PakistaniLassi (Sweet and Salted)Thick, cooling Punjabi-style yogurt lassi with two easy versions: a sweet one scented with cardamom and rose, and a salted one with roasted cumin and mint. Ready in ten minutes.10 min·Serves 4
PakistaniDaal Shorba (Smooth Red Lentil Soup with Ginger, Cumin and Lemon)A thin, silky soup of red and yellow lentils blended with ginger, tomato and carrot, then finished with a sizzling cumin and garlic ghee. Good on a cold evening with bread on the side.55 min·Serves 4
PakistaniChapatiSoft, thin whole wheat flatbreads cooked on a tawa until they puff and show light brown spots. Make them fresh to scoop up daal, sabzi and curries at dinner.50 min·Serves 4
PakistaniGarlic NaanSoft, blistered oven-baked naan brushed with garlic and coriander butter. It needs no tandoor, just a very hot tray, and it's ideal for scooping up karahi or daal.1 h 50 min·Serves 6
PakistaniMint Raita (Pudina Raita with Roasted Cumin)A cooling, pale green yogurt side with fresh mint, roasted cumin and a little green chilli. Serve it beside biryani, pulao or grilled meat to calm the heat.12 min·Serves 4
PakistaniAloo Samosa (Crisp Potato and Pea Samosas with Coriander Seed)Flaky, blistered pastry filled with spiced potato, peas and crushed coriander seed. Make a batch for iftar, tea time or guests, and fry them slowly for a crisp shell.1 h 30 min·Serves 6
PakistaniMix Sabzi (Pakistani Mixed Vegetable Curry)An everyday mixed vegetable curry with potato, carrot, beans, cauliflower and peas in a soft onion-tomato masala. Simple to make with ordinary vegetables, and it goes well with roti.1 h 5 min·Serves 4
PakistaniTahiri (Turmeric Potato and Pea Rice)A one-pot vegetarian rice dish of golden basmati cooked with potatoes, peas and whole spices. It is simple, filling and ready in under an hour, ideal for an easy weekday lunch.56 min·Serves 4
PakistaniVegetable Spring RollsCrisp, golden rolls filled with cabbage, carrot and capsicum in a peppery soy and garlic seasoning. A Ramadan and tea-time favourite that can be rolled ahead and fried when guests arrive.1 h 5 min·Serves 6
PakistaniAloo Tikki (Crisp Spiced Potato Patties with Coriander and Pomegranate Seeds)Golden shallow-fried potato patties with a crisp crust and soft, spiced centre. Serve them hot with tamarind or mint chutney for a filling tea-time snack.50 min·Serves 4
PakistaniSarson ka Saag (Slow-Cooked Mustard Greens with Ghee Tarka)A thick, deeply savoury Punjabi winter dish of slow-cooked mustard greens and spinach, thickened with cornmeal and finished with a sizzling garlic-ginger ghee tarka. Best with makki ki roti.1 h 25 min·Serves 6
PakistaniBaingan Bharta (Smoky Roasted Aubergine with Onion, Tomato and Green Chilli)Aubergines are charred over an open flame until smoky and silky, then cooked down with onion, tomato and ground spices. It is a simple side for roti or rice that needs very few ingredients.50 min·Serves 4
PakistaniKarelay Pyaz (Bitter Gourd with Caramelised Onions)A dry-style side dish of crisp-edged bitter gourd rounds cooked with plenty of sweet golden onions, fennel and a sour finish of amchur. Salting first tames the bitterness.1 h 10 min·Serves 4
PakistaniBhindi Masala (Okra with Onion, Tomato and Dry Spices)Tender okra cooked with golden onions, tomatoes and ground spices until the masala clings to each pod. A dry-style vegetable curry that is easy to serve with roti at lunch.50 min·Serves 4
PakistaniAloo Gobi (Dry-Style Potato and Cauliflower Masala)A dry, gently spiced curry of potato and cauliflower with cumin, turmeric and fresh ginger. Easy to make in one pan and good with hot roti for a weekday lunch.45 min·Serves 4
PakistaniAloo Palak (Potato and Spinach Curry with Cumin and Ginger)Tender potatoes simmered in a smooth spinach and onion-tomato masala, finished with garam masala and lemon. A simple everyday sabzi that is ready in under an hour and suits roti or rice.55 min·Serves 4
PakistaniLahori Chanay (Tea-Simmered Chickpea Curry for Breakfast)A thick, deeply coloured chickpea curry in the style of Lahore's breakfast stalls, simmered with black tea and finished with ginger and lemon. Scoop it up with puri, kulcha or hot naan.1 h 30 min·Serves 4
PakistaniMash ki Daal (Split Black Gram with Ginger and Garlic Ghee Tarka)A thick, creamy daal of split black gram simmered with ginger and a light onion-tomato masala, then topped with sizzling garlic and cumin ghee. Rich, filling and good with roti or rice.1 h 15 min·Serves 4
PakistaniChana Daal with Onion-Tomato Masala and Garlic TarkaSplit chickpeas simmered until tender but still whole, then folded into a golden onion-tomato masala and finished with a sizzling garlic and cumin tarka. A hearty everyday lunch for rice or roti.1 h 30 min·Serves 4
PakistaniMoong Daal (Split Yellow Lentils with Garlic Tarka)A soft, gently spiced pot of split yellow moong lentils finished with a sizzling garlic and cumin tarka. Light, quick and easy to digest-friendly cooking for everyday lunches with rice or roti.45 min·Serves 4
PakistaniChana Pulao (Chickpea Pulao with Whole Spices and Fried Onions)A one-pot rice dish of tender chickpeas and basmati, cooked in the chickpea broth with browned onions, yogurt and whole spices. Filling, meat-free and good for a weekday lunch.1 h 55 min·Serves 4
PakistaniMatar Pulao (Green Pea Pulao with Cumin and Whole Spices)A fragrant, one-pot basmati pulao with sweet green peas, golden onions, cumin and whole spices. It's simple enough for a weekday lunch and good with raita.1 h 15 min·Serves 4
PakistaniAloo Anday (Potato and Boiled Egg Curry with Cumin and Green Chilli)Tender potatoes and turmeric-crisped boiled eggs in a light, cumin-scented tomato gravy. It is a budget-friendly lunch that comes together with pantry staples and goes well with roti or rice.1 h·Serves 4
Middle EasternShakshukaEggs poached in a peppery tomato sauce with cumin and paprika, served straight from the pan with warm bread.35 min·Serves 3