Halal Meat Cut Translator
At a butcher in Manchester, Houston, Sydney or Dubai and not sure how to ask for dasti or nalli? Type the dish you are making, or search a desi cut name, and see what to ask for where you live.
| Desi name | English | Ask for | Best for |
|---|
This tool translates cut names only. It cannot tell you whether meat is halal: ask the shop which halal certification body it uses, and look for the certificate on the wall.
Pakistani meat cuts in English and Arabic
The same cut has different names in Pakistan, the UK, North America, Australia and the Gulf. Show this table to your butcher, or pick your country above.
| Desi name | UK | US and Canada | Arabic (Gulf) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mutton and lamb | ||||
| Raan | Leg of lamb | Leg of lamb | فخذ (fakhdh) | Roast raan, sajji, boti for tikka |
| Dasti | Shoulder of lamb | Lamb shoulder | كتف (katf) | Qorma, karahi, aloo gosht, biryani |
| Chaanp | Lamb chops or cutlets | Rib chops or loin chops | ريش (reesh) | Grilled chops, karahi |
| Pasliyan | Lamb ribs or riblets | Lamb riblets | ضلوع (dulu') | BBQ ribs, yakhni, karahi |
| Seena | Breast of lamb | Lamb breast | صدر (sadr) | Pulao, karahi, slow-cooked salan |
| Gardan | Neck fillet or scrag end | Lamb neck | رقبة (raqaba) | Yakhni, qorma, mince |
| Nalli | Lamb shank | Lamb shank | موزة (mozah) | Nihari, nalli gosht, yakhni |
| Paya | Lamb trotters | Lamb feet | كوارع (kawari') | Paye |
| Qeema | Lamb mince | Ground lamb | لحم مفروم (lahm mafroum) | Seekh, chapli and shami kabab, qeema |
| Boti (boneless) | Diced lamb | Cubed lamb or lamb stew meat | مكعبات بدون عظم (muka'abat) | Tikka, boneless karahi, kababs |
| Kaleji | Lamb’s liver | Lamb liver | كبدة (kibda) | Kaleji fry, Eid breakfast |
| Gurday | Lamb kidneys | Lamb kidneys | كلاوي (kalawi) | Kata-kat, gurda kaleji |
| Dil | Lamb heart | Lamb heart | قلب (qalb) | Kata-kat |
| Maghaz | Lamb brains | Lamb brains | مخ (mukh) | Maghaz masala |
| Zaban | Lamb tongue | Lamb tongue | لسان (lisan) | Zaban masala |
| Siri | Lamb’s head | Lamb head | رأس (ras) | Siri paye |
| Charbi | Lamb fat | Lamb fat | شحم (shahm) | Seekh kabab, namak mandi karahi |
| Chakki | Fat tail (ask a halal butcher) | Fat tail (ask a halal butcher) | لية (liyya) | Namkeen gosht, tikka, kababs |
| Beef | ||||
| Undercut / fillet | Fillet | Tenderloin | فيليه (filleh) | Pasanday, steak, quick boti |
| Puth / ran ka gosht | Topside or silverside | Top round or bottom round | لحم فخذ (lahm fakhdh) | Boti, pasanday, boneless karahi |
| Sirloin | Sirloin | Strip loin or New York strip | سيرلوين (sirloin) | Steak, chapli-style fry |
| Rump | Rump | Top sirloin | لحم الردف (lahm al-ridf) | Boti, tikka, karahi |
| Dasti / gosht (salan wala) | Chuck or braising steak | Chuck | كتف (katf) | Qorma, aloo gosht, haleem |
| Nalli | Shin (and marrow bones) | Shank (and marrow bones) | موزة (mozah) | Nihari, yakhni |
| Seena | Brisket | Brisket | صدر (sadr) | Nihari, haleem, slow-cooked salan |
| Pasliyan | Short ribs or Jacob’s ladder | Short ribs | ريش (reesh) | BBQ, yakhni |
| Qeema | Beef mince | Ground beef | لحم مفروم (lahm mafroum) | Kababs, qeema matar, keema paratha |
| Boti (boneless) | Diced beef or stewing steak | Beef stew meat | مكعبات بدون عظم (muka'abat) | Karahi, salan, kababs |
| Paya | Cow heel | Beef feet | كوارع (kawari') | Paye |
| Dum (poonch) | Oxtail | Oxtail | ذيل (dhail) | Slow-cooked salan, nihari-style |
| Kaleji | Ox or calf liver | Beef liver | كبدة (kibda) | Kaleji fry |
| Ojhri | Tripe | Tripe | كرشة (kirsha) | Ojhri salan |
| Chicken | ||||
| Karahi cut | Whole chicken, skin off, curry cut | Whole chicken, skinless, cut up | دجاج مقطع (dajaj muqatta') | Karahi, salan, biryani, pulao |
| Ran | Chicken leg | Leg quarter | فخذ دجاج (fakhdh dajaj) | Tikka, roast, sajji |
| Thigh | Chicken thighs | Chicken thighs | أفخاذ دجاج (afkhadh dajaj) | Biryani, karahi, tikka |
| Leg piece (tangri) | Drumsticks | Drumsticks | دبوس دجاج (dabbous) | Tangri kabab, fried chicken |
| Seena / boneless | Breast fillets | Boneless skinless breast | صدر دجاج (sadr dajaj) | Boneless handi, tikka boti, sandwiches |
| Boneless thigh | Thigh fillets | Boneless skinless thighs | أفخاذ بدون عظم (afkhadh bidun adhm) | Boneless karahi, kababs, tikka |
| Par | Chicken wings | Chicken wings | أجنحة (ajniha) | Fried wings, BBQ |
| Qeema | Chicken mince | Ground chicken | دجاج مفروم (dajaj mafroum) | Chicken seekh and shami kabab, qeema |
| Kaleji / potay | Chicken livers and gizzards | Chicken livers and gizzards | كبدة وقوانص (kibda wa qawanis) | Kaleji pota |
| Desi murgi | Free-range or boiling fowl | Stewing hen or free-range chicken | دجاج بلدي (dajaj baladi) | Yakhni, desi murgh salan |
Tips for buying meat abroad
- Supermarket lamb is often a different cut. “Diced lamb” is usually leg, which is lean and dries out in a long-cooked qorma. For salan, ask a halal butcher for shoulder on the bone.
- Ask for “curry cut” or “karahi cut”. Most halal butchers in the UK, US and Canada know these words and will cut bone-in pieces for you.
- Mutton is not always goat. In Pakistan mutton usually means goat. In the UK and Australia it means older sheep, and in shops abroad you will mostly find lamb. Goat is sold as “goat” or “mutton (goat)” at halal butchers.
- For seekh kabab, fat matters. Lean mince falls off the skewer. Ask for 15 to 20% fat and to have it minced twice.
Planning qurbani? Use the qurbani meat planner to work out how much meat you will get and how to pack it.
Questions people ask
What is dasti in English?
Dasti is the shoulder or front leg. In the UK ask for shoulder of lamb, in the US lamb shoulder, and in the Gulf كتف (katf). It is the best cut for qorma and karahi.
What is raan in English?
Raan is the leg: leg of lamb in English, فخذ (fakhdh) in Arabic. It is used for roast raan, sajji and boneless tikka.
What is nalli called in the UK and US?
Nalli is the shank with its marrow bone: lamb shank, or beef shin in the UK and beef shank in the US. In Australia beef shin is often sold as gravy beef. It is the cut for nihari.
What is undercut in America?
Pakistani “undercut” is the tenderloin. It is called fillet in the UK and eye fillet in Australia.
What meat cut is best for chicken karahi?
A whole chicken with the skin off, cut into 12 to 16 small pieces on the bone. Ask for “whole chicken, skin off, curry cut” or “karahi cut”.
Does this tool tell me if meat is halal?
No. It only translates names. Ask the shop which halal certification body it uses.
Last updated 25 October 2026. Found a mistake or want a feature? Tell us.