When we talk about Pakistani food, we talk about traditional Pakistani food. Due to the endless amount of exotic herbs and spices accessible in Pakistan, its cuisine is diverse and rich.
Each traditional dish has a long history links it to a particular area.
The diverse geography, ranging from deserts to the world’s highest mountain peaks, results in a diverse range of dishes, each with a distinct flavor.
Furthermore, It’s almost natural to compare Pakistani cuisine to Indian cuisine when discussing it. However, Pakistani food is as complex and diverse.
1. Biryani
Biryani is a delectable golden rice dish with either chicken or beef. The traditional Pakistani food rice’s color comes from a variety of spices and herbs, giving it a fantastic flavor.
It also has wonderfully cooked lemons, tomatoes, and potatoes on top.
2. Halwa Poori
Halwa poori is a typical Pakistani and Indian meal that consists of a soft fried dough called poori and semolina pudding or halwa.
This is commonly created with fried semolina and sugar syrup, then topped with nuts like pistachios and almonds.
Furthermore, green cardamom pods, kewra essence, and cloves are used to flavor the sweet dish, generally brightened with yellow or orange food coloring to make it more vivid.
Poori is a soft and fluffy fried bread made with flour, water, salt, and oil in a dough.
3. Zarda
Basmati rice is a traditional Pakistani food cooked with milk and sugar to make the bright yellow zarda, a sweet and fragrant Pakistani rice dish.
The rice is cooked with a blend of traditional spices, most typically cardamom, cinnamon, saffron, and natural food colorings, which give the meal its unique yellow color.
In addition, Raisins and chopped roasted nuts like pistachios, almonds, or walnuts are frequently included.
Zarda is a rich and celebratory dish traditionally offered on special occasions, but it also works well as a daily dessert when served warm with a cup of refreshing tea.
4. Paratha
Paratha is a sort of Indian bread often eaten for breakfast and is golden-brown, flaky, and layered. The term is derived from a combination of parat (cooked) and atta (flour), which refers to the layered, baked dough.
It’s made of whole wheat flour and baked in ghee (clarified butter from India). And it comes in round, triangular, square, or heptagonal shapes.
Boiled potatoes, cauliflower, garlic, ginger, chili, paneer, and radish are common fillings for parathas. Pickles, yogurt, homemade chutneys, and meat and veggie curries are sometimes served.
In addition, Paratha is traditionally served with lassi, a famous yogurt-based beverage in Punjab.
5. Seekh Kabab
Seekh kababs are typically made with well-seasoned meat. They have a succulent quality due to the grilling process used to prepare them. You won’t be disappointed if you serve them with herb-infused rice.
6. Channa Chaat
“Channa” refers to chickpeas, one of Pakistan’s most popular snacks. Chickpeas are blended with other veggies, such as tomatoes and onions, and topped with a sauce that produces a bittersweet eating experience in this delectable light dish.
7. Nihari
A classic meat-based meal from Old Delhi, Nihari is a popular dish. Many immigrants from Delhi arrived in Karachi when Pakistan got independence in 1947, and many of them opened restaurants; therefore, nihar is also connected with Traditional Pakistani Food.
Slowly cooked meat, such as beef shanks, mutton, or chicken, is used in this meal.
In large pots sealed with dough, the meat is cooked with stock and various spices such as cumin, cloves, garam masala, and cardamom. In addition, Nihari takes six to eight hours to cook correctly.
And it is generally served for breakfast because the dish’s name is derived from the Arabic word Nahar, which means morning.
8. Sajji
Sajji is a popular traditional Pakistani food that originated in the Balochistan province. Marinated, skewered, and roasted lamb or chicken make up this dish.
The meat is usually marinated in salt, but it can also be packed with potatoes and rice or mixed with green papaya paste.
Whole chickens are traditionally roasted over an open fire to lend a smokey taste to the meat from the burning wood.
In addition, the meat should be crisp on the outside yet moist and tender on the inside when correctly prepared, and consumers frequently squeeze lemon juice over the meat before eating.
9. Aloo Keema
This dish is served in practically every Pakistani household because of the superb combination of potatoes and minced mutton or chicken curry. It’s straightforward but tasty.
10. Samosas
Samosas are a filling snack made from a triangular flour-coated crust filled with green chilies. Finely chopped herbs, and boiled potatoes. Stuff them with various meats, including lamb, chicken, and beef mince.
These tasty nibbles are so satisfying that you might not want to eat anything else for the rest of the meal.
11. Haleem
Haleem is a traditional Pakistani food made up of a number of traditional Pakistani ingredients such as wheat, barley, minced beef, mutton, or chicken. It’s a time-consuming recipe since the lentils.
And particular spices need time to blend with the minced meat and form a unique paste that will thrill the taste buds.
12. Chapli Kabab
This spicy meat patty is a Pashtun delicacy made with minced beef or mutton blend. Spices like dried coriander and pomegranate seeds, green chilies, and mint give chapli kabab its distinct flavor.
Even though chapli kabab is commonly claimed to have originated in Peshawar, it is now a favorite throughout Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India. Its name comes from the Pashto word chaprikh, which means flat.
In addition, traditionally, chapli kababs are served with yogurt sauce, salads, and naan bread.
13. Chicken Karahi
In Pakistan and North India, chicken karahi is a popular poultry dish. The word karahi alludes to the thick and deep cooking pot used to produce the plate, comparable to a wok.
The meal also includes red chili powder, cumin, garam masala, ginger, allspice, cardamom, tomatoes, and garlic, in addition to the chicken.
In addition, the dish is known as gosht karahi when made with mutton. It’s usually accompanied by rice, roti, or naan.
