The Street Food Culture of Pakistan

In Pakistan, no matter where you go, street food is easy to find. The local street food is adapted to regional tastes and seasonally available produce.

Trains at a Karachi Station.

Mazar-E-Quaid, Karachi.

The local street food is adapted to regional tastes and seasonally available produce. These food streets are often found filled with pedestrians who are out to eat a quick meal in between work or families enjoying an inexpensive but delicious meal at night.

One of the most important aspects about Pakistani street food is the portability and easy transportation of food from plate to mouth.

Another aspect is the minimal amount of utensils used in eating the meal.

One of the most popular items is the bun kabab, which was made popular in the 1950s as a snack for cinema goers, and has now become a commonly found street food item as well.

It was first served outside schools and cinemas on thelas - a small stall on wheel - with a filling of chickpeas cooked in a heavy gravy, garnished with onions, coriander and a spicy chutney. It then started including various other patties, such as a fried egg and lentil patty, a potato patty, and of course the shami kabab patty, made with minced meat and lentils.

One of the most sumptuous snacks of the subcontinent is chaat. With its rich delicacies and intricate mix of flavor, colors and textures, chaat is one of the reasons of happiness for people on the go as it is quickly prepared and easily consumed according to the varying taste profiles that people possess.

When speaking of street food snacks in Pakistan, deep fried savories are a favorite. A pakora for example, is essentially a deep fried fritter.

The batter of a pakora is made with chickpea flour mixed with water and cornstarch or rice flour so that the outside becomes crispy and inside remains soft while frying. To add flavor and texture to even the most basic of pakoras, an assortment of spices, herbs and vegetables can be used. Some people prefer adding chopped onions and potatoes, while others prefer coating spinach leaves with the batter.

Another year-round street food favorite are samosas - a triangular pastry sheet filled with savory or spicy fillings which include, but are not limited to, chicken or beef mince, vegetables and potatoes. Pakoras and samosas are not just deep fried delicious snacks, they are prepared within minutes, satiate hunger and can be consumed on the move in busy markets or while commuting, making them the perfect hunger busters.

With the love Pakistanis possess for food, there’s no way that our street food journey can end without something sweet.

There is the dairy-based kulfi, a milky, creamy frozen dessert served either in earthen molds or frozen like a popsicle in a cone-shaped mold, often garnished with pistachios or almonds. There are different flavors as well, such as rose, chocolate and pistachio, but it is the original, un-churned ice cream that holds the top spot for most popular.

The second dessert is the hot, sweet jalebi, found at every local sweetmeat shop.

Made with flour, saffron and cardamom, the batter for jalebi is whisked into a ribbon-like consistency.

It is then poured into a muslin cloth with a small hole,

large enough to allow a thin stream to be swirled into large swirls and deep fried until golden brown.

The hot jalebi is then immediately dipped into sheera, a thick sugar syrup which soaks into the jalebi, and is then served.

Jalebis are best enjoyed fresh out of the karhai, piping hot and oozing with syrup or soaked in warm milk, sometimes even as a breakfast item with thick, sweet rabri (thick, sweetened condensed milk).