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Thali

🇵🇰 The food of Pakistan

75 dishes from Pakistan, best known first, across 11 cities and regions.

Pakistani cooking brings together influences from South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East, shaped by geography and Islamic dietary laws. Meals often center on meat, but lentils, rice, and vegetables are staples for many. Regional dishes, aromatic spices, and a balance between rich and subtle flavors set it apart.

  • Ghee is favored for its flavor and high smoke point.
  • Meat is eaten more often than in neighboring countries.
  • Balochi sajji is whole lamb or chicken stuffed with rice.
  • Sindhi biryani is a signature rice and meat dish.
  • Chapshuro from the north is sometimes called local pizza.

The cooking of Pakistan

Pakistani food is shaped by centuries of migration, trade, and conquest, blending South Asian roots with Persian, Central Asian, and Arab touches. Islamic dietary rules are central, so pork and alcohol are absent, and meat is prepared according to halal practices. Aromatic spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and cumin are common, and dishes often use ghee for richness. While meat is prized, many rely on lentils, rice, and vegetables due to cost. Dishes can be rich and full-flavored, with some regions favoring bold spices and others preferring milder, aromatic profiles. Baking and new-world vegetables arrived through colonial influence.

Staple foods in Pakistan

Wheat bread (roti or naan) and rice are the main staples, often eaten with meat, lentils, or vegetables. Lentils, chickpeas, and beans are widely used, especially where meat is less affordable. Ghee and oil are common for cooking. Vegetables like potatoes, eggplant, okra, and cauliflower are everyday fare. Dairy, especially yogurt, is important in many regions.

From region to region in Pakistan

Each region has its own style. Balochistan is known for slow-cooked meats like sajji and rosh, usually mild in spice. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa features rice, kebabs, and lamb, with dishes like chapli kabab and Kabuli palaw. Punjab offers a mix of wheat breads, meat stews, and vegetable dishes, often moderately spicy. Sindhi food is meat-heavy and aromatic, while Karachi’s cuisine is spicier due to its diverse population. In the north, Gilgit-Baltistan and Hunza use barley, wheat, and dairy, with dishes like chapshuro and dumplings. Azad Jammu and Kashmir blends Kashmiri and Pahari flavors, using rice, meat, and yogurt.

At the table in Pakistan

Meals are usually served with bread or rice as the base, and salads are eaten alongside the main course rather than before. Meat is central to the meal, but many families use lentils or vegetables as the main dish. Islamic dietary laws shape what is eaten and how meat is prepared.

Where this page comes from

The facts in this overview come from the Wikipedia article "Pakistani cuisine", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Thali rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

Cities and regions of Pakistan

Karachi 6Lahore 4Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 3Peshawar 2Sindh 2Burns Road 1Chakwal 1Islamabad 1Multan 1Punjab 1South Punjab 1
MealBreakfastLunchTea timeDinnerSupperSnacks
KindMain dishStreet foodSoupStew or curryRice dishNoodle or pasta dishDumplingBreadGrill or roastSandwich or wrapPie or savoury pastrySalad or sideCheese or dairy foodSausage or cured foodSauce, pickle or fermentSweet or dessertDrink
DietVegetarianVeganFish and seafoodMeat
Samosa 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreFried or baked pastry with a spiced filling, shaped into triangles or cones Pie or savoury pastry, Snacks, Lunch JalebiVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 6 moreDeep-fried spirals of batter soaked in syrup, enjoyed across Asia and Africa Pie or savoury pastry, Breakfast, Snacks Sheer khurmaVegetarianشير خرما 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreA sweet vermicelli pudding with milk, dates and nuts for Eid celebrations Sweet or dessert, Breakfast, Snacks Papri chaatVegetarianपापड़ी चाट 🇮🇳 India and 3 moreCrisp wafers topped with potatoes, chickpeas, yoghurt and tangy chutneys Street food, Snacks LimeadeVegan 🇧🇸 Bahamas and 5 moreSweetened lime juice mixed with water, served cold as a refreshing drink Drink, Snacks Aloo tikkiVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 3 morePotato cutlets spiced and fried, served hot with chutneys Street food, Snacks Pakoraपकोड़ा 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreVegetables or other fillings coated in spiced gram flour batter and deep-fried Street food, Snacks, Tea time PapadamVegan 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreThin, crisp flatbread made from lentil or other flours, served as a snack or side Bread, Lunch, Dinner SharbatVeganشربت 🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreSweet fruit or flower drink, served chilled or as a syrup Drink, Snacks PuriVegan 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreUnleavened wheat flatbread, deep-fried until puffed and golden Bread, Breakfast, Snacks KulfiVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreFrozen sweet made from slow-cooked milk, often flavoured with nuts or spices Sweet or dessert, Snacks Paratha 🇮🇳 India and 5 moreLayered flatbread from the Indian subcontinent, often fried and sometimes stuffed Bread, Breakfast, Lunch Masala chaiVegetarianचाय 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreBlack tea brewed with milk, spices and sugar, served hot across India Drink, Breakfast, Tea time Butter teaབོད་ཇ་ 🇨🇳 China and 4 moreA hot Himalayan drink of tea, yak butter and salt, churned to a creamy texture Drink, Breakfast, Snacks Sugarcane juiceVegan 🇮🇳 India and 6 moreFresh juice pressed from sugarcane stalks, sold widely as a street drink Drink, Snacks HaleemMeat 🇮🇳 India and 7 moreA slow-cooked stew of wheat, lentils, meat and spices Stew or curry, Breakfast, Lunch Dahi vadaVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreLentil fritters soaked in spiced yogurt and served as a cold snack Street food, Snacks BhajiVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreSpiced vegetable fritters from the Indian subcontinent, often sold as street snacks Street food, Snacks Rooh AfzaVegan 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreA sweet herbal syrup mixed with water or milk, popular in South Asia Drink, Snacks Soan papdiVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreCrisp, flaky sweet made from gram flour, sugar, ghee, and cardamom Sweet or dessert, Snacks MalpuaVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 3 moreSweet deep-fried pancakes from the Indian subcontinent, often dipped in syrup Sweet or dessert, Breakfast, Snacks SheermalVegetarianشیرمال‎ 🇮🇷 Iran and 2 moreA sweet, saffron-scented flatbread made with milk and cardamom Bread, Breakfast, Lunch Shami kebabMeatشامی کباب 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreMinced meat and chickpea patties, shallow-fried and spiced Main dish, Snacks, Lunch Chapli kebabMeatچَپلِي کَبَاب 🇵🇰 Pakistan and 2 moreFlattened spiced meat patties fried and served hot, from Peshawar Main dish, Lunch, Dinner Mysore pakVegetarianಮೈಸೂರು ಪಾಕ್ 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreA dense, golden sweet made from gram flour, sugar, and ghee Sweet or dessert, Snacks NankhataiVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreShortbread biscuit from the Indian subcontinent made with flour and semolina Sweet or dessert, Snacks, Tea time Tikka 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreChunks of marinated meat or paneer cooked in a tandoor oven Main dish, Snacks, Dinner BakarkhaniVegetarianباقرخانی 🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 2 moreA thick, layered flatbread with a crisp crust from South Asia Bread, Breakfast, Snacks ChikkiVegan 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreA brittle Indian sweet made from nuts and jaggery or sugar Sweet or dessert, Snacks Bun kebabبَن کباب 🇵🇰 Pakistan and 1 moreSpiced kebab patty in a bun, sold hot at street stalls in Pakistan and India Sandwich or wrap, Lunch, Dinner Shahi TukraVegetarian 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreFried bread soaked in sweetened milk and spiced with saffron and cardamom Sweet or dessert, Dinner, Snacks Doodh pati chaiVegetarianदूध पत्ति चाय / دودھ پتی چائے 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreTea simmered with milk and spices, popular across South Asia Drink, Tea time, Snacks

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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