Cuisine

Pakistani

A meat-centred cuisine of wheat breads, karahi and nihari, kebabs and biryani, ranging from Punjabi Lahore and Sindhi Karachi to Pashtun Peshawar, Baloch sajji and the apricot valleys of Gilgit-Baltistan.

Flavour character: Robust and meaty: tomato, ginger, garlic and green chilli in karahi; long-simmered bone-marrow richness in nihari and paye; dried pomegranate seed, dried plums and whole spices; Pashtun and Baloch dishes seasoned very simply, often with salt alone.

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Delicious homemade chicken curry simmering in a traditional karahi with rich spices.

History

Pakistan's land includes the Indus Valley, among the earliest farming regions in South Asia. It lay on the routes of Persian, Central Asian and Afghan rulers, and Lahore was a major Mughal city. At Partition in 1947, Muslim migrants from India (Muhajirs) brought Delhi, Lucknow and Hyderabad dishes (nihari, haleem, biryani, korma) to Karachi and Lahore. Halal meat, including beef, is eaten widely, and wheat bread dominates in the north while rice matters more in Sindh.

Well documented

Geography and influences

The Indus river system from the Karakoram and Hindu Kush down to the Arabian Sea: irrigated Punjab plains, arid Balochistan, the Sindh delta and high northern valleys.

Indus agriculture
Persian and Central Asian courts
Mughal Lahore
Afghan and Pashtun food
Muhajir migrants from Delhi, Lucknow and Hyderabad after 1947

Regional variations

Punjab (Lahore): Halwa puri, nihari, paye, chargha, fish fry, saag; a strong street-food culture.
Sindh (Karachi): Sindhi biryani with potatoes and dried plums, sai bhaji, palla fish; Karachi's Muhajir food: nihari, haleem, bun kebab.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Peshawar): Chapli kebab, namak mandi lamb, Kabuli pulao, kahwa green tea.
Balochistan: Sajji (whole lamb or chicken roasted on skewers around a fire), kaak bread, landhi (dried meat).
Gilgit-Baltistan and Hunza: Apricots and apricot oil, chapshuro meat pies, buckwheat breads.

Festive and seasonal food

Eid ul-Fitr: sheer khurma and sewaiyan
Eid ul-Adha: fresh sacrificial meat, kaleji, siri paye and barbecue
Ramadan iftar: pakoras, samosas, fruit chaat, dahi baray, dates and rose-syrup drinks
Weddings: biryani, korma, qorma-naan and zarda

Signature dishes

Not on the site yet: Siri paye, Katakat, Namak mandi (Peshawar), Kabuli pulao, Sindhi sai bhaji, Sindhi kadhi, Palla machhi, Chapshuro (Gilgit-Baltistan), Saag with makki roti