International Recipes and Cooking Around the World

Pakistan: Cuisine and Recipes

Mouthwatering Pakistani dishes

Image by jslander

The cuisine of Pakistan is a full-flavored mix of meat curries, rice pilafs and fresh baked breads complemented by an assortment of bracing chutneys and pungent pickles.

Pakistan stretches from the northern Himalayan foothills down to the Indian Ocean in the south. Bisected by the meandering Indus River, the western part of the country is a hot and dry highland plateau, while the eastern river valley provinces of Sindh and Punjab have reviving monsoonal rains.

This overwhelmingly Muslim land of 200 million people was once a part of the larger country of India. But the region split off during the Partition of India in 1947 to form its own nation state.

Food and culinary traditions in Punjab and Sindh provinces have much in common with the North Indian cuisine of Punjab and Rajasthan across the Indian border. Dishes are seasoned with a wide mixes of spices, and chiles offer a fair amount of heat. Cooking in the western regions of Balochistan and Pashtun is milder, with similarities to Iranian, Afghani and other Central Asian cuisines. The cooking of the disputed region of Kashmir in the north is legendary for its creamy richness and marvelous use of nuts and dried fruits.

Meat figures prominently in Pakistani cooking. Lamb, goat, chicken and beef are all popular. Because of religious restrictions, pork is considered forbidden (haram). Meats are simmered to exquisite tenderness in spiced curry stews or are layered with rice in sumptious pilafs. Fish curries take advantage of the sea's bounty along the southern coast. Butter, cream and yogurt lend added richness to dishes, especially in the north.

Bread is a staple foodstuff in Pakistan, and there is an innumerable variety to choose from. There are flatbreads like chapati, roti and paratha, as well as yeast-risen delights such as the tandoor-baked naan bread.

A wide variety of lentils and beans, or dahl, provide protein and are turned into simple soups and stews to accompany meals. Potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, greens (saag), eggplant, tomatoes and okra are common vegetables.

Mangoes, melons and dried fruit are sweet treats. Desserts popular throughout South Aisa are also beloved in Pakistan. They include kheer, gulab jamun, ras malai and khulfi.

Typical Pakistani Dishes

Pakistani Recipes

Try these iconic recipes from Pakistan.

Saag

Indian vendor with a large bundle of fresh saag greens

(Indian, Pakistani spiced spinach)

Samosas

Samosas (Indian, Pakistani deep-fried potato pastries)

(Indian, Pakistani, African deep-fried potato pastries)

Pakora

Pakora (Indian, Pakistani vegetable fritters)

(Indian, Pakistani vegetable fritters)

Naan

Naan (Indian, Pakistani tandoor-baked bread)

(Indian, Pakistani tandoor-baked bread)

Chapati

Chapati (Indian, Pakistani wholewheat flatbread)

(Indian, Pakistani wholewheat flatbread)

Murgh Tikka

Murgh Tikka (Indian yogurt-marinated chicken kebabs)

(Indian, Pakistani yogurt-marinated chicken kebabs)

Rogan Josh

Rogan josh

(Indian, Pakistani lamb in spiced cream sauce)

Tandoori Murgh

Tandoori Murgh (Indian, Pakistani yogurt-marinated and broiled chicken)

(Indian, Pakistani yogurt-marinated and broiled chicken)

Gulab Jamun

Bowl of gulab jamun

(South Asian milk ball sweet in rose-scented syrup)

Raita

Bowl of Indian yogurt raita

(South Asian yogurt condiment)

Paneer

Delhi paneer vendor

(Indian, Pakistani fresh cheese)

Ghee

Ghee Recipe (Indian clarified butter)

(Indian, Pakistani clarified butter)

Kofta

Kofta meatball curry

(South and Central Asian spiced meatballs; see Kefta recipe)

Dahi

Yogurt cultured milk

(Indian, Pakistani cultured milk; see Yogurt recipe)

Disclaimer

Whats4eats is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.