Thanksgiving is a US and Canadian holiday. Whilst not traditionally celebrated in Pakistan, there are so many people of Pakistani origin who now live in the US and Canada who take part in the holiday festivities now. If you’re looking for inspiration for a Thanksgiving dinner spread that fuses these two identities – that holds up those bold Pakistani flavours whilst still keeping the energy of a traditional Thanksgiving meal, you’re in the right place!
Note: Turkey is the most traditional meat for a Thanksgiving meal. However, turkey isn’t common at all in Pakistani cuisine, and this is why you won’t find many Pakistani turkey recipes online.
But there’s absolutely no reason why you can’t use a chicken-based recipe for turkey – the only adjustment you’d need to make is for cook times. Whilst a medium-sized chicken is smaller and would take about 1-1.5 hours to become super tender, a medium-sized turkey can take up to 4 hours. Please refer to this page to work out how long to cook your turkey.
15 Pakistani Recipes For Your Thanksgiving Dinner
1
Lahori Chargha – whole chicken, just like in Lahore
This versatile, finger-lickingly delicious recipe is my top pick for a Pakistani style Thanksgiving meal. Spiced with cumin, lots of ginger and garlic and lemon, this is a winning crowd pleaser. There’s also some tips on how to make a Lahori Chargha spice mix in this post too, perfect for wedges or roast vegetables! To make this using turkey, increase the steam time in this recipe according to the size of your bird.
2
Steam Roast
This is a fantastic recipe I’ve used several times over the years and loved each time! Again, adjust cook times if you’re using turkey according to the size of your bird.
3
Tandoori Roast Turkey
The traditional Thanksgiving star of the show cooked with classic South Asian flavours. This is an ideal recipe to try if you want to stick with turkey!
4
Hara Masala Roast Turkey
‘Hara Masala’ translates as ‘green sauce’ or ‘green spice mix’, and is a catch-all term for any marinade made using fresh mint and coriander leaves. It leaves a light and crisp flavour, and is ideal for you if you’re not quite keen on the hot and strong spices used otherwise in many Pakistani roast recipes.
5
Roast Mutton Leg
Not into turkey or chicken? A beautifully made leg of mutton like this one can also be the star of your Thanksgiving dinner!
6
Curried Green Beans and Potato – Aloo Phali
This classic Thanksgiving side with a Pakistani twist comes together incredibly quickly and pairs fantastically with any kind of roast or bread.
7
Tangy Potatoes – Khatte Aloo
A delicious, lip-smackingly delightful potato-based side that also comes together incredibly quickly and pairs beautifully with any roast. Bonus: you can also mash this recipe up create a tangy mashed potato side!
8
Cumin-spiced Mashed Potatoes
This recipe was originally posted as a samosa filling – but it’s so versatile it can be used in sandwiches, pastries, parathas, and even as a mashed potato side. I’d recommend adding some milk, butter and/or cream into this recipe to get the full creamy mashed potato experience!
9
Spicy Glazed Carrots
A quick and easy side dish that would feel right at home at Thanksgiving.
10
Roasted Mix Vegetables
A brilliant side dish that would work superbly with virtually any main! I love how easily this recipe comes together, and how beautifully it carries the spices we use and love in Pakistani cooking.
11
Mashed Potato Cutlets – Aloo Tikki
Non-traditional idea alert! In Pakistan, we are huge fans of mashed potato cutlets, i.e., Aloo Tikkis, which delivers that much-loved dosed of creamy, carby goodness in a more bite-sized manner. If you’re open to trying out mashed potatoes with a slightly different appearance, give these a try!
12
Plum Chutney
A play on the classic cranberry sauce. This plum chutney has the same tangy, tart notes, but alongside a Pakistani kick thanks to an array of warming spices like cinnamon, cumin and coriander. This would go wonderfully alongside a roast or side vegetables, or to serve with crackers and cheese as an appetiser.
13
Pumpkin Halwa
With pumpkin season in full swing, it would be rude not to! Pumpkin Halwa is a Pakistani dessert which cooks down pumpkin into a gloriously rich and fudgy pudding. Alongside the warming notes of cardamom, this is the perfect holiday season dessert! (In Urdu, ‘Halwa’ translates loosely to mean ‘sweet pudding’)
14
Almond Halwa – you can make this with pecans or any nuts!
Some more rich, fudgy goodness in the form of another Pakistani Halwa. You can substitute the ground almonds in this recipe for any nuts of choice, such as pecans (very on brand for the holidays), or even hazelnuts, pistachios, Brazil nuts – essentially anything you fancy. This Halwa would go beautifully with a scoop of ice cream on the side.
15
Pakistani Bread Pudding – Shahi Tukray
One of my favourite Pakistani desserts! Again, warming cardamom doing a lot of the heavy lifting here to make this recipe feel at home on a Thanksgiving spread!
Is there anything you’d add to this list? Or do you have a Pakistani recipe that makes a regular appearance on your Thanksgiving dinner spread? If you do, I’d love to know about it in the comments below!
With love, Fatima x
