Famous Pakistani Food

[Baibars_1260]

While it's understandable being a Pakistani, you placed pakistani food in the top spot

Being an Indian, I'd rank Indian food as the following but again that's just me
1. Hyderabadi/Nizami
2. South Indian Non-Veg
3. South Indian Veg
4. Lucknowi Mughlai and Punjabi
5. North Eastern
6. Bengali

Close ! I tend to agree,
I assume you are from Andhra or Telengana, I omitted to make a special mention of the Andhra cuisine as a sub-set of the South Indian cuisine. The Andhra thali is unique with its red hot curry and avakkai pickles. I am so addicted to avakkai that I still buy a bottled version, which is a pale copy of the original home made fire-in-a-pot.
I would put North East on the bottom. Bengali sweet dishes ( West Bengali) are my favorite.
But an extremely accurate ranking.

 

[Zapper]

Close ! I tend to agree,
I assume you are from Andhra or Telengana, I omitted to make a special mention of the Andhra cuisine as a sub-set of the South Indian cuisine. The Andhra thali is unique with its red hot curry and avakkai pickles. I am so addicted to avakkai that I still buy a bottled version, which is a pale copy of the original home made fire-in-a-pot.
I would put North East on the bottom. Bengali sweet dishes ( West Bengali) are my favorite.
But an extremely accurate ranking.

I'm surprised you do know quite a bit about Andhra cuisine being a US based Pakistani. Do you happen to live in Texas, NJ or CA's Bay Area by any chance since those areas have significant Telugu population?

Andhra cuisine in known to be the spiciest among all of South and South Indian cuisine is spicier than the rest of India. Andhra & Telangana are known to have the best non-veg curries followed by Tamil Nadu. What's interesting is the cuisine changes every 100 miles which is why you can't put them all in the same category but for outsiders to get a better picture, people just club all of South Indian cuisine.

If you're into biryanis and pulaos, I'd suggest you do give a try for Andhra's Raju Gari Goat Pulao and Vijayawada chicken biryani along with Tamil Nadu's Dindigul Thalapakatti and Ambur Biryani. Karnataka's Donne Biryani and Kerala's beef/mutton roast are also damn good

Regarding NE vs Bengali, I really like NE's beef & pork dishes. Their momos are to die for

Btw let me know if you're aware of any good Pakistani restaurants in the US. I've been to quite a few but didn't find the biryanis/pulaos to be appealing but the curries were good though. I've recently been to Dallas and there's a Pakistani grocery outlet which has an in-house restaurant called Al-Markaz...their mutton biryani is lit AF, the best Pakistani biryani I've had

 

[Baibars_1260]

I'm surprised you do know quite a bit about Andhra cuisine being a US based Pakistani. Do you happen to live in Texas, NJ or CA's Bay Area by any chance since those areas have significant Telugu population?

I occasionally visit the west coast ( mostly LA and Orange) but my work takes me all over including NJ and TX. But on work I have visited Hyderabad too, and Singapore, KSA, and Dubai. I developed a taste for South Indian food when eating out with my spouse who often accompanied me on my extended duration assignments. My spouse is somewhat strict in her cultural preferences on all types of cuisine, so for her South Indian vegetarian food is a preferred "safe" option. I personally do not have any preferences, and I don't mind lard in a Chinese dish or bacon bits in my house salad at company dinners. My spouse is an Udupi fanatic with dosas of all types. I find dosas a little bland so will go for a thaali meal whenever I can find it. Andhra vegetarian thali is my overwhelming favorite but it is not so easily available.

Andhra cuisine in known to be the spiciest among all of South and South Indian cuisine is spicier than the rest of India. Andhra & Telangana are known to have the best non-veg curries followed by Tamil Nadu. What's interesting is the cuisine changes every 100 miles which is why you can't put them all in the same category but for outsiders to get a better picture, people just club all of South Indian cuisine.

Yes, agree with you entirely, and my Telugu colleagues have told me exactly the same thing; how the cuisine varies every 100 miles. I however cannot tell the difference. In pickles too, Andhra reigns supreme, and even though the Hyderabadi ( Telengana ) pickle is delicious it is bland and not at all hot. I have learned to differentiate between different South Indian cuisines ( some what) though Karnataka and Tamil cuisine are so close it is hard to tell which is which.

If you're into biryanis and pulaos, I'd suggest you do give a try for Andhra's Raju Gari Goat Pulao and Vijayawada chicken biryani along with Tamil Nadu's Dindigul Thalapakatti and Ambur Biryani. Karnataka's Donne Biryani and Kerala's beef/mutton roast are also damn good

I think I may have occasionally eaten very modified versions of the Andhra dishes you mention ( can't say for sure) at buffets at Indian restaurant chains.
Will look for the Tamil and Karnataka biryanis, next time I am in Artesia.

Regarding NE vs Bengali, I really like NE's beef & pork dishes. Their momos are to die for

Would like to try these out. I suspect your NE has a South East Asian or Chinese influence on the cuisine. In China I got addicted to sweet sour pork.

Btw let me know if you're aware of any good Pakistani restaurants in the US. I've been to quite a few but didn't find the biryanis/pulaos to be appealing but the curries were good though. I've recently been to Dallas and there's a Pakistani grocery outlet which has an in-house restaurant called Al-Markaz...their mutton biryani is lit AF, the best Pakistani biryani I've had

Try Bundu Khan in Houston, Kabab King in Islyn New Jersey; Luqma, and Zaika in Atlanta, Sabirs in Devon Avenue in Chicago, Jackson Heights in New York has a number of excellent Pakistani restaurants. Artesia in LA is another area where you can look. The UK of course takes the lead in having the best Pakistani restaurants outside Pakistan. When visiting Manchester try "East is East ".
Pakistani food has a variation in " spicyness "and is generally far more bland than its Indian counterparts. The Punjabi food most closely resembles its immediate counterpart across the border. However as you go west and north the food is far less spicy but with inputs of more dried fruit, yogurt and ricotta cheese. The bread ( naan) is larger, and softer and is the chief staple instead of rice. The furthest west in Baluchistan and KPK the food is not spicy at all and resembles Middle Eastern or Central Asian food. The type of vegetables and fruit consumed changes as well. Instead of bananas, guavas, crab- apples and mangoes, there are nuts ( dried fruits like walnuts, almonds; pistachios; pine-nuts, ) , apples, grapes, apricots, plums, strawberries, cherries, and melons.
The majority of the regions in the territory of Pakistan has a cuisine very distinct in the sub-continent. The similarities with Indian cuisine fade away once you move 100 miles west of the Indian border. The majority of the Pakistani cuisines are not represented in the restaurant chains abroad because these tend to stick strictly to Punjabi cuisine mimicking their Indian competition.
I wish you could visit us and see for yourself how diverse we are in language, dress, and of course cuisine.

 

[denel]

While it's understandable being a Pakistani, you placed pakistani food in the top spot

Being an Indian, I'd rank Indian food as the following but again that's just me
1. Hyderabadi/Nizami
2. South Indian Non-Veg
3. South Indian Veg
4. Lucknowi Mughlai and Punjabi
5. North Eastern
6. Bengali

Friend

If it tastes excellent, rank it .... food knows no boundaries.

 

[Zapper]

Would like to try these out. I suspect your NE has a South East Asian or Chinese influence on the cuisine. In China I got addicted to sweet sour pork

Not really. NE has their own distinctive take on curries which are quite fascinating and unlike anything you get across India...also known to have some of the spiciest chilli varieties in the world like Nagaland's Bhut Jholakia. They're increasingly becoming popular, primarily in metropolitans

A traditional thali in Assam

Try Bundu Khan in Houston, Kabab King in Islyn New Jersey; Luqma, and Zaika in Atlanta, Sabirs in Devon Avenue in Chicago, Jackson Heights in New York has a number of excellent Pakistani restaurants. Artesia in LA is another area where you can look. The UK of course takes the lead in having the best Pakistani restaurants outside Pakistan. When visiting Manchester try "East is East "

I did try Sabirs during my stint in Chicago and quite a few in Jackson heights but felt Dallas's Al-Markaz was way better. Will have to try the others

The furthest west in Baluchistan and KPK the food is not spicy at all and resembles Middle Eastern or Central Asian food. The type of vegetables and fruit consumed changes as well. Instead of bananas, guavas, crab- apples and mangoes, there are nuts ( dried fruits like walnuts, almonds; pistachios; pine-nuts, ) , apples, grapes, apricots, plums, strawberries, cherries, and melons.

I noticed that watching food vlogs and felt Peshawar has the best food in all of Pakistan. Watching Afghan, Iranian and Pakistan's regions bordering these countries, the food does look significantly less spicy with usage of dried fruits and nuts. Street Food PK is my fav pakistani food vlogger

The majority of the Pakistani cuisines are not represented in the restaurant chains abroad because these tend to stick strictly to Punjabi cuisine mimicking their Indian competition.

That has been the case with Indian cuisine until 2010 where most Indian food you get abroad is Delhi centric. It's a pity Pakistani restaurants try to compete with their Indian counterparts offering similar Punjabi cuisine instead of promoting Western Pakistani food. I believe expats primarily constitute Punjabi populace over your western brethren. Post 2010...with more Southerners moving abroad, you can see a ton of South Indian restaurants and promotion of South Indian cuisine. I wish our North Eastern brothers also take the same route

 

[Baibars_1260]

Not really. NE has their own distinctive take on curries which are quite fascinating and unlike anything you get across India...also known to have some of the spiciest chilli varieties in the world like Nagaland's Bhut Jholakia. They're increasingly becoming popular, primarily in metropolitans

A traditional thali in Assam

View attachment 696948

Looks delicious. I am a little cautious of eating un-filleted river fish because of the fine bones , one of which once got lodged in my throat. I was eating Hilsa at a dinner hosted by Bangladeshi friend.

I did try Sabirs during my stint in Chicago and quite a few in Jackson heights but felt Dallas's Al-Markaz was way better. Will have to try the others.

The one's in the USA are pale copies of their original Pakistani counterparts. Bundu Khan in Houston is no way close to its original back home. UK, Canada, and Dubai etc. have the original stuff.

I noticed that watching food vlogs and felt Peshawar has the best food in all of Pakistan. Watching Afghan, Iranian and Pakistan's regions bordering these countries, the food does look significantly less spicy with usage of dried fruits and nuts. Street Food PK is my fav pakistani food vlogger

Vloggers is one way to visualize the food . But of course it no way reflects the taste or even the variety. Some kinds of Baluchi foods for example cannot be prepared in the street and are only made at home during community events such as festivals or weddings.

That has been the case with Indian cuisine until 2010 where most Indian food you get abroad is Delhi centric. It's a pity Pakistani restaurants try to compete with their Indian counterparts offering similar Punjabi cuisine instead of promoting Western Pakistani food. I believe expats primarily constitute Punjabi populace over your western brethren. Post 2010...with more Southerners moving abroad, you can see a ton of South Indian restaurants and promotion of South Indian cuisine. I wish our North Eastern brothers also take the same route

It is interesting to examine the dining out habits of ex-pat Pakistanis. For a variety of reasons, cultural, etc. few ex-pat Pakistanis really eat out regularly, unlike Indians, especially Indian techies. Pakistanis only eat out when absolutely necessary such when traveling or when they cannot prepare food at home due to work pressures. Pakistanis are expert home cooks. No restaurant Pakistani or Indian offers the quality and variety of food Pakistanis can prepare at home. In any case as both you and I observed Pakistani restaurants mimic their Indian counterparts serving generally the same cuisine which for the majority of Pakistanis is monotonous and of far lower quality than what they make at home. There are Pakistanis from every province of Pakistan represented in the ex-pat community it is just that Punjabis and Karachi origin Pakistanis are more visible in the information technology sector. There are doctors, professors, engineers in other disciplines ( such as petrochemicals) from other provinces. So their cuisine is varied as well. Pakistanis choose not to eat at Indian or South Indian restaurants so are generally ignorant of the diversity of cuisines in India. Few Pakistanis know what a bonda is.
I am an exception to the rule.
At home of course we prepare strictly West Pakistani food. Chapali Kababs, Shahshooka, Shami Kababs, Maquooti, Yakhni Palau, Paya, Shwarma, Dum Pukht, Nashpati Qalia and a host of other Turko Afghan dishes, You are unlikely to see these dishes in a restaurant in the USA.

When I and my Pakistani friends are traveling they prefer to go to Ruby Tuesday, Olive Garden, Applebees, than a South Indian restaurant.

 

[Zapper]

I know several biryani wars have been waged on this forum but us Hyderabadis and Andhras in general consider Hyderabadi biryani to be the best in the world...no wonder it is world renowed. You keep seeing hoardings like these commonly in Hyderabad and every Hyderabadi - Hindu or Muslim echoes the same. Every region in India tries to compete or compare their biryani with Hyderabadi biryani which is more like a benchmark

Looks delicious. I am a little cautious of eating un-filleted river fish because of the fine bones , one of which once got lodged in my throat. I was eating Hilsa at a dinner hosted by Bangladeshi friend

Hilsa is called Pulasa in Telugu and is available in the Godavari river basin. There's a particular season when they swim against the waters to lay eggs closer to the shores during which they're known to taste the best...nevertheless they cost a bomb

The one's in the USA are pale copies of their original Pakistani counterparts. Bundu Khan in Houston is no way close to its original back home. UK, Canada, and Dubai etc. have the original stuff

I believe it' the same with all desi cuisine... The meat or chicken you get in the US is relatively less flavorful which is why people would end up marinating in prior to infuse the flavor into the meat. I found the meat we get in India (should be the same with Pak) and my travels to SE Asia were much more flavorful than their western counterparts

Pakistanis choose not to eat at Indian or South Indian restaurants so are generally ignorant of the diversity of cuisines in India. Few Pakistanis know what a bonda is.
I am an exception to the rule.

Kinda the same with Indians...most folks think Pakistani or Sindhi Biryani is just the same as Bombay Biryani and the curries to be less spicier versions of their Indian counterparts

At home of course we prepare strictly West Pakistani food. Chapali Kababs, Shahshooka, Shami Kababs, Maquooti, Yakhni Palau, Paya, Shwarma, Dum Pukht, Nashpati Qalia and a host of other Turko Afghan dishes, You are unlikely to see these dishes in a restaurant in the USA.

I've seen Chapli, Shami Kebabs, Yakhni Pulau, Paya, Shwarma, Dum Pukht in quite a few places including Indian ones...though they're not authentic

When I and my Pakistani friends are traveling they prefer to go to Ruby Tuesday, Olive Garden, Applebees, than a South Indian restaurant

Us Indians don't go to Indian restaurants when traveling, let alone you guys. I'd say most people intend to eat light when traveling

For a variety of reasons, cultural, etc. few ex-pat Pakistanis really eat out regularly, unlike Indians, especially Indian techies. Pakistanis only eat out when absolutely necessary such when traveling or when they cannot prepare food at home due to work pressures. Pakistanis are expert home cooks

Indian techies if single prefer to get food from restaurants if they're making decent money...families definitely prefer cooking at home. I was skeptical to eat out during my college days but now I don't. I hardly cook desi food at home ever since I started eating healthy but biryani in the weekends is a must

 

[Baibars_1260]

I know several biryani wars have been waged on this forum but us Hyderabadis and Andhras in general consider Hyderabadi biryani to be the best in the world...no wonder it is world renowed. You keep seeing hoardings like these commonly in Hyderabad and every Hyderabadi - Hindu or Muslim echoes the same. Every region in India tries to compete or compare their biryani with Hyderabadi biryani which is more like a benchmark

View attachment 697006

There is a chain called Persis which spells out the history of Biryani in Hyderabad. Agree with you that Hyderabadi Biryani is the best. In the league of spicy Biryanis it is the best, and I developed a fondness for it over above my native Sindhi Biryani which is also spicy. But as we discussed, there are variations in Pakistan, and as we go westward the level of spices induced in the Biryani is reduced. There are ingredients of dry fruits, raisins, and lots of saffron.
On the spices content in the food in western Pakistan : Only red chilly powder and turmeric are reduced in quantity. Green chilly, cummins, cinnamon, ground garlic, ground onions ground black pepper, lemon-juice, tomato paste, and black rock salt is liberally used.
I agree that Hyderabadi Biryani occupies the top spot. In fact Hyderabadi Biryani has been enthusiastically adopted in Pakistan, prepared at home by the emigre Telengana community in Karachi, and also served at select restaurants.
You would be interested to know that there is a Telugu speaking community in the polyglot matrix of Karachi, who emigrated from Warangal (or some other area, am not sure exactly where ) around 1948. They speak Telugu at home but have since become bi-lingual speaking Urdu quite fluently though with an accent. They are generally termed as "Hyderabadis" which in my opinion is a misnomer because their origins relate to specific districts of Andhra/ Telengana, and there is no direct connection with the city of Hyderabad ( Deccan) as such.
Pakistanis refer to Hyderabad in India as "Hyderabad Deccan" so as not to confuse it with Hyderabad in Sindh.

Hilsa is called Pulasa in Telugu and is available in the Godavari river basin. There's a particular season when they swim against the waters to lay eggs closer to the shores during which they're known to taste the best...nevertheless they cost a bomb

Very interesting! How is Pulasa cooked ? Is it cooked in chunks in a curry like in West Benga/ Bangladesh, or do you fillet it and fry or bake it? What is the Pulasa dish called in Telugu. The Bangladeshis/ West Bengalis call fish curry Jholer Maach and eating it is a challenge because the fish is cooked to a pulp which merges with the fish bone. Only an expert can eat this without getting the bones lodged in the throat.

I believe it' the same with all desi cuisine... The meat or chicken you get in the US is relatively less flavorful which is why people would end up marinating in prior to infuse the flavor into the meat. I found the meat we get in India (should be the same with Pak) and my travels to SE Asia were much more flavorful than their western counterparts

Agree. As expats we have much to adjust to and food habits are the last to change. Adjusting to meat is a particularly difficult challenge. But free range chicken is available. It is expensive but still out there. So also are alternatives such as quail. Then another source of un-controlled or non-chemical induced fresh meat is hunting. In northern Pakistan I grew up with recreational hunting as a sport . Recreational hun is hunting not for meat ( as a chief source for survival) or trophies, but basically walking around in the woods and open lands. If you bag a quail or pheasant it is a bonus otherwise the walk is good for the health. In the USA hunting opportunities abound so I hunt just enough to stock my modest freezer with game ( venison, duck, pheasants, partridges) . Venison cooked desi style in chunks and merged into biryani rice is delicious.

Kinda the same with Indians...most folks think Pakistani or Sindhi Biryani is just the same as Bombay Biryani and the curries to be less spicier versions of their Indian counterparts. I've seen Chapli, Shami Kebabs, Yakhni Pulau, Paya, Shwarma, Dum Pukht in quite a few places including Indian ones...though they're not authentic

Yes, these are available at select restaurants. The usual Indian restaurant we pull up on a I-phone Google Map search on long drives is unlikely to have these. It will be standard rice, daal, roti, mutter paneer, papad, chicken curry in a buffet.

Us Indians don't go to Indian restaurants when traveling, let alone you guys. I'd say most people intend to eat light when traveling
Indian techies if single prefer to get food from restaurants if they're making decent money...families definitely prefer cooking at home. I was skeptical to eat out during my college days but now I don't. I hardly cook desi food at home ever since I started eating healthy but biryani in the weekends is a must

In food habits we are so alike !
Am awaiting your response on the Pulasa fish.

 

[terry5]

last nights dinner .
chana dhaal & gosht
As Pakistani as a dish can be ....

I do love tomatoes yes

 

[Baibars_1260]

View attachment 697289

last nights dinner .
chana dhaal & gosht
As Pakistani as a dish can be ....

I do love tomatoes yes

Chana Dal and Gosht. Of course !
....the Chapali Kababs have tomato slices in the base.
Thats core Pakistani.

 

[Maarkhoor]

View attachment 697289

last nights dinner .
chana dhaal & gosht
As Pakistani as a dish can be ....

I do love tomatoes yes

It does't look like chana daal to be honest, it is daal mash "Duli hoi mash ki daal". Am I correct?

 

[tman786]

Love dhaal marsh

 

[terry5]

It does't look like chana daal to be honest, it is daal mash "Duli hoi mash ki daal". Am I correct?

I’ve just asked the family and you are correct .

 

[Zapper]

Very interesting! How is Pulasa cooked ? Is it cooked in chunks in a curry like in West Benga/ Bangladesh, or do you fillet it and fry or bake it? What is the Pulasa dish called in Telugu. The Bangladeshis/ West Bengalis call fish curry Jholer Maach and eating it is a challenge because the fish is cooked to a pulp which merges with the fish bone. Only an expert can eat this without getting the bones lodged in the throat.

I'm unsure what it's exactly called in english but the cooking style is called "pulusu" in Telugu and "Kulampu" in Tamil where the fish is made into chunks and cooked in a spicy broth which usually has tamarind to give it a tangy flavor.

Pulasa fish is also cooked in the same manner (pulusu/kulampu) where you can get the best of it's flavors and could be replicated with any type of seafood. People also cook veggies in the same manner and this style is preferred because it lasts longer than a typical curry and goes very well with rice. The end product looks something like this

An interesting fact about pulasa is it actually has two names - Pulasa and Yelasa. The fish is regularly called Yelasa but attains the Pulasa phase when the females get pregnant with their bellies loaded with eggs and they swim against the waters to lay eggs closer to the shores...that's the phase when it's known to taste the best - the Pulasa phase which is actually very expensive. People at times tend to sell Yelasa phase fishes (both male & female) terming em as Pulasa at exaggerated prices which newbies couldn't make out the difference since both look the same

 

[vishwambhar]

Hi everybody.... I just wanted to know how much is the vegetarianism in Pakistan..... is there any portion of population who is completely vegetarian or vegan??? Just out of love towards animals or just to perseù a different lifestyle???
This I'm just asking out of curiosity..... even in western countries who are hard core non vegetarians we get to see such group of people....