Platter Politics - getting a taste of the Pakistani palate

Pakistani chefs use the same robust spices, chillies, turmeric, coriander, cumin and garam masala. And tandoori cooking and Mughlai food are intrinsic to their culture too.

So can our much-loved, much-loathed neighbours claim their own culinary identity? Absolutely, say chefs visiting from across the border for an ongoing food festival in Mumbai.

"The usage is different," says Mehboob Ahmed Khan, executive chef of Avari Lahore Hotel. Take our Mughlai recipes, for instance. While we use cashew or almond pastes, our neighbours stick to lighter onion, ginger and garlic bases…