Pakistani Cuisine

Pakistani cooking is close to that of northern India but stronger: more meat, heavier spicing and higher fat. It's a reflection of Punjabi and Mughal cooking, of which it is a direct continuation.

Nihari

Nihari is meat — usually shank or trotters — cooked over a very low flame for six to eight hours until it falls off the bone, in a thick spiced gravy. The name comes from "nahar", morning, because it was eaten as breakfast after dawn.

Karahi

A karahi is a deep iron wok, and cooking in it is fast and fierce: meat or chicken with tomato, ginger and green chilli, no onion and no yoghurt. The flavour comes out clean and direct.

Haleem

Haleem is wheat, lentils, barley and meat cooked and pounded for hours until it becomes a creamy paste. A staple of Ramadan, served with lemon, ginger and crisp onion.

Chaat masala

A blend containing black salt (kala namak) that gives a distinctive sulphurous, sour note. It's scattered over salads, grills and fruit.