Pakistani food is best understood region by region, and visitors get more from it by eating the local speciality than by ordering the same dish everywhere. Punjab is nihari, paye, karahi and saag; Karachi and Sindh are biryani and bold spice; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is kebabs and rice; Balochistan is slow-roasted sajji; and the northern valleys eat soups, dumplings and walnut-rich dishes that look nothing like the food of the plains. If you only have a week, the practical rule is to eat the local speciality wherever you are, rather than order the same karahi everywhere.
This guide covers the core dishes by region, what a normal day of eating looks like, how to order, and what to be careful about. It is a map of the cuisine, not a list of restaurants.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Staples | Roti or naan, rice, lentils (daal), meat curries |
| Breakfast | Halwa puri, nihari with naan, paratha and omelette, chai |
| Lunch and dinner | Karahi, biryani, pulao, daal, sabzi, kebabs |
| Drinks | Chai, lassi, doodh soda, fresh sugarcane juice, kahwa in the north |
| Heat level | Medium to hot; ask for "kam mirch" (less chilli) |
| Vegetarian options | Daal, sabzi, aloo, palak, raita; meat is the default elsewhere |
What does a normal day of eating look like?
Breakfast is often the most distinctive meal. On weekends in Lahore and other Punjab cities, families go out for halwa puri: fried puri bread with chickpea curry, potato and a sweet semolina halwa. Nihari, a slow-cooked beef stew eaten with naan, is also a breakfast dish in many cities, especially on cold mornings. On an ordinary weekday it is paratha, an omelette and sweet milky chai.
Lunch and dinner are built around bread or rice, one or two curries, daal and a salad or raita. Meals are usually eaten late: 9 or 10 pm is a normal dinner hour in Lahore and Karachi, and restaurants stay busy well past that. In the mountains people eat earlier.
Punjab and Islamabad
Punjab is the home of the food most visitors picture as Pakistani.
- Nihari and paye. Nihari is beef or mutton cooked overnight; paye is trotters in a rich broth. Both are heavy and best early in the day.
- Karahi. Chicken or mutton cooked in a wok with tomato, ginger, green chilli and little else. Ordered by the kilo or half kilo, it is made to order, so expect a wait.
- Saag with makai roti. Mustard greens with cornbread and butter, a winter dish.
- Lahori chargha, fried fish and kebabs. Lahore's food streets are built around them (see our guide to the best food streets in Lahore).
- Haleem. A porridge of wheat, lentils and meat, popular through Punjab.
For a longer look at the province, see the famous food of Punjab.
Karachi and Sindh
Karachi's food reflects the many communities that settled there, and it runs hotter than Punjab's. Sindhi biryani, with its potato and plum, is the dish most associated with the province; Sindhi cooking also has daal pakwan, karhi (a yoghurt and gram flour curry, not to be confused with karahi) and palo fish from the Indus. Karachi's roadside grills, rolls and seafood are covered in our Karachi street food guide.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Pashtun cooking is meat-led and simpler in spice. Chapli kebab, a flat, spiced minced-meat patty fried crisp, is the regional signature. Bannu pulao, Kabuli pulao (rice with carrots and raisins) and mutton karahi, often cooked in fat over a wood or gas flame, follow. In Peshawar, meals are served generously and tea is green or black rather than milky. Check current travel advice before going: much of the province is under security advisories, which the is Pakistan safe for tourists guide explains.
Balochistan
Balochi food is less spiced, closer to Iranian and Afghan cooking. The signature is sajji, a whole lamb or chicken stuffed with rice and roasted slowly over coals, eaten with the hands. Rosh, a slow-cooked mutton dish, and dampukht, meat cooked sealed in its own steam, are others. Most of Balochistan is under official travel advisories, so for most visitors the practical way to try sajji is in restaurants in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.
Gilgit-Baltistan, Hunza and Chitral
The northern valleys have their own cuisine, shaped by altitude and a short growing season.
- Chapshuro. A flatbread stuffed with spiced minced meat, from Hunza.
- Mumtu. Steamed dumplings, of Balti origin.
- Thukpa and soups. Noodle or barley soups, filling after a cold day.
- Walnut and apricot dishes. Hunza's dried apricots, apricot kernel oil and walnuts appear in bread, desserts and drinks.
- Kahwa and salt tea. Green tea with cardamom and sometimes almonds; in some valleys, salted butter tea.
For details, see our guides to traditional food of the northern areas and Hunza's food. Menus in tourist hotels lean on karahi and daal; asking for the local dish usually gets a good answer.
Sweets and drinks
Mithai (sweets) are eaten after meals and given at celebrations. Gulab jamun, jalebi, barfi and rasmalai are on every shop shelf; kheer and sheer khurma are seasonal; falooda and kulfi are the summer choices. Chai is constant, and lassi (sweet or salted) or doodh soda are the cooling drinks. Our guide to traditional sweets of Pakistan goes deeper.
How to order and eat
- Ask what is fresh. Popular places turn over quickly; an empty restaurant at peak hour is a warning.
- Order to share. Two or three dishes plus bread feed a group; portions in family restaurants are large.
- Ask about chilli. "Kam mirch" or "mirch kam" gets a milder version.
- Eat with the right hand. Roti or naan is used to scoop the food. See our note on dining etiquette in Pakistan.
- Check prices before ordering for items sold by weight, such as karahi and grilled meat.
What should visitors be careful about?
Stomach upsets are the usual problem, not anything dramatic. Eat food served hot, drink sealed or filtered water, and be cautious with raw salad and ice from unknown sources. Our guide on whether street food in Pakistan is safe sets out the details. Vegetarians can eat well on daal, sabzi and raita, but should say clearly that they do not eat meat, since "vegetable" curries are sometimes cooked in meat stock or served with a meat side.
Is the food right for you?
If you enjoy rich, meat-heavy, well-spiced food, Pakistan is one of the best places in South Asia to eat. If you prefer mild or light food, ask for less chilli, choose daal, grilled kebabs and plain rice, and expect to be offered more food than you can finish. Travellers with allergies should be cautious: nuts, dairy and wheat are everywhere, and labelling is rare.
We plan meals into our itineraries by region, so the northern trips include local food rather than only hotel menus. See our experiences page and the foodie itinerary.
Frequently asked questions
What is the national dish of Pakistan?
There is no official one, but biryani, nihari and karahi are the dishes most people name. Which one is chosen depends on where you ask.
Is Pakistani food very spicy?
It varies. Punjabi and Karachi food can be hot, Balochi and northern food is usually milder. You can ask for less chilli almost anywhere.
What should I eat for breakfast in Pakistan?
Halwa puri, nihari with naan, or paratha with an omelette and chai. Halwa puri is a weekend tradition in Punjab.
Can vegetarians eat well in Pakistan?
Yes, on daal, vegetable curries, raita and bread, though meat is the default in restaurants. Say clearly that you do not eat meat.
What drinks should I try?
Chai, lassi, doodh soda and fresh sugarcane juice on the plains, and kahwa in the north. For safety, choose sealed or freshly pressed drinks and skip ice from unknown sources.
