RAWALPINDI: The unmistakable sound of crisp, golden puris frying in massive vats of oil bids, the aroma of sweet halwa and the odour of tangy aaloo chanas bid good morning to residents of downtown Rawalpindi when they wake up in the morning.

The more health conscious often complain that they put on weight just smelling the fattening treats, but for the desi in us all, there is nothing quite like the greasy Sunday morning puri halwa feast.

Puri and channay are considered a full meal and had for lunch and dinner in several parts of India and Pakistan. However, Punjabis have the unique distinction of promoting this dish to a breakfast favourite.

A breakfast of halwa, puris and channay makes any weekend a lazy one

Puris, a staple bread-substitute for foodies across the subcontinent, are made from fine wheat flour and rich ghee. The art of puri-making, they say, is in the wrist of the dough-roller. Ghee is added to the dough and chunks of it are stretched and coaxed into a perfect circle, which the fryer then flings with deft dexterity, anti-clockwise into his black cauldron of sizzling oil.

Halwa, one of the most popular desi desserts, is made of semolina or sooji, as it is locally known. But the channay ka salan, which lends any breakfast of pehelwaans and champions a savoury kick, has no fixed recipe.

Each chef makes their own version of the chickpea dish, which has been around in this part of the world for centuries. Some use potatoes and slow-cooked chickpeas, others season theirs with a generous helping of spices and cook the concoction until it becomes a thick stew.

The popularity of this traditional breakfast can be gauged by the fact that nearly every neighbourhood has its own puri halwa vendor, who magically appears on street corners on Sunday mornings and public holidays.

But some of the more famous outlets that attract customers from across the twin cities and beyond include Saddique Sweets in Kashmiri Bazaar, Pahalwan Halwa Puri in Kartarpura, Bhabhra Bazaar’s Khurram Sweets, the Refreshment Centre in Commercial Market and Jamil Sweets in Chaklala Scheme-III.

Even though there is no seasonal bar on this meal of meals, most people prefer to gorge themselves on halwa puri on cold or wet winter mornings.

“Rainy days are ideal settings for a halwa puri breakfast. In summer, soothing sweet or salty lassi is the preferred drink to wash down the heavy meal,” says Mohammad Ramazan from Kashmiri Bazaar.

“I usually come to Kashmiri Bazaar because the puris are properly cooked, the channay aren’t that spicy and the halwa is simply delicious. But only the early birds get the really delectable portions. If you’re too late, it might be gone by the time you get there,” says Mohammad Hassan, a resident of Westridge.

Hassan told Dawn his family enjoyed having a halwa puri brunch on weekends and often skipped lunch so they could digest the mammoth morning meal. The children in particular enjoy the crispy and ghee-laced texture of puris.

Shoaib Ahmed of Saddique Sweets said that the recipe of the channay was a business secret.

“We use only white chickpeas and fewer spices. Pickles and additional spices can be added at the customer’s request,” he said.

He told Dawn that workers usually start working on the food in the late evening and continue cooking until the wee hours, when, Fajr prayers, the food is ready to serve.

“Puris are easy to cook, it is tenderising chickpeas that is the real art,” he said.

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2015

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