15 dhaba-style recipes to make at home
Roadside classics with bold tarka and big flavour: karahi, daal, chana and more, made in a home kitchen.
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1 Pakistani · 1 h 55 min · serves 5
Mutton Chops Masala
Mutton chops are marinated, pressure-cooked until soft, then finished in a thick, glossy masala that clings to the bone. A good Sunday dinner with naan or rice.
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2 Pakistani · 45 min · serves 4
Chicken Karahi
Chicken cooked hard and fast in a wok-shaped karahi with tomatoes, green chilies and ginger. No onions, no cream, and ready in under an hour.
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3 Pakistani · 35 min · serves 4
Masoor Daal with Tarka
Red lentils simmered until silky, then finished with a sizzling tarka of cumin, garlic and dried chilies. Weeknight comfort for very little money.
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4 Indian · 40 min · serves 4
Chana Masala
Chickpeas in a dark, tangy onion-tomato masala with amchur and garam masala. Pantry cooking at its best.
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5 Pakistani · 45 min · serves 4
Aloo Paratha
Whole-wheat flatbread stuffed with spiced mashed potato and griddled in ghee until crisp in spots.
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6 Pakistani · 1 h 10 min · serves 4
Chicken Handi
Tender bone-in chicken simmered in a silky onion, tomato and yogurt gravy, then finished with cream and kasuri methi. A mild, rich curry that's ideal with fresh naan.
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7 Pakistani · 42 min · serves 4
Prawn Karahi
Juicy prawns tossed quickly in a tomato, ginger and green chilli masala until the oil glistens. A fast, punchy karahi that suits a weeknight dinner with hot naan.
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8 Pakistani · 1 h 40 min · serves 6
Daal Gosht
Tender bone-in mutton simmered with chana daal in a well-browned onion and yogurt masala, finished with a sizzling garlic and cumin tarka. A hearty one-pot dinner for roti or rice.
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9 Pakistani · 1 h 55 min · serves 4
Mutton Karahi
A tomato-rich, Lahori-style mutton karahi cooked slowly in its own juices until tender, then finished on high heat until the oil shines. Serve it straight from the pan with hot naan.
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10 Pakistani · 1 h 30 min · serves 6
Shinwari Lamb Karahi
A simple, meat-forward lamb karahi in the Peshawari Shinwari style, cooked in its own fat with tomatoes, green chillies and black pepper. Rich, glossy and ready in about an hour and a half.
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11 Pakistani · 55 min · serves 4
White Chicken Karahi
A creamy, mild karahi made with yogurt, cashew paste, white pepper and green chillies. It's rich but gentle, and it's a good choice when you want something different from the usual red tomato karahi.
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12 Pakistani · 1 h 30 min · serves 4
Chana Daal with Onion-Tomato Masala and Garlic Tarka
Split 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.
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13 Indian · 1 h 5 min · serves 4
Dal Tadka
Soft, creamy yellow lentils simmered with tomato and ginger, then finished with a sizzling garlic, cumin and chilli tempering. Simple, filling and ready in about an hour.
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14 Indian · 2 h 5 min · serves 6
Dal Makhani
Whole black lentils and kidney beans simmered slowly with tomato, butter and cream until thick, smoky and velvety. A restaurant-style dal that is easy to make ahead for a family dinner.
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15 Pakistani · 55 min · serves 4
Kaleji Masala
Tender cubes of goat liver cooked quickly in a thick onion-tomato masala and finished with fresh ginger, green chilli and lemon. Ready in under an hour and lovely with hot roti.
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