Gone are the days when Lalukhet aka Liaquatabad was considered to be a no man’s land, strictly because of socio-political reasons. But its notoriety has since been replaced by booming businesses and chaotic traffic that does not relent even after business hours come to an end.

Past dusk, the narrow lanes and alleys of Liaquatabad’s Sarafa Market are inundated with an entirely different kind of crowd that combs the narrow, winding alleyways in search of the hidden treasures of appetising sweet and savoury snacks, and perhaps in no other place is this more obvious than around Firdous Shopping Centre.

For the unenlightened, Firdous Cinema remained a major cultural landmark while it was still in commission, screening the latest cinematic box-office releases during the golden age of cinema in Pakistan, especially Karachi, up till the late ’80s or even the early ’90s.

Then it all came crashing down like a house of cards, and one of the immediate casualties of the downfall of films was Firdous Cinema, which was torn down to give way to Firdous Shopping Centre in Laiquatabad’s Sarafa Market, where the business of all kinds of wholesale goods is now booming.

Yaseen bhai’s freshly made, sweet, flaky and fragrant local cookies are sought after even by those visiting from the United States — you just have to brave a trip to Liaqatabad’s Sarafa Market in Karachi

One such vintage snack spot is Mohammad Yaseen’s makeshift stall located just behind Firdous Shopping Centre. From here, Yaseen has been serving piping-hot fresh nankhatais (best described as a thick, light, fluffy, flaky local version of cookies) for the past 55 years!

No doubt, over the years, Yaseen’s seen it all and done it all. But the one thing that hasn’t changed in the very least is the taste of his nankhatais, which his trusted loyal customers swear by.

Every day, for over five decades now, Yaseen sets up his business, comprising large round trays covered with plastic sheets containing fragrant nankhatais, and no sooner does he do this than the whole area is filled with the sweet, fragrant smell of the freshly baked goods.

He also has his makeshift portable oven, burning charcoal and ash, which he uses to make a fresh batch of slowly cooked nankhatais. The result is a tea-time snack that is light on the palette, crispy and flaky both inside out and develops an appetising light golden-brown colour.

The traditional nankhatai has its roots deeply embedded in traditional South Asian culture and cuisine, especially India, from where it spread to present-day Pakistan and beyond. But the mastery of making the perfect nankhatai now lies only in a few hands in modern times — the immensely-famous Khalifa, located in androon shehr [inner city] Lahore, and its relatively unknown cousin that is Yaseen’s nankhatais near Liaquatabad’s Firdous Market.

No wonder then that Yaseen’s cheeks puff up and his eyes shine when he gloats that his clientele extends all the way to the US, from where many make the pilgrimage all the way to Liaquatabad Sarafa Market, just to get a taste of his nankhatais.

Many even pack a big batch for their loved ones back home in the US, eager to savour the golden goodness of his nankhatais once they are back in America, as something to remind them of home and the days gone by.

The writer is a member of staff. X: faisal_quraishi

Published in Dawn, EOS, March 31st, 2024