Pakistani food is rich, full of spice, generous with ghee, and unbelievably tasty, it’s almost natural to compare to Indian cuisine.
But Pakistani cuisine itself is varied.
Enjoy reading
Paratha
Paratha is a type of Indian bread that is typically consumed for breakfast in Pakistan.
It consists of whole wheat flour that is baked in ghee and comes in round, triangular, square, or heptagonal shapes and then fried over a hot plate in a generous amount of oil or ghee.
Parathas are often stuffed with ingredients such as boiled potatoes, cauliflower, garlic, ginger, chili, paneer, or radish. They are sometimes accompanied by pickles, yogurt, homemade chutneys, or meat and vegetable curries.
One of the greatest things about eating a paratha is the flaky layers of dough, both gooey and crispy all at the same time.
It is better served with a cup of chai, or even better, dud pathi (only milk tea).
Puri
Puri is a deep-fat fried bread made from unleavened whole-wheat flour.
It is eaten for breakfast or as a snack or light meal across Pakistan & India.
In Pakistan, puri is part of a popular weekend breakfast called halwa puri, which is basically a platter of puri served with halwa, chana masala, and aloo ki bhujia (potato curry).
Halwa puri is a traditional Pakistani breakfast that features semolina pudding or halwa and a soft fried dough called puri.
Halwa is typically made with a mixture of fried semolina and sugar syrup, which is then combined with nuts such as pistachios and almonds.
Naan
Peshwari or Peshawari naan is a traditional flatbread originating from Peshawar, Pakistan. The flatbread is characterized by its filling, consisting of almonds, desiccated coconut, and sultanas or raisins. The dough for this type of naan is made with yeast, water, flour, sugar, oil, and salt, while the filling is ground into a paste, often with the addition of butter and a bit of water. Once cooked, puffed up, and fluffy, this naan is typically brushed with melted butter or ghee, and it's then enjoyed warm alongside curries, especially the spicy ones.
Qatlama
Qatlama is a fried layered bread common in the cuisines of Pakistan.
It is a large round flatbread that is smeared with a vibrant red-colored mixture of gram flour, spices, and herbs before getting deep-fried. The dough usually made with plain flour, water, salt, and oil is then stretched into a huge flat disk before being covered with the spicy mixture and entirely submerged into hot oil to fry until nice and crispy.
This flatbread is a common breakfast meal, but it is also found in Pakistani restaurants worldwide.
Samosa
Samosas are a filling snack made out of a flour-coated triangular crust filled with green chilies, a variety of finely chopped herbs, and boiled potatoes.
These deep-fried, triangular pastries are filled with a variety of ingredients ranging from vegetables to meat, such as onions, lentils, spiced potatoes, peas, or ground meat such as lamb, chicken, and beef mince.
Raita (yogurt & vegetable salad)
Raita is made with plain yogurt.
It is a salad dish, dip sauce, or a side dish that is used usually with spicy foods as a way to cool them a bit down.
Aloo Ki Tikki
Aloo Tikki, also known as Aloo ki Tikki or Aloo ki tikki.
Aloo Tikki is a snack that is made with mashed potatoes, onions, herbs, and spices. Naturally gluten-free and vegetarian (or optionally vegan).
Aloo Keema
Aloo Keema is a traditional food in Pakistan.
This dish is served in almost every household in Pakistan because it is an excellent blend of potatoes and minced mutton or chicken curry. It’s simple but delicious.
Aloo Gosht
Aloo Gosht is a spicy, thick, and creamy meat gravy stew based on meat & potatoes, that originates from Pakistani cuisine.
This gravy dish is made of potatoes with meat that is slowly cooked, the meat used in this dish is lamb, beef, or mutton and even chicken can also be used.
The stew is made of garlic, ginger, tomatoes, onions, and various spices such as coriander, cinnamon, red chili powder, turmeric, and black pepper.
It is best served with Chapatti, Poori, Naan, or rice.
Aloo Gobi
Aloo gobi is a vegetarian dish made with potatoes, cauliflower, and spices. It is popular in Indian and Pakistani cuisines. It is yellowish in color due to the use of turmeric and occasionally contains kalonji and curry leaves.
Nihari
Nihari is a stew consisting of slow-cooked meat, mainly shank meat of beef or lamb and mutton, goat meat and chicken, along with bone marrow. It is flavored with long pepper, a relative of black pepper.
It has a deep red color from the spice and infused ghee.
Nihari is garnished from a side-plate of fragrant sliced ginger, spicy green chilies, and a squeeze from fresh lime or two.
It is traditionally consumed for breakfast since the name of the dish is derived from the Arabic word Nahar, meaning morning and it is served on special occasions.
Kabuli Pulao
Kabuli Pulao* also commonly known as "Qabili Palau", is a traditional Pakistani food that is consists of steamed long-grained rice mixed with caramelized carrots, raisins, almonds, a range of sweet spices, and chunks of lamb meat, although chicken and beef are also often used.
Haleem
Haleem is a dish made with a combination of lentil, wheat, barley, meat, and chana (chickpeas).
This dish is slow-cooking for up to an entire day, on very low heat, this technique is used to give haleem its warm, home-cooked flavor.
Onions (fried separately), mint leaves, green chili, dry chilies, and some masala spices are put into the pot, and a final garnish comes from generous squeezes of lemon juice at the end.
It is best served with roti & a cup of milk or green tea.
It is served for breakfast or an early lunch.
Karahi
The word karahi in its name refers to a thick and deep cooking pot similar to a wok in which the dish is prepared. Apart from chicken, the dish is made with red chili powder, cumin, garam masala, ginger, allspice, cardamom, tomatoes, and garlic.
When prepared with mutton, the dish is known as gosht karahi. It is traditionally served with rice, roti, or naan.
Biryani
It is an aromatic rice dish cooked with several spices, like saffron.
Biryani has many forms, it can be cooked with vegetable or protein typically chicken or mutton that's been marinated.
The meat and rice are cooked separately before being layered and cooked together with an assortment of spices.
Tikka
Tikka is a special type of ‘kebab,’ the main thing being that tikka uses larger chunks of marinated meat (kebab meat is usually minced and then seasoned, and formed onto the skewer by hand)
Chicken tikka is one of the most popular foods in Pakistan, both for its taste and its nutritional value.
It is a sizable portion of chicken marinated in traditional spices and then grilled to perfection.
It is served with mint dressing.
Chapli Kebab
Chapli Kebab is also known as "Peshawari Kebab", it is a spicy meat patty is prepared with a combination of minced beef or mutton.
Seekh kabab is made with a combination of minced meat (typically lamb), onions, garlic, ginger, coriander, lemon juice, yogurt, and garam masala. The spices used in the dish can be modified according to personal preferences.
Chapli kababs are traditionally served with yogurt sauce, salads, and naan bread.
Sajji
Sajji is a famous Pakistani dish that can include many types of meat, but usually, it’s made with chicken.
The dish consists of a large piece of either lamb or chicken marinated with salt, stuffed with rice & potatoes, and topped with a tasty green papaya paste. It’s then placed on a skewer and roasted for several hours.
Sajji is served with a stack of piping hot roti bread, straight from the tandoor oven.
Korma
Korma or qorma is a classic dish in Pakistan, consisting of meat or vegetables braised with yogurt or cream, water or stock, and spices to produce a thick sauce or gravy.
Mutton korma is hearty and rich, including incredibly tender chunks of sheep or goat meat, and a dark red blend of spices.
Sai bhaji
Sai bhaji is a specialty dish that combines greens vegetables, dal or split pulses, and spices, and it is usually served with rice and bread.
The name of the dish is made up of two words: sai, which translates to green, and bhaji, meaning vegetables.
The greens used in the dish are spinach, sorrel, fenugreek leaves, and dill leaves, while the vegetables include potatoes, tomatoes, okra, eggplants, and onions, among others.
Packed with flavors coming from various spices used in it, such as green chilis, turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger, and garam masala, the mixture of greens and vegetables is first cooked, then mashed, and finally covered with an oil infusion called Tarka.
Sindhi kadhi
Unlike other kadhi varieties, next to the common elements of besan (gram flour), different vegetables, and a variety of spices such as mustard and coriander seeds, chilis, ginger, and turmeric, this Sindhi staple adds tomatoes and tamarind water to the base of the dish.
The choice of vegetables depends on the taste, preference, and availability, but often includes potatoes, okra, carrots, or green beans. This flavor-packed tomato curry is typically accompanied by rice and served garnished with fresh coriander.
Dhal (Lentil Stew)
Dhal is made from lentils.
There are several varieties of lentils that can be red, green, or brown and they are all are used by South Asian (Pakistani and Indian) cooks.
A mixture of flavors (stew powder, curry, ginger, garlic, coriander, paprika, and cinnamon. A wide variety of chutneys (a relish normally made of foods grown from the ground, flavors, and herbs), pickles, and jam that go with meats and vegetables give Pakistani cooking its different flavor.
Paya
In the Urdu language, Paya simply means ‘legs,’
The recipe is basic but very complex to prepare.
The dish is slow-cooked for hours that's why the dish has a lot of flavors.
The basic ingredients include onions, red oil with curry spices, and giant bowl-fulls of bone-in goat legs and feet. Stewing for hours causes the tendons and cartilage surrounding the joint to become juicy and easily chewable, and the red curry broth elevates the entire flavor to incredible levels.
This meal is always eaten with a pile of fresh, hot roti bread.
Dessert
Gajrela
Also known as gajar ka halwa, this dish is a carrot-based sweet dessert pudding in Pakistan, it is made using a combination of grated carrots, nuts, milk, sugar, and clarified butter, by placing grated carrots in a pot containing a specific amount of water, milk and sugar, cardamom, and cooking while stirring regularly.
Best served with a scoop of ice cream on the side, this flavorful but light dessert often makes an appearance at weddings and parties.
Zarda
Traditionally served on special occasions, this brightly colored sweet rice is a Pakistani favorite.
The rice is cooked with sugar, milk, food coloring, and flavored with cardamoms, raisins, pistachios, and almonds, zarda is either yellow or made with various food colorings to give it a multicolor effect.
Zarda is considered a rich and festive dish, usually served on special occasions, but it also makes a perfect everyday dessert, enjoyed warm, over a cup of refreshing tea.
kheer
Keer is the most famous dessert in Pakistan that is eaten at weddings or on celebration occasions such as Eid al Fitr, the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
This is a thick and creamy rice pudding-type dish that is slow-cooked using milk, rice, sugar and infused with cardamom.
It's topped with crushed pistachios and tastes equally delicious whether eaten hot or cold.
Falooda
A Falooda or Randi Faluda is a Pakistani refreshing cold dessert made with noodles
Traditionally it is made by mixing rose syrup, vermicelli, and sweet basil seeds with milk often served with ice cream.
Drinks
Lassi
Lassi is a popular traditional drink in Pakistan, but there's nothing really as refreshing as a cold mango lassi on a hot day.
Lassi is yogurt-based that is made of a blend of yogurt, water, spices, and sometimes fruit.
Some can be extremely simple, made with nothing but yogurt, some sugar, and ice water, or others include layer upon layer of ingenious flavor and texture combinations. Pakistanis normally drink lassi sweet for breakfast, or salty for lunch or dinner.
Namkeen Lassi is similar to Ayran, while sweet and mango lassis are like milkshakes.
After all the gloriously heavy meat meals in Pakistan, you will love the cool and refreshing tradition of enjoying lassi after breakfast, lunch, or really any time possible.
Dud Pathi
This tea considering as a National drink of Pakistan.
Meaning 'milk leaf tea' is a tea beverage consumed in Pakistan, Nepal, India, and Bangladesh, in which milk, together with sugar, is boiled with tea.
Dud Pathi is different from Saada chai, in that it only uses milk and tea. This tea does not include water. It is made with milk, tea leaves, and sugar only. The king of chai in Pakistan is the Pakistani Dud Pathi.
Gulabi Chai
Gulabi Chai also known as noon chai, sheer chai, Kashmiri tea, or pink tea, is a traditional tea beverage from Kashmir made with salt, milk and baking soda. Meaning 'milk leaf tea' is a tea beverage consumed in Pakistan, Nepal, India, and Bangladesh, in which milk, together with sugar, is boiled with tea.
Comments