RAWALPINDI: Until recently, Pathoray was something unknown to Pindiites, but this fluffy deep fried bread, with a delicious filling of lentils, minced meat and potatoes, is fast becoming a breakfast favourite.
This is a delicacy which commonly graces breakfast tables in central Punjab, on both sides of the border and is called Bhatura in India.
In Rawalpindi Chollay Pathoray, which is Pathoray served with chickpeas, is available in the Kartarpura food street, Chittian Hattian, Naya Mohallah and other parts of the city.
Experts roll out the dough, filling it with a combination of ingredients and then deep frying it to a perfect golden brown colour.
The finished product is halfway between a Paratha and Puri and is served with mint and green chilli chutney.
Chollay Pathoray makes for a hearty Sunday brunch and one does not feel hungry for a few hours after consuming this greasy treat.
“Most people either have this dish for breakfast or in the evening. It is too heavy for a midday meal,” said Abdul Hai, a Pathoray shop owner in Kartarpura.
He said his father was from Jalandhar in India and came to Rawalpindi after partition.
“He initially opened a Halwa Puri shop but this recipe was Pathoray was in the family. It was introduced a few years ago and quickly gained popularity,” he said.
Mr Hai said he now sells this dish at two other locations in Raja Bazaar and Kartarpura Food Street.
“We usually fill our Pathoray with potatoes and lentils but a minced meat filling is also available,” he said.
Another shop owner Mohammad Bashir told Dawn that people in Rawalpindi do not have a taste for this dish but those who have moved here from Lahore and other parts of central Punjab regularly have it for breakfast.
“Most people visit our shop on weekends,” he said.
A customer, Rubab Ahmed said this dish was alien to her until last year when she tried it in Lahore.
“I had tasted Poray, which is Puri filled with Halwa and Pathoray is similar, except it is savoury, not sweet,” she said.
“One day, while shopping in Kartarpura, Rawalpindi, I came across a shop selling Pathoray and I was delighted. Now I come here all the time,” she said.
Another customer, Abid Chaudhry told Dawn he likes to eat Pathoray at the shop because it is best eaten fresh.
“When taken off the stove, it is light and flaky but over time, it becomes soggy,” he said.
Murtaza Ahmed, buying Pathora at a shop in Raja Bazaar, said the dish was traditionally made in some homes in the downtown area of Rawalpindi, on the occasion of Shab-i-Baraat.
“However, since it is now available in the markets, few people make it at home,” he said.
Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2015
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