RAWALPINDI: Despite the advent of ice creams, frozen yogurt, cupcakes and other Western desserts, the desi palate still craves for more traditional sweet treats.

Local desserts, such as kheer, khoya and falooda, are still as popular among the resident of the twin cities as they ever were.

But now, there are very few vendors left who can still capture the unique taste and quality that has been a hallmark of sub-continental milk-based desserts.

Luckily for residents of the garrison city, an outlet called ‘Pehelwan Di Hatti’, or ‘The Wrestler’s Shop’, still tantalises the taste buds of those wanting to sample local delights instead of going for ice creams and other Western treats.

Located on Iqbal Road on the corner of the famous Trunk Bazaar – once known amongst locals as the longest bazaar in Asia – which stretches from Raja Bazaar to Bohar Bazaar, the outlet has been a favourite stopover for those with a sweet tooth.

In Rawalpindi, there is no shortage of sweet lovers and invariably, residents of the older parts of town are more than familiar with this shop.

The hatti specialises in falooda, kulfi-on-a-stick, kheer and almond milk and is frequented by shoppers who visit the bazaars for shopping or sightseeing.

In the daytime, when Iqbal Road is chock-full of bumper-to-bumper traffic, it is almost suicidal to take one’s own car into the bazaar. Most people prefer to travel via chinqi or motorcycle rickshaw, or park in the Raja Bazaar parking lot and then walk to this area.

Even in the evenings, the road outside the shop is thronged by eager customers, wanting a taste of this traditional dessert.

A typical bowl of falooda contains a generous helping of kulfa – made with milk, khoya and barfi – vermicelli and sweet rose syrup (often Rooh Afzah).

Women who come to shop at the nearby Moti Bazaar, flock to the kulfa outlet like moths to a flame. However, as summer gives way to winter, Mohammad Waseem, the shop owner, replaces the cold falooda with comfort food like Gajar ka halwa and almond-flavoured milk, which is sold in reused soft-drink bottles.

“We have had this shop since the 1960s. It was opened by my grandfather Ghulam Mohammad and I am the third generation to continue the tradition of tasty kulfa,” Waseem said.

His grandfather moved from Sialkot and settled in Rawalpindi. “He was a pehelwan (wrestler) and knew the family recipes of Sardai and other foods from our area,” he said.

“Unlike other places, we make our kulfi the traditional way; in a wooden bucket filled with ice and salt instead of freezing it in refrigerators. This is why our product tastes different,” he said.

He said that he is very conscious about cleanliness and runs a spotless kitchen, which is located in Nayya Mohallah area. He said that he, his father and grandfather believed in selling clean and healthy food to the people.

“We sell more than 400 bowls of kulfa daily,” he boasted.

“My grandfather used almond and pistachios in his desserts,” he said.

Imtiaz Khan, a resident of the Nayya Mohallah area, narrated an interesting urban legend about the kulfa shop. “Rumour has it that Sheikh Rashid Ahmed was also very fond of the Kulfa from this shop and used to have it sent specially to Lollywood actresses such as Reema, when he was culture minister in Nawaz Sharif’s cabinet.”

When asked if the rumour was true, Waseem laughed and said that many local politicians liked his kulfa, “But they are all just customers for us”.

Malik Saqib, a visitor to the hatti, told Dawn his children would force him to bring them barfi and kulfa from Trunk Bazaar.

Waqas Ahmed, a resident of DHA Phase 1, said that he mostly came to the shop in the evening because in the afternoon, it was difficult to find any place to park.

He said that his family was especially fond of the kheer and Gajar ka Halwa, but everyone loved a bowl of ice-cold falooda in summer.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2014