PESHAWAR: Namak Mandi, a famous food street in Peshawar City has attracted a large number of food lovers of Chappli Kabab, BBQ and Mattan Karahi on the third day of Eidul Fitr.
The food lovers enjoyed the mouthwatering BBQ, Mattan Karahi, Chappli Kabab, Peshawar rice Polao, Paye and others traditional cuisines with an aromatic Peshawari Qehwa in all three days of Eid.
Located on the backside of historic Qissa Khwani bazaar, the popular food street with plenty of shops of Mattan Karhai, Chappli Kabab, BBQ, Paye and Peshawari rice Polao is flooded with tourists, visitors and food lovers on Eid holidays following the improvement of weather conditions after heavy rains before Eid.
Sitting in hammock charpoys in primitive food shops at Namak Mandai, the tourists and food lovers enjoyed the mouth-watering cuisines along with aromatic green tea, making their happiness doubled on Eid.
“Chappli Kabab and Matton Karahi is my favorite dish and my Eid seems incomplete without tasting its delectable bites at Namak Mandai,” said Professor Dr Muhammad Naeem Khan of the Swabi University while talking to APP at Namak Mandi along with family on Monday.
“I came to my favourite food place to enjoy Chappli Kabab and Mattan Karhai along with aromatic green tea of the Qissa Khwani bazaar after three years. In previous Eids, I could not come here due to cases of coronavirus,” he said.
“I have also purchased 5 kg Chappli Kabab and three parcels of Peshawari rice Polao for Eid party at home tonight,’ he said.
Like Professor Muhammad Naeem, a large number of food lovers visited Namak Mandai and others food streets of Peshawar on Eid days where they enjoyed traditional cuisines including the mouth watering Chappli Kabab and Mattab Karahi due to its excellent taste and deliciousness.
The businessmen said the demands of Chappli Kabab have increased manifolds during Eid holidays due to pleasant weather.
Besides enjoying 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 taken 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’ (fryingpan) 73 years ago and today with the 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 loved meat dishes. They introduced the habit of eating meat in new ways and customs in 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 the 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.
Dr Riaz Malik, a children specialist told APP that Namak Mandi was his favorite food place in Peshawar where he came for the last six 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 my old friends on Eid as the orders generally take close to an hour to prepare, with customers enjoying tea ahead of the meal here.”
Riaz urged KP Government to convert Namak Mandai a full-fledged food street on the pattern of Gawal Mandi Lahore to generate job opportunities and quality food for people.
