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PESHAWAR, Jul 13 (APP):Nestled in the heart of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Peshawar is a city steeped in history, culture, and tradition but for many, its most enduring legacy is its mouthwatering food.
From sizzling street grills to time-honored family kitchens, Peshawar offers a unique culinary journey unlike any other city in Pakistan.
Renowned for its varities of bold flavors, generous use of meat, and simple yet hearty recipes, Peshawari cuisines are a true reflection of the Pashtun spirit of unpretentious and warm hospitality.
One cannot speak of Peshawari food without mentioning the mouth watering Chappli Kabab along with Qehwa (green tea).
Crisp on the outside, juicy within, and seasoned with a blend of spices including dried pomegranate seeds and green chilies, these flat Chappli Kabab are a staple across the province, attracting foods.
In Namak Mandi, Peshawar’s iconic food street, Chappli Kabab is served with piping hot naan and tangy chutney-a combination that has stood the test of time.
“Peshawar’s food, especially Chappli Kabab has its own soul,” says Nisar Khan alias Charsi, a third-generation kebab vendor at Namak Mandi.
“I inherited its art from my father who started chappli kabab business from a single ‘Karahi’ 50 years ago. When I was a school boy, I sit on Karahi with my father, who was an expert of Chappli Kabab’s making and later joined it practically after his untimely demise.”
Keeping in view of family financial hardship at those days, Nisar said he never looked back and established three more such shops one each at Firdous, University Road and Bakhsu Charsadda Road, easing his financial woes.
“We use minced meat and once it is rightly crushed by an experienced labourers, tomatoes, red chili powder, onions, dry coriander leaves, eggs, ginger, lemon juice, salt, masala and pomegranate seeds go into its marinated meat, making it more delicious,” he said, adding it takes only 10 minutes to make a complete Chappli Kabab served with chutney, katchup, salad, yogurt and naan to customers.
Equally famous is Dumpukht, a dish slow-cooked in sealed pots to let the meat tenderize in its own juices, enriched only by a handful of spices. It’s a dish that whispers tradition in every bite.
Under the glow of hanging bulbs and smoky air of open grills, food lovers gather at long wooden benches at Namak Mandai to enjoy Dumpukht and Matton Karhai made from freshly slaughtered lamb, cooked in animal fat and tomatoes with a hint of green chili.
“Namak Mandi is my favorite food place in Peshawar where I have come for the last five years to enjoy its Matton Karhai and BBQ due to its unique taste and energy perspective,” said Samad Khan, a tourist of Barikot Swat.
“Whenever I come to Peshawar, I come here to enjoy its delectable cuisines with family,” he said.
“It also gave me an opportunity to spend some times with my old university friends here in a relaxed environment as the orders generally take close to an half an hour to prepare, with customers.”
After a meat-heavy meal, no trip to Peshawar is complete without Qahwa (green tea)– the Peshawar’s signature.
Served in small porcelain cups especially after Chappli Kabab and Dumpukh, Qahwa is not just a drink but a moment of pause of conversation and long tradition of Peshawar goes from generation to generation.
Similarly, Peshawar’s historic Qissa Khwani market, which is a home of international storytellers continued its centuries old legacy where Nehari, Rice Polao, Haleem and Chicken Aachar are being served till late night.
And for those with a sweet tooth, sohan halwa, faluda and jalebi bring a perfect end to a traditional meal with yogurt lasi.majing Peshawar visit memorable.
Eminent writer and traveler, Qari Javed Iqbal in his book ‘Saqafat Sarhad Tarikh K Ayeene Me’ (frontier culture in mirror of history) wrote that people of united India were mostly vegetarians but all kings and invaders from the west including Mughals, Turks, Ghazni and Afghans who conquered India loved these traditional fruits of this region.
“In every kabab, every cup of tea, there’s a story,” says Bakhtzada Muhammad, Assistant Director, Archeology Department.
He said Peshawar is a unique food city that feeds both the stomach and the soul.
“The people of united India were mostly vegetarians but all kings and invaders from the west including Mughals, Turks, Ghazni and Afghans who conquered India were carnivores and stayed here,” he said.
These kings and invaders had introduced the habit of eating meat in new ways in United India where Mughals made meat-eating a cultural dish by making it a substitute for beef and buffalo’ meat by adding various spices and ingredients to it.
Chappli Kabab’s recipes were introduced in the Mughal dynasty, which had later gained international fame owing to its appetizing aroma and delectable taste, he said.
Later, its recipe was shifted to Karachi, Lahore, Quetta and other cities of Pakistan besides Jalalabad and Kabul in Afghanistan and Amratsar, Lucknow and Dheli India.
They urged the KP Government to covert Namak Mandi is a full fledged food street on the patterns of GawalMandi Lahore and provide soft loans to shopkeepers enabling them to continue and expand their food businesses.
Food Services and Halal Authority spokesman said countering adulteration in spices products mostly used in traditional cuisines was a big challenge.
To counter the challenge, he said seven mobile testing laborites were set up at divisional headquarters of KP, adding ten more such labs to be established in Swabi, Batagram, Chitral, Haripur, Manshera, Charsadda, Nowshera, Dir and Chitral.
Three foods training schools at Mardan, Peshawar and Abbottabad were established, underscoring the need for establishment of nutritional wings, food screening laboratories and halal food research wings in all districts besides inclusion of food subjects in curriculum and constant awareness campaign by media and religious scholars to win fight against adulteration in food products.
He said it was mandatory for hotels and food restaurants to ensure hygiene of kitchens and eatery halls while chefs should have a license of having no communicable disease.
While Peshawar’s food may be rooted in centuries-old recipes, its appeal stretches far beyond its borders. With food bloggers, vloggers, and even international chefs visiting the city, Peshawar’s culinary heritage is finally getting the recognition it deserves.
As food tourism gains momentum in Pakistan, cities like Peshawar are becoming must-visit destinations not just for its oldest history, art and culture, but for the unforgettable food flavors it serve.