Baqerkhani roti being prepared in old city. Made with wheat kneaded in milk, ghee and sugar, these rotis are slightly heavier to digest, but can be stored for days

Author and journalist Sadia Dehlvi grew up in a home where food played a central role in the family. In fact, her earliest childhood memories are of her amma (grandmother) hovering around the kitchen and pantry along with her retinue of house-help, while the matriarch would supervise the cooking, make pickles and dry spices on the verandah. "Friends who visited our home never left without savouring a meal. They would often say that they had never seen a house with so much food around all the time," she laughs.