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Pakistani Recipes I Love to Make + Everyday Cooking Essentials
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items I’m Pakistani, but I’ve also lived abroad, and that was when I really understood how much I missed my own food. When you're at home, you don't necessarily think twice about biryani, karahi, haleem or a plate of crispy samosas. They're just part of ev...
Sections
6
Rice & Biryani
Pasta & Noodles
Pakistani Fusion Favourites
Desi Curries and Kadahi
Crispy, Fried Desi Food
Everyday Paksitani Cooking Essentials
Rice & Biryani
Biryani and pulao are some of my favourite Pakistani rice dishes, whether I’m craving something comforting or cooking for family. This section includes the rice recipes I love, along with a few useful essentials for making them at home.
There is something about a proper biryani that makes it feel like an occasion. This Hyderabadi style version is the kind of recipe I would make when I am missing home or have people coming over. My tip: Don't overcook the rice before layering it. I l...
Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani
If you like your biryani spicy and full of flavour, Sindhi biryani is definitely one to keep. This is also one I would make when I want something that tastes unmistakably Pakistani. My tip: Have everything ready before you start. There are quite a fe...
Sindhi Biryani
A good heavy bottomed pot is one of those everyday kitchen essentials that earns its place. I’d use it for biryani, pulao, curries, and other dishes where you want the heat to stay steady.
Heavy Bottom Saucepan
Matar Pulao has such a distinctive flavour that it immediately reminds me of Pakistani hoem cooked food. This is the kind of dish I would make on slow lazy afternoons when I crave comfort food. My tip: Don't underestimate the rice. Even the best pula...
Peas Pulao (Matar Pulao)
Pasta & Noodles
Pakistani cooking isn’t just about traditional dishes. I also love the desi style of making pasta, macaroni, and noodles with bold spices and plenty of flavour. These are some of my favourite recipes when I want something quick, comforting, and a lit...
Pakistani style macaroni is something I really missed when I was living abroad. It isn't Italian pasta and it isn't trying to be. It is its own comforting, spicy, saucy thing. My non Pakistani friends also loved this one, which honestly made me reali...
Pakistani Style Spicy Chicken Macaroni
This is for those days when you want pasta but you're craving Pakistani flavours. It is spicy, saucy and very easy to turn into a family dinner. My tip: Taste the sauce before adding the macaroni. It is much easier to adjust the spice and salt at tha...
Masala Macaroni
On days when I'm not in the mood for spicy food, this is my go-to quick dish. My tip: Cut the chicken and vegetables roughly the same size so everything cooks evenly. And use Fajita seasoning. One secret ingredient that I use though not part of the r...
Creamy Chicken Fajita Pasta
Pakistani Fusion Favourites
Some of my favourite dishes are the ones that bring Pakistani flavours into Chinese inspired and other fusion recipes. Chicken Manchurian and fried rice are such comforting options, especially when I’m craving something savoury and full of flavour.
You cannot really talk about Pakistani Chinese food without mentioning Chicken Manchurian. It has become such a familiar part of eating out in Pakistan that it almost feels like our own cuisine. This was also one of the dishes I found easiest to intr...
Chicken Manchurian
I actually like a good vegetable fried rice even without chicken. It is simple, filling and goes with almost everything. My tip: Don't overcrowd the wok. If you're making a large quantity, cooking it in batches gives you much better texture. The secr...
Vegetable Fried Rice
A simple wok spatula is one of those small things that makes everyday cooking easier. I keep one handy for fried rice, noodles, Manchurian, and other quick stir fried dishes.
Wok Spatula / Stir Fry Cooking Utensil
Desi Curries and Kadahi
This is where I keep some of my favourite desi comfort food. From creamy white karahi to spicy Charsi karahi, beef karahi gosht, and haleem, these are the dishes I think of when I’m craving proper Pakistani food. I’ve also included a few useful cooki...
White karahi is completely different from the tomato based karahi most people outside Pakistan associate with Pakistani food. It is creamy, rich and really good with hot naan. My secret tip. Use a heavy iron wok to cook it on high flame. And use ligh...
Chicken White Karahi Recipe
Chicken karahi is one of those dishes that doesn't need a huge list of ingredients to taste amazing. Tomatoes, ginger, chillies and spices can do a lot when you let them cook properly.
This is also one of the first dishes I'd recommend to someone wh...
Charsi Karahi Recipe (Peshawari Chicken Karahi)
If you’re making karahi at home, a good karahi masala is a useful pantry staple to keep on hand. I’d especially recommend this for anyone who wants to make desi food more often without buying every spice separately.
Shan Karahi Seasoning Mix
A proper karahi is one of the most useful pieces of cookware for Pakistani cooking. I’d look for a heavy, wide pan that can handle high heat cooking and give you enough room for curries, karahi, and other desi dishes.
Heavy Iron Karahi / Kadai
I love beef karahi when I want something richer than chicken. This is definitely more of a weekend meal for me, especially with fresh naan.
My tip: Don't rush the beef. Add two garlic stems to help tenderize it. Give it enough time to become tender ...
Beef Karahi Gosht Recipe
I like having a second masala option because different people have different preferences for spice blends. Eastern is another Pakistani brand worth checking out if you’re stocking up on everyday cooking essentials.
Peshawari Karahi Masala
Haleem was one of the foods I really appreciated more after living abroad. It is the kind of food that makes you realise how much flavour and comfort can come from a bowl of simple ingredients cooked properly.
My tip: The texture matters a lot. And ...
Haleem
Crispy, Fried Desi Food
There’s something so satisfying about crispy samosas, fish, and tawa tikka boti. These are the kinds of dishes I love making when I’m craving something savoury, spicy, and a little indulgent. I’ve also added a few practical essentials for preparing t...
Lahori fish fry is exactly the kind of food I want with a squeeze of lemon and some chutney. Crispy, spicy and perfect for sharing.
It's also one of those dishes I have happily served to non Pakistani friends because who doesn't like crispy fried fi...
Fish Masala
Aloo samosas are one of those foods I don't think anyone really needs an excuse to make. Tea, Ramadan, guests, rainy weather or just because you feel like it.
And these were another easy introduction to Pakistani food for my non Pakistani friends. C...
Aloo Samosay
Tikka boti is one of my favourite ways to get that BBQ style flavour without having to set up a whole BBQ. It is also great when you have people coming over because you can serve it straight from the pan.
My tip: Give the chicken enough time to mari...
Chicken Tawa Tikka Boti
For samosas, fish, and other fried foods, a good pair of kitchen tongs or a frying skimmer is one of those small essentials I actually use all the time.
Cook Spider Strainers for Frying and Cooking
Everyday Paksitani Cooking Essentials
These are a few of the cooking essentials I’d keep in a Pakistani kitchen, from a good karahi and cooking pot to everyday masalas and useful utensils. They’re not just for special occasions. They’re the things that make cooking desi food at home a li...
If you cook Pakistani food regularly, a good masala box is one of those everyday kitchen essentials that makes everything easier. I’d use it for the spices I reach for most often when making curries, rice dishes, and other desi food.
Masala Box Spice Storage Containers