Best Dishes of Lahore
Citizens of Lahore are commonly referred to as “Lahori”. Lahoris are renowned for their love of food. Only people who are passionate about food can sense what good food should taste like. Due to the exposure of YouTube, more and more foreigners are choosing Pakistan for their annual trips. This list is exclusively composed for people planning to visit Lahore. We have gathered you the flavour busting dishes Lahoris love to eat. Without further ado, let’s dive in the sea of flavour enriched treasure, food from Lahore.
Breakfast Dishes
Every city of Pakistan appreciates different dishes. When speaking of Lahoris, they have taken their love for breakfast to a next level, by making breakfast as festive as possible. Some of the most commonly preferred dishes for breakfast are;
Halwa Poori
Frequently taken all over the country, Halwa Poori is unarguably the national breakfast. It is much similar to the dish found in India as “Cholay Bhature”. The dish is a combination of sweet dessert, sweet and sour chickpeas curry along with fried bread. Sweet dish called Halwa is made of Semolina and the savoury Poori is made of fried flatbread. The dish is accompanied with a cup of tea, commonly referred to as “Chai”.
Nihari
From the Mughal’s royal kitchen, this slow cooked stew is a go to option for breakfast in Lahore. Beef, camel and lamb are meat options that are generally used in Nihari. The meat is stirred with spices and water on a low stove till it turns into a thick gravy. The thick gravy with soft meat is then served with Naan – a popular type of flatbread.
Paya
Paya is another one of everyone’s favourites in the list. It is a traditional sub-continental dish made with the trotters of either buffalo, cow, sheep and goats. It is then mixed with a selection of spices, to make it taste divine. Very few spices are cooked with trotters to enjoy it more.
Dishes in Lunch
We move ahead by naming some of the top dishes that Lahoris love to consume for lunch. These unanimously preferred dishes include:
Qeema Kulcha
Qeema is minced meat which is used in a variety of combinations for different dishes. Kulcha is an Indian type of naan made with refined white flour and not wheat. Qeema is stuffed inside Kulcha doughs before putting them in tandoor. The high temperature makes Qeema release its exquisite taste. It can be enjoyed alone or with some locally made sauce.
Murgh Cholay
This delight is another locally famous delicacy. “Murgh” is a Farsi word which means “chicken” while Cholay are chickpeas. It is a combination of Chickpeas curry with Chicken. It is cooked with a mix of spices that enhance the flavors of both, creating a delicacy you will never forget.
Daal Gosht
Counting in, the most famous combination of the locality. Daal Gosht can be easily found on local carts in any neighbourhood. It is a slightly less spicy dish because lentils are prepared with beef in a curry form. Usually, it is eaten with Naan.
Appetizers in Supper
Appetizers are wonderful jewels of local foods. Street vendors usually sell these Supper items. Lahore’s appetizers are complimentary add-ons for people looking for houses for sale in Lahore. See Jagahonline if you are looking for one. Some of their mouth-watering appetizers are:
Pani Poori
Pani Poori is the most famous snack all over Pakistan. It is also famously known as Gol Gappay in most parts of the country. Poori, which is a ball shaped fried flatbread hollow on the inside, is filled with stuffing of chickpeas, onions, raita, imli chutney and sometimes even boiled potatoes. Poori is then filled with Pani which is a solution of tamarind water. If you’re in Lahore, and are looking for a snack that is light on your pocket and your stomach, then this is the solution for you!
Samosa
It is another famous snack across Pakistan and is easily available at every corner. Its saga can be traced back from the 11th century. A cone shaped flour cup is made with dough and the ingredients such as minced meat or potatoes are stuffed inside then it is wrapped from the bottom, locking it and producing a triangular shape. These delicacies are usually consumed with the evening tea!
Dahi Bhallay
Dahi means “Yogurt” and Bhalla means “Lentil fritter”. Sweetened yogurt is put together with Fritters and then served with masala sprinkled over it in a bowl. The sweet taste of yogurt and spicy taste of masala creates a delicious delicacy for a perfect evening.
Dishes for Dinner
Dinner is an essential meal of the day, and some people are extremely particular about what they get to eat at the end of the day. Even if you had a bad day, a good dinner can seal the deal of your happiness. Lahoris however, are extremely fond of food and therefore enjoy dinner just as much as any other time. Here are some of the most commonly consumed dishes at dinner:
Besan Fried Rohu Fish
Rohu fish is the most favourite fish that is consumed in Lahore especially when fried with besan flour. Soaked with mouth-watering masala and lime juice. It is generally served with Aloo Bukhara Chutney Aka Prunes sauce.
Kata Kat
Kata Kat is named after the sound two spatulas make against the griddle while mixing the ingredients. Mincing different organs of buffalo, cow and goat with extra spices and vegetables produces this Karachi originated dish. If you’re a spice lover, then this dish is the real deal for you!
Lahori Chargha
An entire chicken is deep fried to prepare this Lahori originated Chargha. Whole chicken is drenched in mind boggling spices which will surely blow your mind. Not only that, it is then again soaked in sour lime juice before serving. This dish has gained so much fame making it into the dinner list of every city.
Desserts in Lahore
Since we have covered almost every meal of the day it’s now time to list some of the popular desserts. Lahore has its own dessert cuisine some of which include:
Naan Khatai
A traditional local biscuit made with Semolina is a treat to have. Although, discovered experimentally when a baker started selling dried breads due to financial loss. Later on, it became extremely famous. Huge crowds always gathers around at bakeries selling Naan Khatai.
Kunafa
This is a famous middle eastern dessert that has paved its way into the hearts of Lahoris. This dessert is made with fine semolina dough soaked in Sheera which is a sweet sugar boiled syrup. Cheese also acts as a fore ingredient when making Kunafa. Additionally, it is topped with the sprinkles of chopped nuts.
Lassi
Undoubtedly, Lassi is the best thing which can be consumed any time of the day. The origin of the drink is from Punjab. One can easily make this curated drink at home. All you need is yoghurt which you can mix with water and condensed milk and then beat or blend together to create the heavenly concoction. It is available in two classic flavours: the salty and the sweet. And is then served with Malai which is a cream obtained from cooling down the boiled milk for a while.
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These dishes have left us wanting more – have they intrigued your taste buds as well? Keep coming back to our blogs for information and insights!