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687 recipes

Karahi qeemaMinced meat karahi

Karahi qeema is what home cooks across Punjab make when guests arrive unannounced, and what roadside karahi shops in Rawalpindi and Lahore fry to order for a quick lunch: beef or mutton mince stir-fried hard in an iron wok with tomato, ginger and green chilli until dry and glossy. It is scooped up with roti or stuffed into a paratha the next morning. The usual mistake is crowding the cold mince into a lukewarm pan, which stews it; get the oil smoking hot and break the meat up quickly so it fries. Chef's tip: finish with a handful of julienned ginger and a squeeze of lemon off the heat, for a fresh bite against the rich meat.

30 min

Pakistani Meat

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Prawn karahi

Karachi's fishing harbour supplies the city's seafood restaurants on Sea View and in Clifton, and prawn karahi is the quick, fiery dish people order there for a Saturday dinner by the sea: prawns tossed through a tomato, garlic and green chilli masala in a blazing wok, eaten with naan or plain rice. The tomato breaks down into a thick, tangy coating that clings to each prawn, sharpened with lemon and coriander. Prawns that are rubbery and tight are the usual let-down; they need only 3–4 minutes once the sauce is ready, so add them last. Contains shellfish. Chef's tip: fry the prawn shells in the oil first for 2 minutes, then lift them out: the oil takes on a rich, sweet prawn flavour.

28 min

Pakistani Fish

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Sabzi handiCreamy vegetable curry

Lahore and Islamabad restaurants send sabzi handi to the table in its own little clay or copper pot, the vegetarian partner to chicken handi on any family dinner order, scooped up with hot naan. Potato, carrot, beans, cauliflower and peas cook in a gently spiced tomato and yogurt masala, then a spoon of cream turns it silky and pale orange. Vegetables thrown in all together go to mush in places and stay hard in others; add them in stages, the slow ones first. Contains milk. Chef's tip: crush a pinch of dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) between your palms over the handi right at the end for the authentic restaurant aroma.

50 min

Pakistani Vegetarian

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Shinwari karahiLamb karahi

On the Grand Trunk Road out of Peshawar and in the Namak Mandi lanes, Shinwari cooks fry lamb in a vast iron karahi with nothing but its own fat, salt, tomatoes and green chillies, and diners sit cross-legged in the dera to eat it with naan straight from the pan. There is no onion, no powdered spice and hardly any water, so the meat tastes deeply of lamb and the sauce is short, glossy and tangy. The mistake is adding water to speed it up: it boils the meat grey; instead keep the lid on over a low heat and let the meat steam in its own juices. Chef's tip: use bone-in shoulder with its fat (or add 50 g of lamb fat), because the rendered fat is the sauce.

75 min

Pakistani Meat

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Chana pulaoChickpea pulao

From carts parked outside Karachi offices at lunchtime, chana pulao is ladled onto paper plates with a dollop of raita and a few onion rings: long-grain rice cooked in a spiced stock with chickpeas until every grain is separate and fragrant. Browned onion gives it a golden colour and a gentle sweetness, while cloves, cardamom and black cumin scent the steam. The usual mistake is stirring the rice once it goes in, which breaks the grains and makes it sticky; once the water is in, just cover and leave it alone. Chef's tip: let the rice absorb most of the water over a high heat, then seal the lid with a tea towel and give it 10 minutes of dum on the lowest heat so it steams through.

65 min

Pakistani Rice & Grains

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Seekh kebab

The long, charred seekh kebab is the first thing grilled when the coals glow on Lahore's food streets and on Karachi's Boat Basin in the evening, eaten hot off the skewer with naan, onion rings, lemon and green chutney. Coarsely minced beef (or mutton) with some fat is kneaded with onion, ginger, garlic, green chilli and roasted spices until it turns sticky enough to cling to a flat skewer, then grilled until smoky outside and juicy within. The classic failure is a kebab that slides off into the coals, which happens when the onion is left wet or the mince too lean; squeeze the onion dry and use mince with about 20 per cent fat. Chef's tip: chill the shaped skewers for 20 minutes before grilling so the fat firms and holds the meat in place.

45 min

Pakistani Meat

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Daal chanaChickpea dal

A bowl of daal chana with a fiery tarka poured over at the table is one of the most ordered plates at dhabas from Multan to Rawalpindi, and in many homes it is the Thursday dinner, eaten with roti, raw onion and pickle. The split chickpeas cook until soft but still hold their shape in a thick, yellow, gently spiced base, and then the tarka of fried onion, garlic, cumin and whole red chilli in ghee crackles over the top. The mistake is serving it before the dal is truly soft; chana dal takes longer than you think, so test a grain by squeezing it. Contains milk (ghee); use oil for a vegan version. Chef's tip: pour the tarka over at the very last moment so it hisses, and cover the pot for a minute to trap the smoky aroma.

60 min

Pakistani Curries

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Fish tikka

On winter nights along Karachi's seafront and in the Do Darya restaurants, skewers of fish tikka go round the table straight from the grill, the chunks blushing red from chilli and yogurt with blackened corners. Firm white fish such as surmai (kingfish) or monkfish holds its shape while the marinade sets into a light, tangy crust, and it needs only lemon, sliced onion and a bowl of raita. The mistake most people make is marinating fish as long as chicken: more than 40 minutes and the lemon and salt start to 'cook' it, so it flakes apart on the skewer. Contains fish and milk. Chef's tip: rub the fish with lemon and salt first, rest it 10 minutes and pat dry before the yogurt goes on, so the marinade sticks and doesn't slide off.

50 min

Pakistani Fish

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White chicken karahi

White karahi took off in Islamabad and Lahore restaurants as the mild, peppery alternative to the red version, and it has become a favourite for family dinners and mehndi menus where not everyone wants chilli heat. The chicken is fried with ginger and garlic, then finished in yogurt, cream and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper with whole green chillies, so the sauce is pale, rich and fragrant rather than fiery. A grainy, broken sauce is the classic pitfall; take the karahi off the heat before the yogurt goes in and bring it back to only a gentle simmer. Contains milk. Chef's tip: crack the black pepper coarsely just before using it, and add half at the start and half at the end for both warmth and aroma.

50 min

Pakistani Chicken

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Kalmi tikkaGrilled chicken drumsticks

Kalmi means 'of the leg', and at Karachi BBQ joints from Burns Road to Do Darya the kalmi tikka is a whole drumstick, slashed to the bone, marinated in yogurt, chilli and roasted spice and turned over coals until its edges blacken; Lahori tikka houses serve it the same way after Friday prayers. The meat stays juicy on the bone while the marinade forms a tangy, smoky crust. The common mistake is grilling over fierce flames the whole time, which burns the outside long before the bone end is cooked; start over medium heat and only char at the end. Contains milk. Chef's tip: smoke the cooked drumsticks for two minutes under a lid with a hot coal and a drop of ghee (the dhuanaar) if you are cooking on a hob rather than a grill.

165 min

Pakistani Chicken

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Podina raitaMint yogurt dip

Order a platter of tikka at a Burns Road or Gawalmandi grill and a steel bowl of pale green podina raita lands beside it without asking; it is the cooling counterweight to smoke and chilli, and at home it goes with biryani, pulao and kebab rolls too. Mint, a handful of coriander, one green chilli and freshly toasted cumin are whisked into thick yogurt until it is pourable but still clings to a piece of naan. The usual slip is blitzing the herbs in a blender with the yogurt, which thins it to a watery green drink; pound or chop the herbs separately and fold them in. Contains milk. Chef's tip: dry-roast the cumin seeds yourself and crush them at the last minute: the smoky, toasty smell is what makes a grill-house raita taste like one.

12 min

Pakistani Chutneys & Dips

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Mutton chaap

Mutton chaap belongs to Lahore's Gawalmandi and Lakshmi Chowk, where chops are pounded thin, rubbed with raw papaya and spice and slapped onto a hot tawa or a charcoal grill late into the night; families order them by the plate for Eid gatherings and weekend dinners. The papaya enzyme and yogurt make the meat tender enough to pull off the bone, while the chilli-spiced crust chars and turns sticky. People often leave papaya paste on for too long or overnight, and the meat goes mushy; two hours in the fridge is plenty. Contains milk. Chef's tip: finish the chops with a knob of butter and a squeeze of lemon on the tawa for the last minute, which is how the Lahori stalls get their glossy glaze.

175 min

Pakistani Meat

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Chicken handi

Chicken handi is the dish families order at Lahore's M.M. Alam Road restaurants and Karachi's Do Darya when everyone wants something rich but not fiery; it arrives bubbling in its clay pot with a swirl of cream, and disappears with garlic naan. Boneless thigh is marinated in yogurt, then cooked in a tomato masala that is finished with cream and crushed fenugreek, giving a velvety, gently tangy sauce. A sauce that splits into grains usually means the yogurt went into a fiercely boiling pan; lower the heat first and stir it in. Contains milk. Chef's tip: let the gravy 'bhuno' (fry) until the oil comes to the surface before you add the cream: that is where the deep, roasted flavour comes from.

70 min

Pakistani Chicken

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Lobia masalaBlack-eyed bean curry

Truck drivers on the GT Road and students in Lahore's Anarkali eat lobia at dhabas for a few rupees a plate: soft black-eyed beans in a dark onion and tomato masala, mopped up with tandoori roti and a green chilli on the side. It tastes earthy and comforting, with a peppery edge and a thick, spoonable gravy. Undercooked beans that stay chalky in the middle are the common complaint, especially when tomato goes in before the beans are soft; boil them tender first, then simmer them in the masala. Chef's tip: mash a ladleful of the beans against the side of the pot near the end, which thickens the gravy the way dhaba cooks do.

50 min

Pakistani Curries

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Tartare d'alguesSeaweed tartare

Tartare d'algues is a modern Breton classic, a dark green, salty spread of chopped seaweed with capers, shallots, gherkins and lemon, sold in jars at markets in Roscoff and Saint-Malo and spread on toast or blinis at the apéro. Brittany harvests more seaweed than anywhere else in Europe. The common mistake is not rinsing salted seaweed well enough, so it is far too salty. Chef's tip: rinse the seaweed in two changes of cold water, then taste a piece before chopping.

20 min

French Chutneys & Dips

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AnchoïadeAnchovy dip

Anchoïade is the anchovy dip of Provence, pounded with garlic and olive oil and served at the apéro or as a summer starter with a big basket of raw vegetables, celery, fennel, radishes, peppers and cauliflower, for everyone to dip; in Marseille and Nice it is also spread on toast. It uses salted (cured) anchovies, which are not cooked: cured fish is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system; for a safer version, warm the finished anchoïade gently in a small pan for 3–4 minutes until steaming hot before serving. The common mistake is adding the oil too fast, so it splits. Chef's tip: soak the salted anchovies in milk or water for 10 minutes to soften their saltiness.

15 min

French Chutneys & Dips

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Entremets trois chocolatsTriple chocolate mousse cake

The trois chocolats is the most popular birthday entremets in French pâtisseries, a crisp praline base topped with three layers of mousse, dark, milk and white chocolate, set in a ring and sliced to show the stripes. This home version sets the mousses with agar, so it is vegetarian. The common mistake is pouring a layer before the one below is set, so they mix. Chef's tip: chill each layer for 30 minutes, until it no longer moves when you tilt the ring.

100 min

French Desserts

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Nougat blancWhite honey nougat

White nougat is the most famous sweet of Montélimar in the Drôme, made with lavender honey, whisked egg white and plenty of almonds and pistachios, and it is one of the thirteen desserts on every Provençal Christmas Eve table. It needs a sugar thermometer, but no special skill. The common mistake is undercooking the syrup, so it never sets firm. Chef's tip: work quickly once the nuts are in, and press the nougat flat with an oiled sheet of baking paper.

50 min

French Desserts

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Crème de marronsSweet chestnut spread

Crème de marrons, sweet chestnut cream, was invented in Privas in the Ardèche in the 1880s to use up broken chestnuts from making marrons glacés, and it is now a French store-cupboard classic: spread on crêpes at Candlemas, stirred into fromage blanc, or piled into a Mont Blanc dessert. This home version uses cooked, peeled chestnuts. The common mistake is not blending it smooth enough. Chef's tip: blend while still warm, and push it through a sieve for a silky finish.

40 min

French Basics

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Crêpes dentelleCrisp lace crêpe biscuits

Crêpes dentelle, "lace crêpes", are a speciality of Quimper in Brittany, said to have been invented by a baker there in 1886 who burnt a crêpe and rolled it up; they are wafer-thin, crisp, buttery rolled biscuits, sold in tins all over Brittany and eaten with coffee or crumbled over ice cream. The common mistake is spreading the batter too thick, so they will not crisp. Chef's tip: spread the batter so thin you can see the tray through it, and roll each one as soon as it comes out of the oven.

40 min

French Baking

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Tarte au citron meringuéeLemon meringue tart

Tarte au citron meringuée is one of the best-loved tarts in French pâtisseries, a crisp sweet pastry case filled with sharp lemon cream and crowned with swirls of glossy meringue, toasted until golden; it is a favourite Sunday lunch dessert from Paris to Menton, the lemon town on the Riviera. The lemon cream is cooked on the hob, so it sets cleanly. The common mistake is letting the lemon cream boil hard, which makes it grainy. Chef's tip: make the meringue with hot syrup (Italian meringue); it is stable, safe to eat and will not weep on the tart.

85 min

French Desserts

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Pets-de-nonneFried choux puffs

Pets-de-nonne are tiny fried choux puffs, light as air, rolled in sugar and eaten warm at carnival time, Mardi Gras and in winter markets in Alsace, Lorraine and the Franche-Comté. Spoonfuls of choux dough swell and turn themselves over in the hot oil. The common mistake is frying too hot, so they brown before they puff and stay raw inside. Chef's tip: keep the oil at 170 °C and fry only a few at a time; they turn over by themselves when ready.

40 min

French Desserts

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Truffes au chocolatChocolate truffles

Chocolate truffles, named after the black truffles of Périgord they resemble, are the home-made Christmas gift and after-dinner treat of France, rolled roughly and dusted with bitter cocoa. They need just good dark chocolate, cream and a little butter. The common mistake is overheating the chocolate, which makes it split and greasy. Chef's tip: work with cold hands and a melon baller, and keep the tray in the fridge between batches.

35 min

French Desserts

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Confiture de tomates vertesGreen tomato jam

Green tomato jam is the thrifty end-of-summer preserve of French kitchen gardens, made in October in the south-west and Provence with the tomatoes that will never ripen before the frost; it tastes surprisingly like a mix of melon and lemon and is served with breakfast or with cheese. The common mistake is cutting the tomatoes too big, so they stay hard. Chef's tip: slice them thinly and leave them overnight in the sugar; they turn translucent when cooked.

80 min

French Basics

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