CHITRAL: Mantu, a beef-stuff dumpling from Afghanistan, has become a popular iftar food item here.

The mantu outlets have recorded high sales during the current Islamic month of fasting. They attract large crowds of people ahead iftar time.

The snack, which has chopped beef and steamed onion wrapped in the dough of fine wheat flour, was introduced here in 1980s by Afghan refugees.

Many mantu shops have opened in the city over the years unlike the past when the dumplings were sold by a few vendors on handcarts.

Resident Rustam Lal said mantu had become part and parcel of the local cuisine and was fervently consumed by the people of all ages.

He said for many families, the Afghan dumpling had become a source of sustenance as they cooked it at home and sold them on the market to earn a handsome amount of money.

“No iftar party is considered to be complete if mantu is not there. Due to palatability and rich taste, mantu has become the first choice of the people after breaking the fast with dates,” he said.

The resident said mantu was a balanced food item, which refreshed the body and promised vigour after long hours of fasting. He said amazingly, mantu had been selling for Rs10 apiece for many years.

Though mantu has become a popular food item, the district administration hasn’t fixed its price. The stable price is said to be the exclusion of mantu from the price list of the administration.

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2021