutted and stuffed with rice, dry fruits and spices. It is then wrapped in aluminium foil to be cooked by burying it underground over coals. I simply can’t describe it’s mouthwatering taste. You have to try it for yourselves when you visit Quetta. It’s best if you eat by the Hannah Lake – the serene views will add to the experience, trust me.
