25 Pakistani Dishes Everyone Should Learn To Cook

Make haleem once, and you'll never go back.

1. A simple biryani

Biryani can be made with either chicken or lamb and is traditionally served with a special yoghurt called raita. Find the recipe here.

2. Creamy moong daal

If you're new to Pakistani cooking, daal is a good place to start. Moong daal, which is made with lentils, can be served with rice or naan and can be made either thick or soupy. Find a recipe here.

3. A milky cup of kashmiri chai

A specialty tea with pistachio and almonds sprinkled on top, this milky chai is packed with flavour. Find a recipe here.

4. A warming bowl of nihari

Although it's traditionally made with lamb, nihari can also be made with chicken or a meat substitute. It's typically served with naan bread and sprinkled with coriander, cut chillis, onions, ginger pieces, and lemon juice. Find a recipe here.

5. A refreshing glass of falooda

This summery drink is a often served as a dessert in Pakistan. It's made with milk, ice-cream, and jelly and it also contains noodles, basil, and rose syrup. Find a recipe here.

6. Delicious keema

This is basically minced meat with loads of spices. Find a recipe here.

7. A healthy bown of haleem

It may look like brown soup but haleem is actually a mixture of meat and lentils typically topped with lemon, friend onions, chillis, coriander, and ginger pieces. Find a recipe here.

8. Yummy naan

Naan bread is a staple part of many Pakistani meals and is the perfect accompaniment to curry. Find a recipe here.

9. A nutricious fruit chaat

Fruit chaat is a combination of fruit that also has a spicy kick. Find a recipe here.

10. A tasty chicken jalfrezi

Chicken jalfrezi is exciting because you can use whatever vegetables you have left over in it. Find a recipe here.

11. A sweet glass of mango lassi

Lassi is one of Pakistan's favourite drinks. It's most commonly made with mango but can also come in a salty version. A thick shake, it's delightfully creamy and sweet and is often made during Ramadan. Find a recipe here.

12. Tasty kulfi

Kulfi is kind of like ice cream. It's usually served at weddings and topped with almonds and pistachios. Find a recipe here.

13. A hearty aloo gohst

"Aloo gohst" literally translates as "potato lamb" and is simply a curry that contains both meat and potatoes. Find a recipe here.

14. A mild butter chicken curry

This is a sweet curry for those who can't handle very much spice. Find a recipe here.

15. Lovely, little samosas

Little pastries that can be filled with either meat or vegetables, samosas can be frozen and defrosted and fried later. You can either buy the pastry or you can make your own from scratch. Find a recipe here.

16. A sweet gajar ki halwa

Another classic wedding dessert, gajar ki halwa is made from carrots but is actually sweet. Find a recipe here.

17. A milky bowl of ras malai

Ras malai is basically powered milk balls in sweetened milk. It doesn't sound like much but is definitely worth an attempt. Find a recipe here.

18. Crunchy pakoras

A good Ramadan snack (especially for vegetarians) pakora combines vegetables with flour. They're also fried so they have a crunchy texture. Find a recipe here.

19. A traditional chicken karahi

Chicken karahi is a classic curry with its own set of spices. Find a recipe here.

20. Gorgeous seekh kebabs

Perfect as a starter or as main, seekh kebabs are simply mince shaped into long thin rods and fried. Find a recipe here.

21. Filling kofta

Kofta are basically lamb meatballs in a sauce. This dish is traditionally served with half-cut boiled eggs. It may sound like a strange combination but it works. Find a recipe here.

22. Sweet gulab jamun

A traditional piece of gulab jamun contains 250 calories, so try not to overload. But that may be hard because they taste so good. Find a recipe here.

23. Spicy chicken tikka

These are marinated and cooked chicken cubes that can be barbecued or put in the oven. Chicken tikka make a great starter, especially for weddings. Find a recipe here.

24. A filling korma

Usually made with mutton or beef, korma is a gorgeously creamy curry. Find a recipe for it here.

25. A hearty bowl of kheer

Kheer is a kind of rice-pudding dessert that can either be made from scratch or using a kheer mix packet. Find a recipe here.