Dum kay pasanday (Roast Beef Tenderloin)

My mother's side of the family migrated to Karachi, Pakistan from parts of Punjab and Utter Pradesh in North India, bringing with them recipes, such as this one, which are very distinct in flavors and styles. In this tender and fragrant dry stew, a combination of spices works in concert with the heat of black peppercorns. It was traditionally ground on a flat, large mortar and a brick-like pestle. My grandma would splash some water and start the grind, adding the ginger and garlic as the spices changed form from whole to a paste, with aromas floating the whole house.I grew up around empowered women, especially my grandmother who not only taught me the love for food, aromas, and techniques but also taught me the love for communities and different cultures. She taught me about the power of food and how it connects, touches and changes lives in ways I could never have imagined. She was the first woman to set up a printing press in her home to launch the first magazine for women.