"Ramadan Food in Pakistan: Iftar and Sehri Traditions"

Iftar in Pakistan follows the same pattern in almost every home: the fast is opened with a date and water or a glass of red Rooh Afza, then comes a plate of fried things, pakoray and samosay, with dahi bhallay, fruit chaat and channa chaat on the side, and jalebi for sweetness. Dinner comes later, after the Maghrib prayer. Sehri, before dawn, is parathas, eggs and yoghurt at home, or pheni with milk, and in the old cities a late-night plate of paye or nihari.

This guide explains the dishes, why they are on every table, and where Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar go for iftar and sehri if you want to eat out. Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin around 8 February 2027, with Eid ul Fitr around 9 March, both subject to moon sighting.

What is on a Pakistani iftar table?

Dates and Rooh Afza

The fast is opened, following the Sunnah, with a date. The drink that goes with it in most Pakistani homes is Rooh Afza, the red rose-flavoured sharbat made by Hamdard. It was first formulated in 1906 by Hakim Hafiz Abdul Majeed and launched from Old Delhi as a cooling drink for the summer, and Hamdard's Pakistani arm was founded in Karachi in 1948 by his son, Hakim Mohammad Saeed. It is mixed with cold water or milk, sometimes with basil seeds (tukh malanga) floating in it. Lemon sharbat and plain water are the other choices.

Pakoray

If one dish defines iftar in Pakistan, it is the pakora: slices of potato, onion, spinach, aubergine or whole green chilli dipped in spiced gram-flour batter and deep fried. In a 2020 Arab News survey of 200 Pakistanis, pakora came out clearly ahead as the favourite Ramadan fried snack, and about two thirds preferred the plain potato kind. They are cheap, quick and filling, which after a long fast is exactly the point. One sweet shop, Siddique Sweets and Bakers, told Arab News in 2023 that its sales tripled in Ramadan, with staff growing from 25 to 80 and about 120 kg of pakoras fried a day.

Samosay

Triangles of pastry filled with spiced potato or minced meat (keema), sometimes with chicken. Sweet shops and bakeries fry them by the thousand in the last hours before iftar, and the queues at the counter are part of the ritual.

Dahi bhallay

Fried lentil dumplings soaked in sweet and sour yoghurt, topped with tamarind chutney and chaat masala. In Karachi they are called dahi baray. They balance the fried food on the plate and are usually made at home in the morning to chill.

Fruit chaat and channa chaat

Fruit chaat is chopped banana, apple, guava and whatever is in season, sharpened with chaat masala and lemon. Channa chaat is boiled chickpeas with onion, tomato, green chilli and tamarind. Both appear at most iftars.

Jalebi and the rest

Jalebi, the orange spirals of fried batter in syrup, is the usual sweet. Spring rolls, kachoris and chicken rolls have become common in the cities. After Maghrib, the main meal follows: rice, salan, roti, often something heavier on weekends.

What do Pakistanis eat for sehri?

At home, sehri is simple and filling: parathas with eggs, yoghurt or lassi, leftover salan and tea. Many families also eat pheni or khajla, fine fried vermicelli-like dough soaked in sweet warm milk. Both are Ramadan foods above all, and their making keeps flour, ghee and sugar traders busy through the month.

In the old cities, going out for sehri is a tradition in itself. Paye, nihari, hareesa and halwa puri shops that normally open at dawn start in the small hours instead, and families and groups of friends go out at least once during the month.

Where do the big cities go for iftar and sehri?

Karachi

Burns Road in Saddar is the city's best-known iftar street, with stalls selling chaat, dahi baray, pakoray, samosay and jalebi from late afternoon. For sehri, the food streets of Old Karachi, such as Hussainabad, Kharadar and Dhoraji, and Boat Basin in Clifton stay busy through the night. Our Karachi in Ramadan guide has the areas and late-night hours.

Lahore

Most Lahoris buy iftar from the neighbourhood sweet shop and eat at home, or book a hotel or restaurant buffet in Gulberg or on Fort Road. Sehri is where the old city comes alive, with paye, nihari and hareesa around Taxali Gate, Kali Beri Bazar and Gawalmandi. See our Lahore Ramadan food guide for named shops.

Islamabad and Rawalpindi

Islamabad's iftar is mainly buffets at hotels and restaurants, plus snack counters at bakeries in every markaz. Rawalpindi's older bazaars feel more like Lahore's. Our Islamabad in Ramadan guide covers timings, buffets and the Faisal Mosque.

Peshawar

Peshawar adds its own food to the table: chapli kabab, kabuli pulao and namkeen dishes, with the old city busy after iftar. Our Ramadan in Peshawar guide explains how the city changes. Check the current security advice first: the UK government advises against all travel to Peshawar (updated September 2026), and Pakistani visitors should read local news before going.

How to buy iftar food like a local

1. Buy late. Pakoray fried in the morning and kept warm go soft. The best batches come out from about 4 pm.
2. Pick the counter with the queue. Fast turnover means fresh oil and fresh food.
3. Ask for chutney in a separate bag if you are carrying food any distance.
4. Leave time for traffic. Roads are at their worst in the last hour before iftar, then empty the moment the azan sounds.
5. Book buffets. Hotels and large restaurants sell out at weekends and in the last ten nights.

What should a traveller know about Ramadan food?

During fasting hours many restaurants close or open only for takeaway, and eating, drinking or smoking in public is restricted by law. Travellers, the sick and others exempt from fasting can eat, but discreetly, indoors. Hotel restaurants usually serve guests. Our Ramadan travel tips cover what is open and how to plan a trip around the month.

If you are not fasting yourself, Ramadan is still a good time for food. Iftar snacks are at their best and cheapest, the old cities are open all night, and joining a family iftar, if you are invited, is one of the warmest experiences the country offers. Our experiences page has more ideas for city food trips.

Frequently asked questions