10 Most Popular Traditional Dishes of Pakistan for Tourists

Are you planning to visit Pakistan?

The World Travel Awards ranked Pakistan as the third-highest potential adventure destination in the world in 2020. 

Security has improved in the country, resulting in a 300% increase in tourism in just 2 years.

Pakistan is a country in South Asia, officially called the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The country is known for its beauty, adventure, and food, as well as its diverse cuisine.

So, if you are planning to visit this foodie country, don't miss out the traditional mouth watering and popular dishes of Pakistan!

Due to the presence of several spices and herbs in Pakistan, Pakistani cuisine has some of the most fragrant recipes in the world. A variety of spices are used to spice up Pakistani food, which is typically rich and generous in the use of ghee.

The most popular Pakistani dishes

Because Pakistan is a country of food enthusiasts with a long culinary history, selecting the absolute best Pakistani dishes is difficult. Nevertheless, you should at least try these dishes from Pakistan.

1. Halwa Puri        

A traditional breakfast for Pakistanis and Indians, halwa poori consists of fried dough along with semolina pudding or halwa. To make halwa, semolina is fried with sugar syrup, and then nuts such as pistachios and almonds are added.

Photo Credit: Monal

To flavor the sweet dish, green cardamom pods, kewra essence, and cloves are added, as well as yellow or orange food coloring for color. Poori is a soft, fluffy fried bread made of flour, water, salt, and oil. 

2. Zarda

Zarda is an aromatic and colorful Pakistani rice dish made with basmati rice and milk. It uses natural food colorings, which give the dish a yellow color, as well as traditional spices, such as cardamom, cinnamon, and saffron.

Photo Credit: Pakistani Chefs

Additionally, chopped pistachios, almonds, or walnuts are added. Typically served on special occasions, zarda is considered a festive and rich dish. Alternatively, it can be enjoyed as a dessert every day, served warm with tea.

3. Paratha

Traditional breakfast food is paratha, a Pakistani bread with layers of flaky crust and golden brown hue. A parata is a cooked, layered dough that is made from parat (seeds) and atta (flour). Ghee (butter) is used to bake whole wheat flour into round, triangular, square, or hexagonal cookies.

Photo Credit: Cooking Fever101

Parathas are typically stuffed with boiled vegetables in addition to potatoes, cauliflower, garlic, ginger, chili, and paneer. They may be served with pickles, yogurt, homemade chutneys, or meat and vegetable curries. Punjabi parathas are traditionally served with lassi, a yogurt-based drink.

4. Nihari

The meat-based dish Nihari originates in Old Delhi. Several immigrants from Delhi migrated to Karachi to establish restaurants, so nihar became associated with Pakistani food after Pakistan gained independence in 1947.

Photo Credit: Recipe 52

Traditionally, the dish consists of slowly-cooked meat such as beef shanks, mutton, or chicken. The meat is cooked in a large vessel that is sealed with dough, along with stock and numerous spices such as cumin, cloves, garam masala, and cardamom. Nihari takes anywhere from six to eight hours to cook properly, and it is traditionally eaten for breakfast because the name is derived from the Arabic word nahar, which means morning. 

5. Sajji

From the Balochistan province comes the popular dish sajji. The dish involves marinating, skewering, and roasting lamb or chicken. Meat is typically marinated in salt, though it can also be stuffed with potatoes or green papaya paste.

Photo Credit: The Read Today

A whole chicken is traditionally roasted over an open fire so that the smoky flavor of the burning wood penetrates the meat. Consumers sometimes squeeze lemon juice over the meat before eating it to ensure it is crisp on the outside but juicy and tender on the inside. 

6. Seekh Kabab

There's nothing quite like a delicious looking, juicy seekh kabab made from a mixture of minced meat (typically lamb), onions, garlic, ginger, coriander, lemon juice, and garam masala. Individual preferences can be accommodated when it comes to the spices in the dish.

Photo Credit: KFoods

A mixture of meat and spices is skewered and grilled over hot coals, which gives the kebabs a smoky flavor, although they can also be prepared in a tandoor oven. Serve seekh kababs with salads, onions, fries, mint chutney, or flatbreads on the side.

Buy Me a Coffee Free Download 7. Samosa

As a result of their crunchy texture and wide range of flavors, samosas are an excellent introduction to Indian cuisine for newcomers. They are deep-fried triangular pastries filled with a variety of ingredients, including vegetables, lentils, potatoes with spice, peas, and ground meat.

Photo Credit: Neha's Cook Book

The popular, golden-brown snack is said to have traveled to Pakistan via the old trade routes from Central Asia. Mint chutneys made with ingredients such as mint, coriander, and tamarind are usually served along with these savory triangles. 

8. Chapli kabab

This spicy meat patty is a specialty of Pashtun cuisine and is prepared with minced beef or mutton. Among the spices used in chapli kabab are dried coriander seeds, pomegranate seeds, green chilli peppers, and mint. Despite its name being derived from a Pashto word meaning flat, chapli kabab is a favorite across Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India, even though it is said to have originated in Peshawar.

Photo Credit: Masala TV

Traditionally, chappli kababs are served with yogurt sauce, salad, and naan bread.

9. Chicken Karahi

In Pakistan and North India, chicken karahi is a popular poultry dish. Karahi is the name of the thick and deep cooking pot that is used to make this dish. Other ingredients include red chili powder, cumin, garam masala, ginger, allspice, cardamom, tomatoes, and garlic.

Photo Credit: Pakistani Healthy Recipes

The dish is called gosht karahi when prepared with mutton. Traditional accompaniments include rice, roti, and naan.

10. CHAAT

In Pakistan, chaat refers to a huge variety of street foods, snacks, and small meals that combine salty, spicy, sweet, and sour flavors. Interestingly, the name chaat is derived from the Urdu verb chaatna, which means to lick, possibly referring to the mouth-watering taste of the dishes.

Photo Credit: YummyTraditional

In Pakistan, chaat is usually a small dish eaten alone as a snack or in combination with other dishes as a meal. In India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, you can find chaat at street vendors who sell stuffed bread and deep-fried pastries as well as dipping sauces. 

Final Thoughts

There are so many more recipes that we could share with you, but these are just some of them! You will be awed by the incredible aromas wafting through Pakistan's streets during your visit. Get ready to eat your heart out!