The food lovers, tourists and local residents on Friday thronged to Namak Mandi where they enjoyed the mouthwatering cuisines followed by an aromatic green tea, making their happiness doubled on third day of Eid.
Chappli Kabab, BBQ, paye, lamb chops, and matton karahi among other food cuisines outlets at Namak Mandi have attracted an influx of foodies enjoying its delectable bites during Eid holidays.
Sitting in hammock charpoys in primitive food shops at Namak Mandai, architects Shahryar Khan and Ghafoor Ahmed alongwith college’s friends were seen enjoying the mouthwatering cuisines including BBQ, Mattan Karahi, Chappli Kabab, Peshawar rice Polao, Paye; Haleem, Baryani and others followed by an aromatic Peshawari Qehwa on third day of Eid and swaped tales of the past college days amid laughter
“Chappli Kabab and matton karahi are my favorite dish and my Eid seems incomplete without tasting its delectable bites,” said architect Shahryar while talking to APP at Namak Mandi Peshawar.
“As per our planned program, we came to our favorite food place to enjoy Chappli Kabab, Sri Paye and Mattan Karhai that doubled our happiness on this Eid after 10 years,” he said while enjoying traditional food with college friends.
“I have also purchased two kilogram Chappli Kabab and three parcels of Peshawari rice polao for Eid party at home tonight,’ he said.
Like Shahryar, a large number of food lovers visited Namak Mandai and others food streets of Peshawar where they enjoyed traditional cuisines including the mouthwatering mutton and beef nehari besides Chappli Kabab due to its excellent taste and deliciousness.
The sellers said the demands of Chappli Kabab have increased manifolds during Eid holidays due to pleasant weather.
Besides enjoying an appetizing traditional cuisines at hotels and open restaurants at night, most of Chappli Kabab lovers asked for parcels upto five Kg for Eid parties at home.
Inherited Chappli Kabab’s business from his father, Arif Ahmad, a famous Chappl Kabab seller said, “my father Jalil Ahmad had took over it from his father, Jumma Khan in 1950.
Following the death of my father, all his (Jalil Ahmed) six sons had carried forward the legacy of this hard-earned business and continued it till date with a lot of hope to transfer it to the next generation,” he said.
“My grandfather had started chappli kabab business from a single ‘Karahi’ (frypane) 74 years ago and today with grace of Allah Almighty, we have six more shops including one at melody food street, Islamabad, two each at Firdous and University Road, one each at Gul Bahar and Faqirabad Peshawar,” he added.
The people of united India were mostly vegetarians but all kings and invaders from the west including Mughals, Turks, Ghazni and Afghans who conquered India love meat dishes.
They introduced the habit of eating meat in new ways and customs in the United India where Mughals made meat-eating a cultural dish by making it a substitute for beef and buffalo’ meat by adding various spices and ingredients to it.
Before marching towards India, the kings, warriors and invaders had stayed in Peshawar by introducing Chappli Kabab’s recipe during Mughal dynasty, which had later gained international fame owing to its appetizing aroma and delectable taste.
Arif said that its recipe was later shifted to Karachi, Lahore, Quetta and other cities of Pakistan besides Jalalabad and Kabul in Afghanistan and Amratsar, Lucknow and Dheli in India.
In Peshawar, he said more than 3,500 chappli kebabs’ small and big outlets were existed mostly in Firdus, Bakhshu bridge, Warsak Road, Ring Road, Nothia, Namak Mandai, Hastnagri, Ramadas, Faqirabad and Board bazaars, attracting foodies during Eid.
Besides Chappli Kabab, Arif said takeaway service of traditional cuisines including Peshawari rice polao, paye, dampokh, namak mandi karahi, lamb chops, BBQ and others traditional foods have shined during Ramazan iftar parties and Eid days.
He said people also dispatch it to UAE, Saudi Arabi and other countries for their friends, relatives and loved ones besides used in walima, engagements and haqeeqa of the newborn.
Former Ambassador Manzoorul Haq said that Namak Mandi was his favorite food place in Peshawar where he came for the last three years to enjoy its Matton Karhai and BBQ due to its unique taste and energy perspective on Eid.
“It give us an opportunity to spend some times with old friends on Eid as the orders generally take close to an hour to prepare, with customers enjoying tea ahead of the meal here.”
The people urged KP government to covert Namak Mandai a full fledged food street on the patterns of Gawal Mandi Lahore to generate jobs opportunities and provide quality food to people.