Nihari is a popular meat-based dish originating from Old Delhi. When Pakistan gained independence in 1947, numerous immigrants from Delhi settled in Karachi, where they established their own restaurants, so nihar is also associated with Pakistani cuisine.
The dish consists of slowly cooked meat such as beef shanks, mutton, or chicken. The meat is cooked together with stock and numerous spices such as cumin, cloves, garam masala, and cardamom in big vessels which are sealed with dough. It takes anywhere from six to eight hours for nihari to be cooked properly, and it is traditionally consumed for breakfast, since the name of the dish is derived from the Arabic word nahar, meaning morning.
MOST ICONIC Nihari
View moreChicken karahi is a poultry dish that is popular in Pakistan and North India. The word karahi in its name refers to a thick and deep cooking-pot similar to a wok in which the dish is prepared. Apart from chicken, the dish is made with red chili powder, cumin, garam masala, ginger, allspice, cardamom, tomatoes, and garlic.
When prepared with mutton, the dish is known as gosht karahi. It is traditionally served with rice, roti, or naan.
Indian tikka is a dish consisting of boneless meat, usually chicken, that is cut into smaller pieces and marinated in yogurt and traditional Indian spices such as turmeric, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, chili, garlic, and ginger. The meat is roasted over charcoal in a tandoor, the traditional cylindrical clay oven.
To remain tender and juicy, the meat is repeatedly brushed with oil or butter. Tikka is typically cooked and served on sizzlers, but the plain varieties are also common. It is often wrongly associated with tandoori chicken, a variety baked and served with the meat left on the bone.
VARIATIONS OF Tikka
Sindhi biryani is one of the most popular Pakistani dishes originating from the province of Sindh, hence the name. It is prepared with a huge variety of ingredients, including basmati rice, tomatoes, yogurt, potatoes, onions, prunes, spices (red chili powder, ginger, cardamom, turmeric, cloves, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, mint, and bay leaves), and either chicken, goat, or lamb meat.
This layered rice dish is usually served with raita on the side.