Spices of Pakistan

From the tandoori murghi and haleem to dum biryani and bunda pala, Pakistani cuisine is as diverse as the countries that have influenced it.

Chappli Kebab

Pakistani cuisine is rich in tradition, full of marvellous and diverse dishes. It incorporates elements from its neighbours - India, Afghanistan and Iran. The richness means there are a whole range of different foods - from the fertile valleys and the sea of Sindh province; to pastoral Baluchistan, from neighbouring Iran; to the Punjab and the rough Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, home of the chappli kebab.

Food from the eastern provinces of Punjab and Sindh are to some extent similar to the cuisines of Northern India and can be highly seasoned and spicy, which is characteristic of the flavours of the South Asian region. Food in other parts of Pakistan, particularly Balochistan, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, involves the use of mild aromatic spices and less oil, characterizing affinities to the cuisines of neighbouring Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia.

Meat is a major part of Pakistani diet; lamb, beef, chicken and seafood are the basics. However, Pakistani cuisine also has plenty of delicious vegetarian recipes because of the abundance of spices and herbs. Wheat is a staple and is used to make bread (roti or chappati), which is an integral part of all meals. Rice is also very popular.

Fried red pepper, cumin and mustard seeds, crushed garlic gloves with freshly cut mint, onion and coriander leaves – these are the aromas of most Pakistani kitchens. 

Pakistani cuisine is based on curry or masala (hot and spicy) sauces accompanying chicken, lamb, prawns and a wide choice of vegetables. The famous haleem, a mix of pulses, lamb and spices is cooked for up to seven hours. It's a thick slightly mucilaginous mix served with the fresh tastes of lemon, coriander and ginger. Sagi and Nihari are also very popular. One of the most popular dishes of Punjab (Lahore) is Tandoori Murghi. It is a widely known survivor of Mughal cookery. The dish takes its name from a special unglazed clay oven or tandoor that is heated with charcoal. It is the aroma of the clay and charcoal that make this chicken dish so unique and tasty. Lahori Chargha is also very popular. Pakistanis are big meat eaters, etheir chicken, beef, lamb or fish. Barbeque is a must part of very function and ceremony in the country. Spicy chicken and beef Kababs, Tika boti, malai boti, stuffed chicken, steaks and chops are enjoyed all over the country.

Biryani is a Persian dish. Biryani has now become a loosely held term of any rice dish across the country. The speciality of biryani is that it is cooked by layering rice and chicken. Biryani is one of the most eaten dish all over the country. Biryani has become the most popular dish in pakistan. There is a huge variety of biryani ranging from Sindhi Biryani, Bombay Biryani to Shahi Biryani.  

Bunda pala (fish) is a well-known delicacy of Sindh where fish is cleaned and stuffed with a paste of speices and herbs. It is then wrapped in a cloth and buried three feet deep in hot sand under the sun where it bakes for four to five hours. 

Cooking in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is great deal plainer and involves heavy use of lamb as the climate is extreme harsh in winters. The famous Chapli Kabab from this region are spiced with anardana and roasted dhaniya. The menu in KPK features kebabs from the Khyber Pass and other dishes that emphasise the essential technique of karahai, more popularly known as  ‘balti’ cooking.

Pakistan is dry, hot and dusty - the perfect climate in which to enjoy a cool and refreshing lassi yogurt drink. This popular drink can be sweet or savoury but is most often fruit-flavoured. As well as a good antidote to the heat it is also ideal for cooling the effects of chillies. Thandal made from milk and paste of fresh almonds is a popular Sindhi drink.

There are plenty of snacks to pick up on your travels throughout Pakistan, pakora, deep fried balls of spices and vegetables are a good choice as are kachori which are lentil-filled pastries. Roasted peanuts, available everywhere, are also a good source of nutrients and fibre.

Pakistanis have a sweet tooth. Jalebis, those crispy, orange swirls that are cooked on the side of the street throughout the subcontinent, are ever present, as are all kinds of variations on halwa. Sohan halwa is the speciality of Multan. There is a variety of popular Pakistani traditional sweets without them a celebration is just incomplete; gulab jaman, burfi, jalebi, laddu, balushahi and rasgullah are some of the most eaten and special sweets. Kheer is also a speciality of Pakistan. Sheer Khorma, Shahi tukray and Mehti sawaiyan are enjoyed in every household on occasions like Eid and wedding ceremonies. Khulfi, rabari, and faluda are the traditional sweets of Punjab. People not only from within the country but from all over the world come to Lahore to enjoy these mouth-watering sweets.

There is a variety of breakfast option in Pakistan ranging from a fried paratha (unleavened bread) with egg, or for a more spicy breakfast option try a khagina which is scrambled eggs with oil, onion, tomatoes, chillies and garlic – guaranteed to wake anyone up, to the traditional dishes Halwa puri, Naan Cholay and Paay.

International cuisine and fast food are popular in the cities. Blending local and foreign recipes (fusion food) such as Pakistani Chinese cuisine is common in large urban centres. Furthermore, as a result of lifestyle changes, ready-made masala (mixed and ready to use spices) are becoming increasingly popular. However, given the diversity of the people of Pakistan, cuisines generally differ from home to home and may be totally different from the mainstream Pakistani cuisine.

Pakistan is famous all over the world for its rich flavours and spices. People from all over the world come to Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Murree to enjoy the traditional food. It is said that once a tourist taste the Pakistani dishes he falls in love with it. Former ambassador of UK once said that two things that he misses most about Pakistan is the “Spicy Biryani” and “Lahori Chargha”.