Pakistan is a region blessed with beautiful landscapes, a rich cultural heritage and over 70 different languages all of which transform the country’s extensive food culture. Pakistani cuisine shares a resemblance with the hearty, aromatic and renowned cuisine of Northern Indian regions. However, it is more influenced by the centuries of occupation of the Mughal Empire which brought foods from Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Iran to the land.
Pakistani food is heavily based on meat with most dishes being made with lamb, goat, beef, or chicken, although pulses are also quite widely enjoyed.
Sindhi Biryani
All other rice dishes pale in comparison to the legendary biryani. There are hundreds of variations of biryani all over South Asia. Sindhi biryani, originating from the south-eastern province of Sindh in Pakistan is an indulgent dish once reserved for royals, now savoured on feast days like weddings and Eid al-Fitr.
Sindhi Biryani is made with fluffy basmati rice, layered between yoghurt-marinated meats, tangy tomato gravy, saffron milk, fresh mint, whole green chilis, and dried plums. The ingredients are pre-cooked, then layered in a pot, sealed, and slowly cooked on an open fire. It's spicier than its counterparts, with a pungent and peppery taste, alongside zesty sourness from fresh yoghurt and dried plums introducing complex plays of spicy-sour notes.
Karahi
Karahi is one of the best of all Pakistani foods and is dear to the hearts of all Pakistanis. The dish takes its name from the black, iron, deep circular pan. Usually, a karahi curry is made with goat, but also commonly with chicken or even shrimp. The metal dish can then be its own serving bowl, sizzling hot and coming straight to the centre of your table.
Most Pakistani karahi recipes start with tomatoes, onions, and generous amounts of ghee. It’s the tomato broth with a lot of spices that gives each Karahi its spicy umami magic, full of smokiness, tender chunks of meat, and a whole lot of fat – from the meat, the ghee, and the occasional dollop of cream.
Haleem
Haleem is perhaps one of the most eminent dishes associated with Muslim communities across Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. It's a unique delicacy made by slow-cooking wheat or barley with beef, mutton, or goat, and lentils with generous amounts of ghee, spices, rose petals, and nuts until rich in fragrance and thick. Once garnished with julienned ginger, crispy caramelized onions, toasted nuts, and zesty cilantro, it's irresistible to those who know its delights.
This nutritious and hearty dish has a lengthy history. It originated in Iran as Harees, but Haleem as we would recognize it arose in Hyderabad, India, during the reign of the sixth Nizam, Mahbub Ali Khan in the late nineteenth century. Later, the Muslims fleeing India for Pakistan during partition would bring the dish to Karachi, where it has evolved and enjoys much popularity today.
Chapli Kebab
The juicy, succulent, and crispy Chapli kebab straight off the skillets of Peshawari Street vendors is also known as the Peshawari Kebab. There is an incredible amount of flavour in this hand-formed deep-fat-fried patty. The chapli kebab is an aromatic melange of tender minced beef mince with tomatoes, onions, tangy pomegranate seeds, green chilli peppers, citrusy lemon juice, zesty fresh herbs, eggs, and plenty of ground spices.
Chapli kebabs derive their name from the local Pashto language, in which Chaprikh means "flat" mimicking the flat, round shape of the kebabs. It is worth your while to visit Peshawar, the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where the many shops founded in the 1950s draw immense crowds even today, especially in the historic "Storyteller's Market," where it's tradition for locals to gather and dictate cultural stories from the past while eating kebabs.
Nihari
No dish exemplifies Pakistan's love of meat more than the blissful Nihari. Richly flavoured with freshly toasted and ground whole spices, a generous amount of ghee, and plenty of aromatic ginger, Nihari utilizes inexpensive cuts of meat to turn them into a royal delight. While mutton and beef shank are notorious for being tough, they are transformed into tender, succulent chunks ready to fall off the bone when cooked overnight.
The name nihari derives from the Arabic "Nahar," meaning "morning". Stories tell that the Nawabs of Old Delhi would enjoy the dish in the early morning, after their sunrise prayers or fajr. The curry was so hearty it was typical to nap after indulging. After Pakistan's independence in 1947, immigrants from Delhi brought Nihari to Karachi, where it developed such a reputation that it is now widely regarded as Pakistan's national dish.
A portrayal of rich cultural and ethnic diversity
Pakistani food is a portrayal of rich cultural and ethnic diversity. From the roadside kebab shops and the mountainside traditional dhabas to the restaurants in the bustling cities and the kitchens of the noble families, one can relish the spicy and hearty aromas of whole spices, sizzling meats, and simmering broths all day long. With picturesque views of the Himalayan valleys and richly fragrant and flavourful meat dishes that warm you up, it is a winter paradise for meat lovers.
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