PESHAWAR: People flocked to the Namak Mandi Food Street here on the third Eid day on Monday to have the traditional chapli kebab, barbecue, mutton karahi, pulao and paye with kehwa.

The visitors to the place, which is located on the backside of the historic Qissa Khwani bazaar, included both locals and tourists, who enjoyed food sitting in hammock charpoys.

“My Eid is incomplete with chapli kebab and mutton karahi from my favourite food place [Namak Mandi] and that’s why I’m here with family,” Prof Mohammad Naeem Khan of the Swabi University said.

He said he had come here after a gap of three years due to the rising incidence of the coronavirus and would have the aromatic green tea of the Qissa Khwani Bazaar.

He said he had also bought chapli kebab weighing five kilograms and three packets of Peshawari pulao for an Eid party at home.

Also, scores of food lovers visited other food streets of Peshawar on Eid days and said they had traditional food like mouth-watering chappli kebab and mutton karahi.

Food sellers said the demand for chapli kebab tangibly went up during Eid holidays amid pleasant weather.

They said many people ordered chapli kebab in large quantities for home as well.

Arif Ahmad of the famous chapli kebab shop said his Jalil Ahmad got the business from his father in 1950, while his all six sons carried it forward.

“Hopefully, our next generation will take it over from us,” he said.

He said his grandfather started chapli kabab setup with a single frying pan 73 years ago and the business had expanded across Peshawar and even to Islamabad.

“We have six shops, two each in Firdous and University Road, one each at Gulbahar and Faqirabad, and one in Islamabad’s Melody Food Street,” he said.

He said most of the popular meaty dishes were introduced in the Indian subcontinent by invaders including Mughals, Turks and Afghans.

“Before marching towards central India, invaders stayed in Peshawar region and introduced chapli kebab recipe, which later gained worldwide fame due to its appetizing aroma and delectable taste,” he said.

Mr Arif said that the chapli kebab’s recipe gained popularity in other parts of the region from Karachi to Lahore to Quetta in the current Pakistan and Jalalabad and Kabul in Afghanistan and Amritsar, Lucknow and Delhi in the current India.

He said that Peshawar had more than 3,500 chapli kebabs shops and they were mostly located in Firdus, Bakhshu Bridge, Warsak Road, Ring Road, Nothia, Namak Mandai, Hastnagri, Ramadas, Faqirabad and Board bazaars, attracting foodies in large numbers during Eid days.

“Besides chapli kebab, the takeaway service of traditional cuisines, including Peshawari pulao, paye, dampukht, namak mandi karahi, lamb chops, barbeque and other traditional foods are also popular,” he said.

The kebab maker said people sent those food items to family members and friends in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and other countries.

Child specialist Dr Riaz Malik said Namak Mandi was his favorite food place in Peshawar where he had been coming over for the last six years to have mutton karahi and barbeque due to its unique taste.

“Visit to Namak Mandi gives us an opportunity to spend some time with old friends on Eid days. The orders generally take close to an hour to prepare with customers enjoying tea ahead of the meal here,” he said.

Dr Malik urged the provincial government to convert the place into a full-fledged food street like Lahore’s Gawalmandi to create job opportunities and promote quality traditional food.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2023