20 Popular Pakistani Recipes is a roundup of some of the country's most loved traditional dishes. This post will help you discover aromatic biryanis, spicy kebabs, creamy curries, simple comfort foods, and rich desserts.
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Influences on Pakistani Recipes
Traditional Pakistani recipes have a rich and ancient history that dates back to the Mughal period. Although Pakistani and Indian cuisine are often thought to be the same, many cultural and regional influences help set them apart.
Historically shaped by Persian and Central Asian cuisine, its bordering countries; Iran, Afghanistan, China, and India also play a strong role in the diversity and array of classic Pakistani recipes.
In addition to this, the unique Geographic variations in the landscape of each of Pakistan's four primary provinces, add yet another layer of complexity to its cuisine.
Altogether, the curated list of popular Pakistani recipes in this post helps provide a brief overview of some of the most sought-after dishes Pakistanis like to cook and eat. For a more in-depth perspective, I suggest reading The Rich History of Pakistani Cuisine: A Journey Through Flavor.
What Pakistanis eat
Although numerous write-ups on Pakistani cuisine exist, in prominent publications such as Tasting Table and CNN.com, this roundup includes my recommendations, as suggested by a native Pakistani.
Firstly, there are day-to-day Pakistani recipes, which consist of simple fare cooked with fresh seasonal ingredients and a handful of spices. This usually includes a red meat or chicken entree, accompanied by a seasonal vegetable curry and some type of lentil curry. In addition to this, traditional bread or basmati rice helps soak up the delicious curries.
Ancient Mughal classics like Haleem and Nihari are cooked using an ancient technique called "dum pukht". These popular Pakistani recipes require slow cooking in a sealed pot over an open fire for an extended period. Complex spice blends and long cooking times mean that these are cooked only on special occasions.
To cool the palate, Pakistani cuisine offers a large variety of rich and aromatic desserts. Sugar, ghee, milk, and cardamom are the base ingredients for most of these recipes.
A wide array of street food provides a brief respite from cooking. Small and large street food markets all over the country, make it easy to source this food at affordable prices.
The Pakistani way of eating
Food is prominent in all gatherings, small or large. A lot of attention and detail is given to planning and preparing these popular Pakistani recipes. The customs and culture that define the way Pakistanis eat are explained in great detail by Vinola V. Munyon in her article Customs and Cuisine of Pakistan.
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Typically, most meals are served family-style with the food often eaten by hand. Assorted flatbreads are used to scoop up the curries.
For larger gatherings, the food is placed on a table or in some parts of the country a dastarkhwan. This is a large tablecloth set on the floor, with the food arranged on it. Everyone sits on the floor gathered around this tablecloth and dines together.
FAQs
Some popular regional Pakistani recipes are Balochi Sajji from Balochistan, Kabuli pulao from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sarson ka saag paired with Makki ki roti from Punjab.
Biryani is the most widely cooked Pakistani recipe, with many different variations, and gulab jamun is the most popular dessert.
Pakistani food is heavy on meat, is spicy, uses less complex spices, and doesn't have cream-based sauces. Indian curries on the other hand use a lot of cream, nuts, and coconut to thicken their curries. This makes them less spicy, despite the use of more complex spices.
Red meat recipes
Chicken recipes
Vegetable & lentil recipes
Dessert recipes
I'd love to hear from you if you decide to try any of these popular Pakistani recipes! If you have a minute, please leave a review telling me how you liked what you cooked. You can also share your creations on Instagram. Thank you!
Andrea Robinson
Love the traditional style of cooking like my mother in law used to make for the family. Lovely thank you ?
Nosheen Babar
Thank You Andrea!