Posh traditional and continental food outlets may beckon you across the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, but it is the simple Daal Chawal that attracts the hungry most - at least in the garrison city.

As you struggle through the traffic jungle from Murree Road to Fawara Chowk, you spot a long row of food outlets offering bar-be-que, roasted chicken, mutton and beef kebabs, fried fish, Samosa, Dahi Bhalay and many other delicacies but it is the shops offering just Daal Chawal that look crowded.

A plateful of white boiled rice with yellow coloured Daal is enough of a meal and relatively not heavy on the pocket.

Daal Chawal is Indian Sub-continent cuisine. And the most popular recipe of the dish in Rawalpindi arrived from Kashmir.

The Kashmiri cuisine Daal is made from Channa and Masoor lentils. It is cooked for several hours with spices and a dash of garlic and ginger fried in vegetable oil or desi ghee separately is added to give the Daal aroma and taste.    

Daal Chawal business came to bloom in the garrison city in the 1990’s at the unbelievable price of Rs5 a plate.

Sadly, greed increased with its popularity and now it sells for 10 times more – and yet is considered economical by many.

At the Kashmiri food outlet Dilbar Hotel in Purana Qila, Daal Chawal is the main dish.

“We prepare the dish twice a day because we serve fresh food to our customers at lunch and dinner,” the owner, Muhammad Aslam Parvez, told Dawn.

“Some locals prepare the dish Kashmiri style but prefer to call it Lahori Daal Chawal, or Gujranawala Daal Chawal,” he said.

 Muhammad Jamil runs a Lahori Daal Chawal but claimed originality. “We have been in the business for 30 years and people visit us for our Daal Chawal tastes better,” he said. For emphasis he informed that he prepares two pots of 12 kg of rice and one pot of Daal every day, available from 10:00 am till 8:00 pm.

“There is no hard and fast rule that customers come only for lunch and dinner,” he said, arranging pieces of roasted chicken. “Most of my customers enjoy our Daal Chawal with chicken pieces, yogurt and salad.”  

 For customer Muhammad Akbar enjoying Daal Chawal at a Liaquat Bagh outlet the dish is better than meat dishes. “I have been having it since 1990 when it cost Rs5 a plate,” he recalled, of course forlornly because today he has to pay Rs50 for the same.

It is his preferred dish whenever he visits Raja Bazaar.

“It is a complete meal. Why waste money on meat dishes when we don’t know whether the meat being served is of a healthy animal or of a dead animal,” he said.

 Akbar’s philosophy was echoed by another customer, Sarfraz Ahmed. For him burger and French fries were an option. “But I wouldn’t go for the junk food if Daal Chawal is nearby. It is the best option,” he said. — Aamir Yasin

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2015

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