Here are some quintessential Pakistani winter dishes - seasonal vegetables, comfort foods and mazedaar salaan.
1. Beef kay Paye: 
Beef kay Paye (actually baray kay paye) is a traditional Pakistani dish usually made in the winters. The secret to making them is cooking it on low heat for a long time till the gravy becomes thick. In fact, the sign of a delicious paye ka salan is how sticky the gravy is – if you can't separate your fingers, then the gravy is literally finger-licking good!
Click HERE for the recipe. 
Photo Credits: Scoop Whoop
2. Haleem
There used to be a time when making Haleem was a full day activity – the neighborhood boys would gather and take turns ‘ghootofying’ or mashing the haleem to make sure it gets that paste-like consistency with a little bit of ‘raisha’ that we all love! Nowadays, making Haleem has become much more simple due to the availability of ready mixes in the market and hand-blenders which reduces the required cooking time. The benefit is that we get to enjoy Haleem far more regularly now and not just for dinner but even as a hi-tea item.
Click HERE for the recipe. 
Photo Credits: Shutterstock
3. Chicken Corn Soup
The moment there’s the first hint of winter, the chicken corn soup wala has put a thela in the corner. Though the thela wala soup may not have a lot of chicken; the steaming bowl of soup tastes SO good in the chilly weather, especially with Slims on top.
Click HERE for the recipe. 
Photo Credits: Shutterstock
4. Tawa Machli & Masala Fried Fish
Fish markets start flocking with people as winter approaches. In fact, fish in Pakistan is mainly consumed during from October – April. In Sindh, the most popular has to be Sindhi Masala Fried Fish which utilizes a dry masala rub after which the fish is shallow fried. It has traditionally been made from Palla machli but with fish population running low, it is now made with other river fish. The favorite in Punjab is Tawa Machli – it’s a popular street food in Lahore and it gets its name from the fact that it is made in a tawa.
Click HERE for the recipe of Tawa Fish and HERE for the recipe of Sindhi Masala fried fish. 
Photo Credits: Shutterstock
5. Prawn Tempura
We are a meat & chicken loving country, but if we had to pick a prawn dish that everyone likes it would be prawn tempura. Jumbo prawns in a light & crisp batter with a spicy dipping sauce. This popular fried dish is available at most Chinese restaurants, and at weddings in the winter season. For those that don’t like the prawn version, you can always try a vegetarian version with seasonal vegetables.
Click HERE for the recipe

Photo Credits: Almost Foodie
6. Saag & Makai ki Roti
Sarsoon ka Saag is a classic Punjabi dish made with a combination of mustard leaves (saag), spinach and spices. It is a seasonal dish made in winters when mustard & spinach leaves are the freshest; as winter ends the leaves start getting road. It is served with Makai ki Roti and a cube of fresh butter.
Click HERE for the recipe
Photo Credits: Shutterstock
7. Palak
The best time to cook vegetables is when they are in season – not only do they taste fresh & delicious but they require minimal spices for flavor. In winter, one of the most popular vegetables has to be palak used in a variety of different dishes – palak gosht, aloo palak, palak paneer and of course saag.
Click HERE for the recipe of Aloo Palak. 
Photo Credits: Shutterstock
Don’t forget to check out our list of the top 5 winter drinks - just the thing to serve after a mazedaar winter meal.