Pakistani Food

Pakistani cuisine is all about rich food, with lots of meat and less vegetables. There are a lot of traditional Pakistani dishes that are famous all over the world. Just like every other country, Pakistan, too has its own traditional dishes. Being part of the Sub-Continent, Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi cuisines are similar; however, they differ in taste.
In Pakistan, there are certain regional cuisines that are popular in the area. Punjab has a rich food culture as compared to the other regions, and the people living in the area are well known for their extreme love for food. The food culture in Baluchistan is inspired from a neighboring country Afghanistan. Chapatis is a flat bread made from wheat and is a staple at most meals.

Below are various Pakistani traditional dishes that are popular across the country.

Halwa Puri

This is a traditional breakfast dish popular across the country. Puri is made out of gram flour and deep fried in oil, while halwa is a sweet dish made from Suji. This breakfast also includes aloo bhujya and channa curry.

Paye, Qorma, Nihari

These are some of the most popular Pakistani food. Qorma is usually made of chicken or mutton, while nihari and paye usually involve beef. Paye are the most famous in Punjab. Nihari is most popular in Sindh and Punjab.

Pulaos and Biryanis

The love for rice is undying for Pakistanis. From a simple chicken pulao to the very popular yakhni mutton/beaf pulao, no Pakistani feast is complete without rice. Similarly, biryani is another most popular food in Pakistan. Chicken biryani, mutton biryani, beef biryani, sindhi biryani, Bombay biryani are some popular biryani dishes.

Tikka, Malai Boti and Kababs

Barbeque items are another favorite part of traditional Pakistani cuisine. The preparation of chicken tikka involves some of the most delicious flavors and spices. Malai boti are made of boneless meat and are prepared with fresh cream (malai) along with spices. Kababs, on the other hand, are made of mince (commonly beef mince). There are different types of kababs that are popular, such as seekh kabab, reshmi kabab, shami kabab, Chapli kabab, Gola kabab.

Kheer, Zarda, Gulab Jamun

These are all popular sweet traditional foods of Pakistan. Areas that experience extreme cold during winters prefer gajar ka halwa and gulab jamun. On the other hand, in areas with hot weather such as Karachi, sweet dishes such as zarda and kheer are common. Zarda is a rice based sweet dish in which rice is colored and sweetened. Kheer is made from rice and milk.
Pakistanis are food lovers and you can explore a lot of different cuisines and traditional dishes in different regions of the country.

Foods of Pakistan