Pasanda (Urdu:پسندہ,Hindi:पसन्दा), also calledparche (Urdu:پارچے,Hindi:पारचे), is a popular dish from theIndian subcontinent, notablyNorth India,Rampur,Hyderabad andPakistan, derived from a meal served in the court of theMughal emperors. The word is a variation on theHindi-Urdu word "pasande" meaning "favourite", which refers to the prime cuts of meat traditionally used in the dish. The word "pasande" is borrowed from thePersian verb پسندیدن (pasandidan).[1] The dish may also be prepared withpaneer cheese.
Pasanda was originally made with leg oflamb orgoat flattened into strips, marinated, and fried in a dish with seasoning. InPakistan, pasanday is usually made frompot roast beef fillets flattened into strips.[2] In the present day, pasanda is also made withchicken andking prawns; in each case, the process and ingredients remain generally the same.
After the meat is cut and flattened, it is placed in a marinade consisting ofyogurt,chili powder, and numerous spices and seasonings, which commonly includecumin,black pepper,cardamom, andgarlic. After a few hours of marination, the meat is placed in a saucepan with the other ingredients that make up the "pasanda" itself—onions,coriander,chillies, and sometimescinnamon or black pepper—then fried for 30 minutes to an hour. The dish may be garnished withtomatoes oralmonds as badaam pasanda. It is often served withwhite rice ornaan on the side.
Though its invention is ascribed to the Mughal court, the recipe may have been a development of pre-existing cooking techniques, with a similar method of preparation being described in theManasollasa of the 12th century AD.[3]
Although pasanda is usually served as a meat dish with a sauce, it can be prepared inkebab form;The Times of India describespasanda kebab as belonging toAwadhi cuisine (from Northern India and Southern Nepal).[4]
