If you’re not coming to Pakistan for food, what are you even doing? As a Pakistani-American, I take a lot of pride in the cuisine of Pakistan. I know as an experienced traveler myself that it can be difficult to know what to order when in a foreign country, eating foreign foods.

In an effort to educate more travelers from around the world about Pakistan, Pakistani culture, cuisine, and traditions, I thought a blog post highlighting delicious street foods you have to try in the country or at a Pakistani restaurant would help you next time. Get ready! It’s going to be a long list and you might not want to read this on an empty stomach.

Pakistan offers a diverse and delicious array of street foods that are loved by locals and visitors alike. You can find most of these at restaurants as well in Pakistan and at Pakistani restaurants around the world. Here are some must-try Pakistani street foods:

Samosas

These are deep-fried pastries filled with savory ingredients like spiced potatoes, peas, or minced beef typically. No, they’re not healthy but they’re extremely delicious. You can eat them with various dipping sauces like mint chutney or tamarind sauce.

Pakoras

 These are fritters made by batter-coating ingredients like potatoes, onions, or spinach and then deep-frying them. They are often served with chutney. They’re eaten all year round and again can be found all throughout Pakistan. They may be in different shapes though.

Seekh Kebabs

 These are skewered and grilled kebabs made from minced meat, often beef or chicken, mixed with various spices and herbs.

Chapli Kebabs 

A specialty of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region of Pakistan, these are flat, round kebabs made with minced meat (usually beef or mutton) mixed with spices and herbs. You can eat them as is or with rice or bread. Served with chutney as well usually.

Gol Gappay

 Also known as pani puri and one of my favorite street foods. These are hollow, crispy puris filled with spicy, tangy water (aka pani in Urdu) and various fillings like boiled potatoes, chickpeas, and chutneys. You’re supposed to pop them into your mouth all at once before it starts dripping for an explosion of flavors. I could eat 20 of them. I will say most travelers even some locals will skip eating this on the street because the water might not be filtered or mineral water but also because of hygiene.

Bun Kebabs

A popular street food in Karachi, bun kebabs consist of a spicy patty made from minced meat served in a bun along with chutney and onions. Go to Burns Road in Karachi for some of the best.

Paratha Rolls

Flaky, buttery parathas filled with various fillings like grilled chicken, seekh kebabs, or spicy vegetables, often accompanied by chutney.

Dahi Bhalla

This one probably doesn’t look appetizing and you might not even be able to tell what it is but this is like a street food you wouldn’t find at a lot of restaurants outside of Pakistan. It’s usually made at home a lot and I grew up eating it during Ramadan often. It’s basically deep-fried lentil dumplings served with yogurt, tangy tamarind chutney, and spice all in one.

Chana Chaat

This is also one of my favorites. Chana chaat is a flavorful salad made with boiled chickpeas, onions, tomatoes, green chilies, and spices, often topped with yogurt and chutneys.

Halwa Puri

A popular breakfast dish you have to have at least once. Puri is a fluffy, deep-fried bread and it is served with two things to eat it with: a sweet semolina pudding (halwa) and spicy chickpea curry (chana). 

Nihari

 A slow-cooked stew made with tender meat (often beef or mutton), simmered with spices until it’s incredibly flavorful and served with naan. Naan is a type of flatbread which is cooked in a tandoor aka a cylindrical clay oven.

Paya

Now, this is one for the real adventurous. I don’t eat this but in Lahore specifically, there are many famous street vendors that serve this. My parents love it but it couldn’t be me. Paya is a rich and hearty dish made from slow-cooked trotters (usually of goat or cow) in a spicy, flavorful gravy, often enjoyed with naan or rice.

Fruit Chaat

This is the only healthy item on this list. Sorry not sorry. A refreshing fruit salad made with a mix of seasonal fruits like apples, bananas, oranges, and pomegranates, tossed with tangy spices, lemon juice, and chaat masala. The spices and chaat masala (spice blend) is what gives it that extra oomph.

Jalebi

*Cues the song Jalebi baby by Tesher* 

This is a dessert that you’ll start to see everywhere. Orange deep-fried swirls of batter soaked in sugar syrup, jalebi is a popular sweet treat enjoyed across Pakistan, especially during festivals, weddings, and celebrations.

Kulfi

Kulfi is a traditional creamy and dense frozen dessert made from thickened milk, sugar, and various flavors like pistachio, rose, or saffron. If you see a man walking with a closed box that looks like it could be freezer/cooler, good chance there’s kulfi in there… especially if you see children near it.

Chapshurro

A specialty of the Gilgit-Baltistan region which is known for its beautiful mountains and scenery, chapshurro is a type of flatbread filled with minced meat, onions, and spices, folded into layers and then pan-fried until crispy. Pakistan is quite diverse in topography, cultures, and cuisine. Most of Pakistan eats spicy food but in the North you’ll see they eat foods with Central Asian influences.

Kachori

Deep-fried, crispy pastries filled with a spicy mixture of lentils or mashed potatoes, typically served with tamarind chutney. Deep-fried… notice a trend?

Gola Ganda

Think of this as your snow cone.  A colorful and icy treat, gola ganda is made by shaving ice into a cup and then topping it with various flavored syrups, fruit juices, and sometimes condensed milk. Perfect to cool down on a hot day but another item that you might have to be careful with. Ask them to use mineral water if they can.

Bhutta

Roasted or grilled corn on the cob, brushed with spices, lemon juice, and salt, is a popular street snack, especially during the monsoon season. You’ll find them being sold at the beach in Karachi and eating corn on the cob on the beach is a vibe.

Fried Fish

If you’re in Karachi, do me a favor and try the fried fish here. Even if you don’t love fish, I feel like you might after eating it in Pakistan. The way it is cooked with masala and o served with spicy dipping sauces and freshly squeezed lemon juice is just too good.

These are just a few more examples of the diverse and delicious street foods you can enjoy throughout Pakistan. Each dish offers a unique blend of flavors and textures that will tantalize your taste buds!

Gajar Ka Halwa

A delicious dessert made from grated carrots cooked in ghee (clarified butter), milk, sugar, and flavored with cardamom and nuts.

Daga Kabob

I don’t know why I’m putting this one last because I still think about this one. Daga means string and well, you know what a kabob is. They cook the kabob wrapped in a string and you pull the string and the meat falls apart. You eat it with naan and chutney and oooh, it is so good. Go to Burns Road in Karachi for the best ones.

Gulab Jamun

Another sweet treat you have to try once. When I say sweet, I really mean it. This is a brown, soft dumpling that melts in your mouth made from milk solids kneaded into a dough. Then they’re deep-fried and soaked in a sugar syrup usually with cardamom, rose water, and saffron. You can find this at a bakery and they’re almost always served at festivals, weddings, etc.