Visiting Pakistan as a tourist means you will have the best food experience. From historical tourist destinations to mighty mountain ranges and diverse Pakistani street food to traditional breakfast in Pakistani, the country has a lot to offer when it comes to gastronomy.
Pakistan is known for religious and pre-historic places, folk art, and regional cuisines. Many tourists travel to Pakistan every year to explore the heritage sites and delicious food in Pakistan. There is a reason why Pakistani dishes are so memorable.
What Is Special About Breakfast In Pakistan?
Pakistani breakfast is derived from its vast cultural diversity. It has a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian delectable options. Breakfast in Pakistan is not just filling but has a distinctive and addictive taste.
Pakistanis are true food lovers so the first meal of the day is usually heavy and contains greasy stews, naan or parathas, and tea or lassi. You will find different breakfast menus in Pakistani urban cities and rural areas.
Most Famous Pakistani Breakfast
Halwa Puri (Semolina Pudding and Fried Flatbread)
Halwa Puri is a soul-comforting breakfast in Pakistan you must try when given the opportunity. Natives love to enjoy this Pakistani breakfast on weekends.
Halwa puri is essentially a combo platter of flaky flatbread and semolina pudding. It is also served on special occasions like religious events and weddings.
Pakistani Breakfast – Non-Vegetarian
Nihari (Meat Stew)
Nihari holds a special place in traditional Pakistani breakfast. It is also the national food of Pakistan. It is a bit expensive compared to other dishes but still loved by everyone.
Nihari is a buttery gravy stew dish. It is prepared by cooking meat (beef shanks, mutton, or chicken) over low flame. This Pakistani dish gets its rich flavor from a bunch of spices and herbs, including cumin, cloves, garam masala, and cardamom.
Siri Paye (Head and Trotters)
Siri Paye is one of the most famous breakfast in Pakistan. People love to eat Siri paye as a weekend breakfast or brunch. The dish gets its name “Siri Paye” from the words skull and trotters, which means Siri and Paye in Urdu.
This traditional Pakistani breakfast is made by stir-frying the skull and hooves of goat, cow, or lamb with onion, ginger-garlic paste, and spices.
It is garnished with crushed ginger and coriander and served with naan or Pakistani roti. The garnished fresh green chili and coriander leaves will feel like heaven to your taste buds.
Harissa (Thick Meat Stew)
Harissa is one of the rarest items you can find in Pakistani breakfast. The dish is worth mentioning as it has a unique blend of ingredients.
Harissa is originally from Kashmiri cuisine and usually eaten during winter. It is a stew made from wheat, rice, green lentils, and meat. It also contains clarified butter and lemon juice, which gives it a buttery and tangy flavor.
Although harissa looks similar to haleem, it has an unusual taste that makes it different from haleem. Some people enjoy it with hot naan, while others eat it with a spoon.
You can enjoy the best harissa breakfast in Pakistan at the Amritsari Harissa restaurant in Gujranwala. It is loaded with clarified butter and spicy mutton kebabs. Before serving, the plate is topped with more mutton kebabs, chopped ginger, green chilies, and lemon slices.
Ghilmindi (Quesadilla)
Ghilmindi is a Pakistani breakfast having its roots in Hunza. It is stuffed with a cheesy mixture of coriander, mint, apricot oil, and onions. These tortilla quesadillas are fried on a pan and then cut into triangles.
Sometimes, shavings of nuts are also added to the filling or sprinkled on top of ghilmindi. If you want to enjoy the original taste of ghilmindi, you should visit Hunza. Because even top restaurants in urban cities cannot serve the authentic flavor.
Hoilo Garma (Pasta)
Hoilo Garma is a Pakistani breakfast dish from Gilgit-Baltistan. It contains different vegetables sauteed in apricot oil with pasta and local spices.
Hoilo Garma tastes something like alfredo pasta. Pasta is always prepared fresh and sometimes also contains meat. All the ingredients are cooked slowly and then served with chopped apricot seeds.
Traditional Pakistani Breakfast – Vegetarian
Naan Chanay (Flatbread with Chickpeas Gravy)
Naan chanay is considered the most-eaten Pakistani breakfast. Also known as kulcha, this is a round Pakistani bread made with all-purpose flour, and chaney is the spicy gravy of chickpeas.
Every bite of this combination of naan and channay will satisfy your savory food craving. You can enjoy this famous breakfast in Pakistan from any local shop.
Stuffed Paratha (Stuffed Flatbread)
Stuffed paratha is a traditional Pakistani breakfast, most popular in the Punjab region. People in Punjab enjoy it with lassi (a Pakistani breakfast drink). The word “paratha” comes by combining two words, “part” and “atta,” which means layers of cooked dough.
The flatbread is stuffed with a spicy filling of potatoes, cauliflower, or reddish. The parathas are served with pickles, yogurt, or homemade sauces to enhance their taste.
Gyaling or Go-lee (Pancakes)
Gyaling or go-lee is a thin and stretchy pancake that is served hot with butter on it. It is a traditional Hunza valley Pakistani breakfast. Gyaling is also eaten as an evening snack with apricot sauce and hot tea.
It is prepared with whole wheat and is specially eaten by the people of Hunza during the celebration of wheat cultivation.
Chai And Paratha (Tea with Flatbread)
Chai paratha is a simple breakfast in Pakistan, it is exactly what it sounds like Chai with Parantha. But don’t let the simplicity fool you, it is a perfect Pakistani breakfast when you want something straightforward but fulfilling.
A cup of warm, sweet tea that just compliments and washes down the greasy dough of Parantha. A great perk-me-up for the morning. You can find several tea shops in Pakistan serving tea with parathas.
Karachi and Peshawar are considered the best tourist points to enjoy Chai paratha. They also serve the most delicious traditional Pakistani breakfast items in addition to chai paratha.
Discovering Traditional Pakistani Breakfast
Pakistani breakfast is no doubt one of the most filling meals in the world. They are meant to provide energy as most of the locals engage in active or laborious work.
Breakfast in Pakistan is known for its aromatic and spicy flavors. A typical breakfast in Pakistan consists of parathas, fried eggs, vegetable or meat curry, and tea.
Some Pakistani breakfast dishes contain a lot of grease, like Halwa Puri and Paye, giving a fuller and flavorsome breakfast experience.
