- Anardanaانار دانہUrdu
- Dried pomegranate seeds. They add a sour, fruity crunch to chapli kebabs and chutneys. Chapli kebab
- Bara goshtبڑا گوشتUrdu
- Literally 'big meat': beef. The opposite of chota gosht. Halal beef
- BhunaUrdu
- Frying onions, spices and meat hard in oil until the oil separates. The step that gives a curry its depth. Curry basics
- BiryaniبریانیUrdu
- Spiced meat layered with part-cooked basmati and steamed together. Pakki biryani cooks the meat first; kacchi biryani layers it raw. Chicken biryani
- BotiبوٹیUrdu
- A piece of meat, usually boneless. 'Boneless boti' means boneless cubes for curry or tikka.
- ChaanpچانپUrdu
- Lamb chops. Masala lamb chops
- Char masalaچهار مصالهDari
- Afghan 'four spice' mix: cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and black pepper, sometimes with cumin. Used in Kabuli pulao. The spice cupboard
- Chota goshtچھوٹا گوشتUrdu
- Literally 'small meat': lamb, mutton or goat, as opposed to bara gosht (beef).
- DastiدستیUrdu
- The shoulder, from the front leg. The best cut for karahi and most curries. Halal lamb
- Desi chickenUrdu
- Another name for hard chicken: an older bird with firm meat and lots of flavour, for slow-cooked curry and soup. Chicken yakhni soup
- DumUrdu
- Slow steaming in a sealed pot, the last stage of biryani and pulao.
- Garam masalaUrdu
- A blend of warm spices, added near the end of cooking. Grind your own
- GardanگردنUrdu and Dari
- The neck. Bony, cheap and full of flavour, for stews and broth. Afghan shorwa
- GheeUrdu
- Clarified butter. Richer than oil, and it doesn't burn as easily.
- GurdaگردہUrdu and Dari
- Kidney.
- HalalحلالArabic
- Permitted under Islamic law. For meat, it means the animal is a permitted kind and was slaughtered in the Islamic way. What halal means
- HaleemحلیمUrdu
- Meat slow-cooked with wheat, barley and lentils, then beaten until thick. A Ramadan favourite. Haleem
- HandiUrdu
- A deep, round-bellied cooking pot, and the curries cooked in it.
- HaramحرامArabic
- Forbidden under Islamic law, such as pork and alcohol.
- Hard chicken
- An older bird, often a former laying hen, with firm meat. Needs 1½ to 2 hours of slow cooking. Halal chicken
- JigarجگرDari
- Liver. In Urdu, kaleji.
- KalejiکلیجیUrdu
- Liver, usually lamb or chicken, quickly fried with onions and spices.
- KarahiکڑاہیUrdu
- A wide, wok-like iron pan, and the fast, tomato-rich dish cooked in it. Lamb karahi
- Karahi cut
- Bone-in pieces about 4cm across, usually from the shoulder. Ask for it by name at the counter. Halal lamb
- Kasuri methiUrdu
- Dried fenugreek leaves. Rubbed over a curry at the end, they give it that takeaway taste.
- KeemaقیمہUrdu
- Mince, and the dry mince curry made with it. Keema matar
- KoftaUrdu
- Spiced meatballs, cooked in a curry sauce or grilled.
- KormaقورمہUrdu
- A rich, mild curry thickened with yoghurt, onions and often nuts. In Afghan cooking, qorma means a meat stew. Chicken korma
- MantuمنتوDari
- Afghan steamed dumplings filled with spiced mince, served with yoghurt and sauce. Mantu
- Mutton
- Meat from an older sheep. Darker and stronger-tasting than lamb, and it needs slower cooking. Mutton
- NalliنلیUrdu
- The shank, or the marrow bone in it. Nalli nihari is made with beef shank. Beef nihari
- NihariنہاریUrdu
- Beef or lamb slow-cooked for hours in a spiced gravy, traditionally eaten for breakfast. Beef nihari
- PasliyanپسلیاںUrdu
- Ribs. In Dari, qabargha.
- PulaoپلاؤUrdu and Dari
- Rice cooked in meat stock, so it absorbs all the flavour. Called palaw in Dari. Kabuli pulao
- QabarghaقبرغهDari
- Ribs.
- RaanرانUrdu and Dari
- The leg, for roasting whole or cutting into boneless pieces. Roast leg of lamb
- SeekhسیخUrdu
- A skewer. Seekh kebabs are mince moulded around long, flat skewers. Seekh kebab
- Sella
- Basmati that was steamed in its husk before milling. It cooks up firm and separate, ideal for biryani and big batches. Perfect basmati rice
- Shami kebabUrdu
- Patties of meat and chana dal cooked together, ground and fried. Shami kebab
- ShorwaشورواDari
- Soup or broth. Afghan shorwa is a clear lamb soup with potatoes and chickpeas. Afghan shorwa
- TasmiyahتسميةArabic
- Saying 'Bismillah' (in the name of God) at the moment of slaughter. Required for halal meat. What halal means
- TikkaUrdu
- Pieces. Chicken tikka is marinated boneless chicken, grilled. Chicken tikka
- YakhniیخنیUrdu
- Stock or broth simmered from meat and whole spices. The base of yakhni pulao. Yakhni pulao
- ZabihaذبیحہArabic and Urdu
- An animal slaughtered by hand in the Islamic way. Often used to mean halal meat. What halal means
Missing a word? Ask us at the counter, and see the cut names in Urdu, Arabic and Dari.