Bilal Soomro
Recipes by Bilal Soomro
Hyderabadi Biryani
The kacchi biryani of Hyderabad, Sindh — raw marinated meat layered with parboiled rice, sealed, and slow-cooked until every grain absorbs the masala. No pre-cooking the meat.
Sindhi Kadhi
A tangy, substantial vegetable curry thickened with roasted gram flour and soured with tamarind — nothing like the yoghurt-based Punjabi kadhi you may know. Full of bhindi, aloo, and drumstick, this is Sindhi comfort food in its purest form.
Sindhi Sai Bhaji
Sindh's beloved green mash — spinach, split chickpeas, and whatever vegetables are to hand, slow-cooked together until completely unified into a thick, deeply flavourful green mass. Finished with a sizzling garlic tarka.
Sindhi Koki
Sindh's thick, crispy, flavour-packed breakfast flatbread — whole wheat dough loaded with onion, green chilli, fresh coriander, and carom seeds, pressed thick, scored in a crosshatch pattern, and cooked on a tawa with generous ghee until crackling and golden.
Schezwan Chicken
Fiery stir-fried chicken in a bold, tangy sauce built from dried red chillies, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and a touch of vinegar. Pakistani Chinese at its most unapologetically spicy — served over egg fried rice.
Pallo Machli (Stuffed Sindhi River Fish)
Sindh's sacred migratory river fish — pallo (Tenualosa ilisha, the Pakistani hilsa) — stuffed with green coriander-chilli masala and cooked. Only available fresh in Sindh from February to April. Substitute: surmai (kingfish) or frozen hilsa. NEVER rohu or catla — they are a completely different fish family.
Aloo Tuk (Sindhi Double-Fried Spiced Potatoes)
Thick potato slices that go through two rounds of frying — first to cook through, then pressed flat and fried again until shattery and golden — then immediately tossed in a fierce spice mix of amchoor, red chilli, and chaat masala while still blazing hot. The result is a snack that is simultaneously crispy, soft inside, sour, spicy, and completely addictive. You will eat them faster than you can fry them.
Karachi Halwa (Cornflour Halwa / Bombay Halwa)
A jewel-bright, translucent, gloriously chewy halwa made from cornflour, sugar, and an extravagant amount of ghee — cooked in one pot with relentless stirring until it transforms into a bouncy, glistening confection the colour of liquid amber or emerald. Set in a greased tray, cut into diamonds, and decorated with pistachios, it looks like something from a confectionery museum. It is also utterly, devastatingly delicious.
Sindhi Mutton Korma
Sindh's version of mutton korma — darker, spicier, and with a distinctive tang from extra onions and tomatoes. A bold, confident korma that doesn't apologise for having opinions.
Karahi Qeema
Karachi's bold, tomato-heavy minced beef cooked karahi-style with fresh green chillies and coriander. Fast, fiery, and served straight from the karahi — street food energy at home.
Sindhi Peas and Carrot Pulao
This Sindhi Peas and Carrot Pulao is a colourful, warming rice dish that combines sweet gajar (carrots) and matar (peas) in a lightly spiced, fragrant basmati. A vegetarian side dish that holds its own against any main course.
Sindhi Pulao
Sindhi Pulao is a rich, distinctive rice dish that sets itself apart with a masala base of fried onions, whole spices, and a generous hand with the ghee. More flavourful than most one-pot rice dishes, this is Sindhi cooking at its confident, satisfying best.
Pakistani Street-Style Egg Fried Rice
Pakistani Street-Style Egg Fried Rice is the Karachi roadside classic — bold, smoky from the high-heat wok, loaded with eggs and vegetables, and deeply satisfying at any hour. This is the rice dish that fuels night markets, late-night students, and everyone in between.
Karachi Chicken Fried Rice
Karachi Chicken Fried Rice is the city's beloved restaurant staple made at home — tender pieces of chicken wok-fried with cold rice, vegetables, soya sauce, and eggs in a dish that hits every flavour note with characteristic Karachi confidence.
Beef Karahi Karachi Style
Karachi-style Beef Karahi is a bold, deeply flavoured dish that showcases the city's love for beef — slow-cooked gosht (meat) in a spiced tomato masala that's been bhunoed (stir-fried) to perfection. This is Karachi's beef obsession in one karahi.
Mutton Karahi Karachi Style
Mutton Karahi Karachi Style is the festive showstopper of Sindh — tender mutton slow-cooked in a robust spiced tomato masala with the trademark Karachi flair: high heat, bold flavours, and a generous hand with fresh ginger.
Sindhi Seekh Kebab
Sindhi Seekh Kebab brings the bold, spice-forward character of Sindhi cuisine to this classic form — with distinctive additions like dried mango powder (amchur) and extra green chilli that create a seekh unlike anything you've had before.
Chicken Malai Tikka Karachi
Karachi's Chicken Malai Tikka is the city's most popular mild BBQ — bone-in chicken pieces marinated in a luxurious cream and cream cheese marinade, then grilled to silky golden perfection. Rich, mild, and completely irresistible.
Sindhi Moong Dal
Sindhi Moong Dal is a light, golden, and warming lentil dish seasoned with the distinctive Sindhi touch of curry leaves and dried red chillies. Simple enough for weeknights, comforting enough for sick days.
Karachi Sindhi Kadhi
Karachi Sindhi Kadhi is a uniquely tangy, gram flour-based curry loaded with vegetables — a nutritious one-pot wonder that is the very heart of Sindhi home cooking and Sunday lunch culture.
Karachi Halwa Puri
Karachi Halwa Puri is the city's most celebrated breakfast — golden, pillowy-soft puri bread paired with intensely sweet sooji halwa and spiced chana, a Sunday morning tradition that Karachiites fiercely defend.
Masala Aloo Tuk
Masala Aloo Tuk takes the classic Sindhi twice-fried potato and loads it with a vibrant street-food style topping of yoghurt, chutneys, and chaat masala — a festival of textures and flavours in one plate.
Landhi Karachi Style — Urban Revival
The Karachi urban interpretation of Balochi landhi — using commercially available dried mutton or quick-cure beef, cooked in a rich Sindhi-influenced masala that bridges the Balochi original with Karachi's cosmopolitan palate.
Karachi Falooda with Rose Syrup
Karachi's iconic falooda layered with rose syrup, chilled milk, basil seeds, vermicelli, and a crown of vanilla ice cream — the ultimate street food dessert drink. This layered glass of joy is what Karachi summers are made of, and now you can make it at home.
Sindhi Shami Kebab — with Potato
Sindhi-style shami kebab sets itself apart by incorporating boiled aloo (potato) into the mince mixture, making it softer, more economical, and distinctly texturally different from Punjabi versions. Cooked with a Sindhi spice profile and served with Sindhi-style green chutney.
Egg Bun Kebab — Karachi Street Style
Karachi's beloved egg bun kebab — a spiced scrambled egg filling with fried potato, onions and chillies piled into a toasted bun with both chutneys. The vegetarian soul of Karachi street food that satisfies any hunger in under 15 minutes.