The small, sleepy town of Icherrian is located towards the north east of Mansehra and was one of the areas affected by the 2005 earthquake that devastated Azad Kashmir and the adjoining areas. Since then, it has bounced back to its former glory, with barely any telltale signs remaining of the calamity, as people go about their everyday tasks.

Talking about the business of food, Icherrian is home to the famous (late) Mohammad Zaman & Khaisat Khan Ke Mashhoor Chappal Kebab (now that’s a real mouthful) known for, well, its chapli kebabs. It’s certainly not to be confused with the Qalandari Kabab House located in Mohalla Khawajgan, also in District Mansehra, whose claim to fame is that political bigwigs Maryam Nawaz and Captain (retd) Safdar are regulars.

Muhammad Zaman & Khaista Khan Ke Mashhoor Chappal Kebab is also a mere stone’s throw away (five kms) from the M-15 Hazara Motorway, and a part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Our driver, a local from the area, swore that Mashhoor Chappal Kebab, set up by the brothers Muhammad Zaman and Khaista Khan over 15 years ago, are the best in the area.

You must go off the M-15 Hazara Motorway, in District Mansehra, to get a taste of the best melt-in-your-mouth chappal kebabs

It was late afternoon by the time we reached the kebab place from Nathiagali, tired, exhausted and very, very hungry. But we found the place doing roaring business even during off hours. No sooner had the order been placed, we quickly made our way to the sitting area and engaged in friendly chatter with the locals. In what seemed like absolutely no time at all, our order had arrived — three servings of piping-hot chaplis, two pieces a plate, served with raita (yoghurt dip) and fresh naan (flatbread). Needless to say, we dug into it quite excited.

The taste of the kebabs was unlike anything we had ever eaten before, be it Karachi’s Sohrab Goth or even Peshawar’s famous Namak Mandi. With just the right amount of seasoning (Khaista took care to add a bit more spice once he found out we had come all the way from Karachi, a courtesy extended especially to us), the crunchy and juicy tenderness of the melt-in-your-mouth kebabs made from freshly ground beef was an experience unto itself.

Like at most famous eateries, these chapli kebabs are cooked in animal fat, which gives them their distinct flavour and aroma. The fat is first melted and the kebabs are then slid into the sizzling fat one by one. In some cases, vegetable oil or clarified butter (ghee) is also used but it deprives the kebabs of their taste and aroma.

Before we even knew it, our party of four (driver included) had polished off six plates of kebabs, all washed down with copious amounts of 7-Up, and with the staff and other local customers stealing glances at us with the corners of their mouths upturned in slight smiles. No doubt they were accustomed to far-off travellers and die-hard foodies such as us eating their way through the entire food chain.

Unbelievably, even after polishing off such a sizable portion of the kebabs, fit for a small wedding party, there was still room for some more. But we decided to keep sanity in check and call it quits for fear of nausea settling in on the long journey back to Islamabad.

The writer is a member of staff

He tweets @faisal_quraishi

Published in Dawn, EOS, October 30th, 2022