Traditional Pakistani Desserts Worth Ordering
Shahi tukra, kheer, ras malai and gulab jamun — what each one is and when to order it.
Pakistani desserts are almost all milk-based, and almost all designed to follow a heavily spiced meal. They are sweet, but their real job is to cool your palate down.
Shahi tukra
Fried bread soaked in thickened, sweetened milk, finished with saffron and pistachio. Rich enough that one order comfortably serves two. Best after a grilled meal rather than a heavy curry.
Kheer
Rice slowly cooked down in milk until the grains almost disappear, served chilled. The lightest of the four and the best choice if you have already eaten too much.
Ras malai
Soft cheese discs sitting in sweetened, cardamom-scented milk. Served cold, and the most refreshing thing on the dessert menu after something as hot as nihari.
Gulab jamun
Warm, syrup-soaked and the sweetest by a distance. Order it when you want dessert to feel like an occasion, and order one portion between two.
Come taste the difference
Reserve a table in An Nasim Ash Sharqi, or order online for pickup and delivery.
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