Nabeel Ahmed/iStockphoto/Getty ImagesThese easy-to-make crispy, fried fritters are a classic finger food served as a starter or a side dish. MEAT DISHESBiryaniThis rice dish is often served on special occasions. Mint/Hindustan Times/Hindustan Times via Getty ImagesThought to have developed in the royal kitchens of the 16th-19th century Mughal Empire, this rice dish is often served on special occasions. The meat and rice are cooked separately before being layered and cooked together with an assortment of spices. ShutterstockKeer is another dessert eaten at weddings or on celebratory occasions such as Eid al Fitr, the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

---

Persons: it’s, Pakoras, Nabeel Ahmed, Shutterstock, Paya Paya, Nihari, Stuart Freedman, –, Eid, Fitr, It’s Organizations: CNN, Hindustan Times, Getty, . Portland Press Herald, Portland Press Herald, Press, Corbis Locations: China, Afghanistan, Iran, India, Pakistan, Pakistani, Punjab province, Shutterstock