Cultural collection
Pakistani Foods
Everyday Pakistani staples — roti, daal, sabzi, biryani and more.
Educational guidance only — not a personal diet prescription. Content is medically reviewed and based on recognised clinical guidelines — see references. If you have feedback or a suggestion to improve this website, .
Green — Choose more often
Generally a good everyday choice in sensible portions.
Amber — Watch your portion
Fine to eat — keep the portion small and pair with protein or vegetables.
Red — Limit / avoid routinely
Best kept for occasional small amounts, not every day.
These colours are educational guidance, not strict rules. Your own plan depends on your medicines, weight, kidney health and goals — discuss it with your doctor.
Almonds
badam, lawz
Healthy fats and protein; very low glycaemic impact.
Portion: 10–12 almonds (about 15 g)
Aloo gobi
potato cauliflower
Cauliflower is great; the potato counts as carbohydrate.
Portion: 1 cup (about 150 g)
Aloo gosht
potato meat curry
Potato adds carbohydrate to a meat curry — count it with your roti or rice.
Portion: 1 cup (about 200 g)
Aloo paratha
aaloo parantha
Potato-stuffed paratha with ghee — a heavy breakfast.
Portion: 1 medium (about 120 g)
Apple
mansanas, seb, tuffah
Whole apple with skin gives fibre and a modest glucose rise.
Portion: 1 small (about 150 g)
Baingan bharta
bhurtha, eggplant mash
Roasted aubergine — a filling, low-carbohydrate side.
Portion: 1 cup (about 150 g)
Banana
kela, mauz, saging
Choose a small, less ripe banana and eat it with a meal.
Portion: 1 small (about 100 g)
Besan chilla
gram flour pancake, pudla
Protein-rich savoury pancake — a great breakfast.
Portion: 1 large (about 80 g)
Besan ladoo
laddu
Sweet made with gram flour, ghee and sugar.
Portion: 1 piece (about 40 g)
Bhatura
bhature
Deep-fried refined-flour bread.
Portion: 1 piece (about 80 g)
Bhindi masala (okra)
bamia, bhindi, okra
Fibre-rich okra — dry-roast or stir-fry instead of deep-frying.
Portion: 1 cup (about 160 g)
Bitter gourd (karela)
ampalaya, bitter melon, pavakkai
A healthy vegetable — but not a replacement for diabetes medicine.
Portion: 1 cup cooked (about 125 g)
Boiled potato
aloo, batata, patatas
A starchy vegetable — count it like rice.
Portion: 1 medium (about 150 g)
Bottle gourd (lauki)
doodhi, ghiya, upo
Very low in carbohydrate — a good base for curries and dal.
Portion: 1 cup cooked (about 150 g)
Butter chicken
murgh makhani
Butter and cream gravy — very energy-dense.
Portion: 1 cup (about 200 g)
Carrot
gajar, jazar, karot
Healthy vegetable — fine raw or cooked.
Portion: 1 medium (about 61 g)
Cauliflower
gobi, qarnabeet
Can replace some rice ('cauliflower rice').
Portion: 1 cup cooked (about 124 g)
Chana dal
bengal gram dal, daal chana
High-fibre split chickpea dal with a gentle glucose rise.
Portion: 1 cup cooked (about 200 g)
Chicken biryani
beryani, biryani
Rice, oil and ghee together — a festive dish best kept to a small portion.
Portion: 1 small cup (about 150 g)
Chicken karahi
kadai chicken
Good protein, but restaurant versions are oily — ask for less oil.
Portion: 1 serving (about 150 g)
Chicken pulao
pilau, yakhni pulao
Lighter than biryani but still rice-heavy — add salad and raita.
Portion: 1 small cup (about 150 g)
Chicken tikka (grilled)
tikka boti
Yogurt-marinated grilled chicken — a lean protein choice.
Portion: palm-size piece (about 100 g)
Chickpeas (boiled)
garbanzos, hummus beans, kabuli chana
Low-GI legumes are a cornerstone of diabetes diets.
Portion: ½ cup (about 82 g)
Chikoo (sapodilla)
chico, sapota
Very sweet fruit — keep the portion small.
Portion: 1 small (about 100 g)
Chole (chickpea curry)
chana masala, cholay
Chickpeas give protein and fibre; avoid pairing with fried bhature.
Portion: 1 cup (about 200 g)
Cucumber raita
kheera raita
Cooling yogurt side that helps balance rice dishes.
Portion: ½ cup (about 100 g)
Cucumber salad
kheera, khiyar, pipino
Eat freely before your meal.
Portion: 1 cup (about 120 g)
Dal makhani
maa ki dal
Healthy lentils made rich with butter and cream — keep the portion small.
Portion: 1 cup (about 200 g)
Dates
khajoor, khalas, sukkari, tamr
Culturally important and nutritious — but concentrated in sugar.
Portion: 2 dates (about 20 g)
Digestive biscuits
biskut, cookies
'Digestive' does not mean low sugar.
Portion: 2 biscuits (about 30 g)
Egg (boiled)
anda, bayd, itlog
Almost no carbohydrate; high-quality protein.
Portion: 1 large egg (about 50 g)
Egg curry
anda curry, mutta curry
Eggs are a good protein; the oily gravy adds energy.
Portion: 2 eggs with gravy (about 200 g)
Fresh figs
anjeer, teen
Fresh figs are fine in small amounts; dried figs are much sweeter.
Portion: 2 small (about 80 g)
Full-cream milk
whole milk
More saturated fat than low-fat milk.
Portion: 1 cup (250 ml) (about 250 g)
Grapes
angoor, inab, ubas
Easy to over-eat — count them.
Portion: 15 grapes (about 75 g)
Green tea
sabz chai, shai akhdar
Unsweetened tea is a good everyday drink.
Portion: 1 cup (about 240 g)
Grilled chicken breast
chicken breast
Very lean protein.
Portion: palm-size piece (about 100 g)
Grilled white fish
hammour, machli, samak
Lean protein — grill, bake or steam.
Portion: palm-size piece (about 120 g)
Guava
amrood, bayabas, peru
High in fibre and vitamin C with relatively little sugar.
Portion: 1 medium (about 100 g)
Gulab jamun
gulab jaman
Fried and soaked in sugar syrup — a festive sweet only.
Portion: 1 small piece (about 40 g)
Haleem
daleem, harees (South Asian)
Meat, wheat and lentils — filling, but rich; skip the fried onion and ghee topping.
Portion: 1 cup (about 200 g)
Honey
asal, pulot, shahad
Honey is still sugar — not a diabetes-friendly sweetener.
Portion: 1 tablespoon (about 21 g)
Jalebi
jilapi, zulbia
Fried batter in sugar syrup — one of the fastest glucose raisers.
Portion: 2 small pieces (about 50 g)
Karak tea
karak chai
Evaporated milk and sugar make this a sweet drink.
Portion: 1 cup (200 ml) (about 200 g)
Kheer (rice pudding)
firni, payesh
Milk, rice and sugar — keep it small and occasional.
Portion: ½ cup (about 120 g)
Khichdi (rice and lentil)
khichri, kitchari
Lentils add protein and fibre; more dal and less rice is better.
Portion: 1 cup (about 150 g)
Laban (buttermilk)
laban ayran, lassi (thin)
Refreshing and low in sugar when unsweetened.
Portion: 1 glass (200 ml) (about 200 g)
Low-fat milk
gatas, skimmed milk, toned milk
Good protein and calcium — counts as some carbohydrate.
Portion: 1 cup (250 ml) (about 250 g)
Mango
aam, manga, mangga
Delicious and nutritious, but sweet — enjoy a small portion with a meal.
Portion: ½ cup cubes (about 80 g)
Masoor dal (red lentils)
adas, lal masoor
Protein and fibre together — a cornerstone food for diabetes.
Portion: 1 cup cooked (about 200 g)
Missi roti
besan roti
Gram flour in the dough lowers the glucose rise.
Portion: 1 medium (about 50 g)
Mixed vegetable sabzi
mix sabzi
Fill half your plate with sabzi like this.
Portion: 1 cup (about 150 g)
Moong dal
green gram dal, mung dal
Light, protein-rich lentil — a great partner for rice or roti.
Portion: 1 cup cooked (about 200 g)
Naan (white flour)
nan, tandoori naan
Made from refined flour (maida) and absorbed quickly.
Portion: 1 piece (about 90 g)
Namkeen mixture
bombay mix, chevda
Fried and salty — easy to over-eat.
Portion: small handful (about 30 g)
Nihari
nahari
Slow-cooked beef in a fatty gravy — very energy-dense.
Portion: 1 cup (about 200 g)
Orange / kinnow
burtuqal, dalandan, kinnow, malta
Whole citrus gives fibre and vitamin C — much better than juice.
Portion: 1 medium (about 130 g)
Pakora
bhajia, pakoda
Deep-fried gram-flour fritters — try baked or air-fried versions.
Portion: 5–6 pieces (about 100 g)
Palak / sarson saag
palak sabzi, saag
Leafy greens cooked with a little oil — eat freely, go easy on butter.
Portion: 1 cup (about 180 g)
Palak paneer
saag paneer
Spinach and paneer — good food, but often heavy with cream.
Portion: 1 cup (about 200 g)
Paneer
chenna, cottage cheese (Indian)
Vegetarian protein with very little carbohydrate.
Portion: 50 g (matchbox size × 2) (about 50 g)
Papaya
papaya, papita
Gentle on glucose in a one-cup portion.
Portion: 1 cup cubes (about 145 g)
Peanuts
ful sudani, mani, moongphali
Unsalted peanuts are a good snack in small amounts.
Portion: small handful (about 30 g)
Pear
kummathra, nashpati, peras
High-fibre fruit with a low GI.
Portion: 1 small (about 150 g)
Plain paratha
parantha, porotta
Layered with ghee or oil — far more fat and energy than a plain roti.
Portion: 1 medium (about 80 g)
Plain yogurt (dahi)
curd, yoghurt, zabadi
Plain, unsweetened yogurt gives protein and probiotics.
Portion: ¾ cup (about 150 g)
Pomegranate
anar, rumman
Eat the seeds rather than the juice.
Portion: ½ cup seeds (about 87 g)
Puri
poori
Deep-fried bread — keep for occasional breakfasts.
Portion: 2 small (about 50 g)
Rajma curry
kidney bean curry, rajmah
Kidney beans are high in fibre — pair with a small portion of rice.
Portion: 1 cup (about 200 g)
Rasmalai
ras malai
Sweetened milk dessert — occasional and small.
Portion: 1 piece (about 80 g)
Roasted chana
bhuna chana, chickpea snack
Crunchy, high-protein snack — a smart swap for chips.
Portion: small handful (about 30 g)
Salted lassi
chaas, namkeen lassi
Unsweetened yogurt drink — a good alternative to soft drinks.
Portion: 1 glass (250 ml) (about 250 g)
Samosa
sambusa, samsa
Deep-fried refined-flour pastry with potato filling.
Portion: 1 medium (about 100 g)
Seekh kebab
seekh kabab
Minced meat kebab — choose chicken or lean mince and grill it.
Portion: 2 pieces (about 100 g)
Spinach (plain cooked)
kangkong (similar), palak, sabanekh
Very low in carbohydrate and rich in folate and magnesium.
Portion: 1 cup cooked (about 180 g)
Sugarcane juice
ganderi, ganne ka ras
Almost pure sugar — avoid except to treat low blood sugar.
Portion: 1 glass (250 ml) (about 250 g)
Suji halwa
sheera, sooji halwa
Semolina, ghee and sugar — very rich.
Portion: ½ cup (about 100 g)
Sweet lassi
mango lassi, meethi lassi
Sugar-sweetened yogurt drink — raises glucose quickly.
Portion: 1 glass (250 ml) (about 250 g)
Table sugar
asukal, cheeni, sukkar
Added sugar — keep to a minimum.
Portion: 1 teaspoon (about 4 g)
Tandoori roti (whole wheat)
tanoori roti
Oven-baked without ghee — a reasonable bread when portion is controlled.
Portion: 1 piece (about 60 g)
Tea with milk and sugar
chai, doodh patti
The sugar is the issue — cut down gradually or use a sweetener.
Portion: 1 cup (150 ml) (about 150 g)
Tea with milk, no sugar
sugar-free chai
Tea without sugar is a fine everyday drink.
Portion: 1 cup (150 ml) (about 150 g)
Tomato
kamatis, tamatar, tamatim
Very low in carbohydrate.
Portion: 1 medium (about 123 g)
Vegetable pulao
veg pilau
Vegetables help — still keep rice to one quarter of the plate.
Portion: 1 small cup (about 150 g)
Walnuts
akhrot, jawz
Omega-3 rich nut.
Portion: 6–7 halves (about 15 g)
Water
maa, pani, tubig
The best drink — zero sugar, zero calories.
Portion: 6–8 glasses a day (about 250 g)
Watermelon
batikh, pakwan, tarbooz
High GI but watery — one cup with a meal is fine.
Portion: 1 cup cubes (about 150 g)
White rice (boiled)
basmati, bhaat, chawal, kanin, ruz
A staple carbohydrate — keep it to one quarter of the plate.
Portion: ½ cup cooked (1 fist) (about 100 g)
Whole-wheat chapati
chapatti, phulka, roti
Better bread choice than naan or paratha — count how many you eat.
Portion: 1 medium (6-inch) (about 40 g)