Famous Desi Food In Lahore

Zinda Dilaan-e-Lahore has always been the foodies of Pakistan. No one can beat them in their spices and innovation regarding the food. All those foreigners and even Pakistanis from other cities, whenever they visit Lahore, the first thing they look out for is the best street food in Lahore. People tend to ask their friends, or friends of their friends, or even sometimes strangers just to reach the best food attractions in Lahore.

The growing trend of fine dining and enjoying tiny portions for hefty amounts are increasing by the day. Interestingly, Lahore is still all about food. From enjoying your favorite juicy steaks indoor to relaxing on the charpai and slurping on ‘peray wali lassi’; Lahore has all sorts of foods to offer. Nonetheless, the true essence of Lahori food lies in the tarkaas, masalas and everything Desi. Without further ado, here’s a cool list of Desi eateries Lahore offers for the foodie in all of you!

Muhammadi Nihari House

If you haven’t tried Nihari yet, this is your sign to do so. Nihari is a traditional dish that was loved by the Mughal Emperors, a meal they would enjoy as a morning meal after their morning prayers. It includes slow-cooked meat and stew, flavored with spices that have an effect of a burst of flavors in your mouth. The meat of Nihari is so tender, it literally melts in your mouth the moment you ingest it, so trust us when we say you have to try it.  If you are a true nihari lover, Muhamadi Nahari house is for you. fortunately, this place tops my Desi restaurant list because it serves the best warm, finger-licking-awesome nihari. The best part is how the taste is unaltered for decades.

Moreover, they are the pioneers of mutton Nihari, paye nihari and camel nihari. I ought to try camel nihari! If you ask me, my favorite is beef nalli nihari with their freshly baked milky naan. Now you can visit Muhammadi Nahari house in Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Karachi, Faislabad, Gujranwala as well as in Murree.

Paye from Manoo Siri Paaye

Paye is a favorite dish amongst Pakistanis. This traditional dish includes the hooves of goats, sheep, or even buffalos, which are slow-cooked with different spices to make gravy. Enjoyed with naan or khameeri rotis, Paye is often loved by most as a breakfast dish as well. 

This forty years old Siri Paye shop has been serving through a single branch to the people of Lahore. You can visit them for their delicious and tender Siri Paye from Mon to Sat, from 5 am to 9 am. Try to reach a bit earlier to avoid the immense crowd. Indeed, it is one of the best places to eat in Lahore.

Beef Khoya Tikka from Shafi Tikka Shop

Shafi Tikka shop presents beef tikkas marinated in khoya along with their other secret spices. This khoya adds to the deliciousness and tenderness of the tikkas and their spices very aptly complement both the beef and the khoya.

Zakir Tikka is another roadside restaurant that has earned its name over the years.Iit has slightly lost its quality in terms of food but their freshly baked garlic naan, kalonji naan, and Saada naan are still on point.

Hareesa

Harees, Jareesh, boko boko, or harisa is a dish of boiled, cracked, or coarsely-ground wheat, mixed with meat and seasoned. Its consistency varies between a porridge and a gruel. Hareesa is a traditional dish, with a base of finely ground wheat, meat, and different herbs and spices. It takes quite a lot of effort to make it, hence, sometimes it’s smart to just head off to Amritsari Hareesa in Gawalmandi Lahore to fulfill your craving for this traditional dish. 

Lahori Hareesa has an arcadian taste to it. Its traditional, it’s classy and it’s moreish. It’s the ideal thing to serve at parties to make your guests love it. Give it a try and fall in love with Lahori Hareesa all-over again. Hareesa with crunchy kulcha is a match made in heaven. It’s most enjoyed in winters because it tastes best when served piping hot. This delicacy that consists of slow cooked grains and small meat kebabs is one of the jewels of Lahore and the place that serves the most delicious hareesa is Kashmiri Hareesa on Nisbat Road. Sticking to the traditional way of making hareesa, the owners follow the recipe of their great grandfather and have installed a “deig” inside the ground to make sure the grains cook slowly and become mushy on their own by the heat supplied through the buried coals around the deig. 

Halwa Puri

Halwa Puri is a traditional desi breakfast that Lahoris love with all their hearts. The authentic taste of Halwa Puri will always take you back to old Lahore: with the best taste in the city! Zafar Halva Puri definitely takes the lead on this. It’s outdoor street dining (well not exactly dining, but what’s the proper Lahore experience if you don’t SIT on the street and have your food?!) where you are served fresh puris so you can eat them to your fill. Next up is their halwa – halwa is a sweet breakfast dish enjoyed fully by everyone. The pairing of halwa puri is just wonderful for everyone to start off a lazy Sunday with!

Pipping hot puris with chanae and halwa is a breakfast nothing can replace. The magic of fluffy and light puris is not something everyone can achieve which is why we bring you only the best of the best spots to enjoy halwa puri in Lahore.

• Taj Mahal Sweets
• Chand Shahab Sweets
• Butt Sweets
• Capri Restaurant

Besan-Fried Rahu from Bashir Dar ul Mahi, Mozang

Grilled fish, finger fish, deep-fried fish…practically any kind of fish you want, you can find it at Bashir Dar-ul Mahi Restaurant. They serve the best-tasting fish in all of Lahore, and of course, offer quite a lot of varieties that you can choose from as well.

Bashir Dar ul Mahi, now known as the Aslam Dar ul Mahi, is located at Mozand road. There are several other besan-fried fish points in Lahore with the name of Dar ul Mahi, but this one is the original one with its taste and quality being the topmost among all. This deep-fried Rahu fish, coated in besan will surely be the best-fried fish you ever had.