The Delicacies of Karachi
Karachi is home to almost 4 million people, all from different races, ethnicity and faiths but with a single hobby, ‘eating’!
Karachi has a wide variety of food options from all over the world, like, Italian pizza, Spanish salads, American Burgers or Afghani Pulao, we have it all. From Food Industry giants like KFC, McDonald or Pizza hut to local street vendors, Karachi offers a wide variety of dishes with splendid tastes and an unvarying pleasure. The most difficult task is to tell about any 10 dishes because every Karachi dish has a unique flavor and temptation but with limited number of words, I would like to start it right it off.
#10 Chai Paratha Anda:
Karachiites love chai and to verify my statement you can visit any Karachi street and easily find at least 2 to 3 Pathan Bhai k hotel mostly named Quetta Hotel. Pathan’s chai mostly made from their local tea leaves (chai ki patti), milk, sugar and constant mixing with a big spoon is a dilemma to leave behind. Combine Chai with Paratha (White flour rounded to dough then fried on a steel tawa or flat frying pan) and half fried or omelet egg (seasoned with black pepper and salt) is the favorite and most popular Karachiites breakfast. With a small amount to spend and a big tummy to fill. , we all Love Chai Paratha Anda as our breakfast. Fun Fact; You can also order any other curry like chollas along with parathas.
#9 Bun Kabab:
Another Karachiite’s most loved snack, A pulse patty burger. Take a small amount of boiled & grounded daal chana (pulses) add a bit of chicken flavor to it and make a small patty with it fry it on a pan put it between a bun apply a bit of ketchup few chutnis and you are good to eat a bun kabab, but there’s a catch, patties require a lot of practice to master. So, in comes thousands of street vendors selling their unique and delicious Bun kababs. With a slither of mayonnaise, mashed salad leaves, ketchup, chatni, and masala you have a deliciously tempting bun kabab to eat. A cheap and widely available food you cannot resist Bun-kababs.
#8 Katakat:
This might a bit controversial but who doesn’t love seeing a food being made in front of their eyes. With the traditional spices, oils and a whole lot of other ingredients thrown on a pan and then mashed in front of your eyes by sharp flat knifes creating a mesmerizing sound of “kat-a-kat-a-kat” is a pleasure. The sound associated with its making gave it its name. Customers select the kidneys, brains and/or kapooras to be mashed up in front of them into a plate. The less adventurous opt to leave out the “kapooras”. But this dish is only for professionals to make and foodies to enjoy.
#7 Karahi:
Disclaimer alert; Not for the feint hearted.
Karahi a dish from all over Pakistan, ranging from Peshawar’s charsi karahi to Sindh’s salted karahi. Coming in, many different flavors and spices. We can brag a whole day about how karahis differ and which one is better but we can all agree to one thing, Karahi is love. Made from either butter or oil, you can also order beef, chicken or mutton karahi as per your diets. The mouthwatering meat pieces, cooked in desi ghee or oil sizzled with masala and garnished with green chilies are a mouth-watering sensation.
Some adventurous Karachiites even go towards the highways to feast on the delicious meal.
#6 Chaat:
Another local street food chaat is a mix of several different spices, sweet yoghurt, chutnis, papri and cholay (chickpeas) together with small pieces of boiled potatoes is a rich and creamy savor to have. You can get many of the chaat vendors around the streets of karachi. Its considerably cheap and easily available meal and one plate of chaat is good enough meal to keep your tummy full.
#5 Halwa Puri:
A traditional Lahori dish, it is a combination of chana masala and Puri, a fried bread made from maida (white dough). The dish is also very popular in India as a breakfast meal. With lots of masalas a curry of chickpeas(chana) is made then served with halwa (made from sujji (granulated wheat) and sugar) and purri (a flat bread fried in oil or ghee). Halwa puri is easily accessible during the breakfast time all over the Karachi.
#4 Tikka:
Leg Piece or a chest piece? is the commonly asked question by tikka sellers. Tikka is a Bar B Que dish, with its origins tracing back to the Mughal dynasty. It is made by marinating whole chicken leg or chest area in Spices and yoghurt, then cooking them on a seekh over coals or a tandoor. Mostly eaten with puri, paratha or naan, is a Karachiites heartbeat. You can find several tikka vendors all over Karachi.
#3 Malai Boti:
Same as tikka but boneless and a bit sweet tasting, Malai Boti is the most sold food of bbq sellers, served with poori paratha, malai boti is a dish to go crazy for. Small pieces of meat marinated whole night in sweet yoghurt and several spices then cooked on seekhs over coals or tandoor. Not too cheap nor to expensive but way too delicious to resist.
#2 Nihari:
Aah, Nihari where should I start from, lets first get the facts out of the book, nihari is one of the most consumed dinner meal all over Karachi. Nihari is a stew consisting of slow-cooked meat, mainly shanked meat of beef, mutton or chicken, along with bone marrow, spices, onions and chilies. Many local vendors sell nihari with naan all over Karachi. You can also get yourself nalli(bone) nihari or maghaz(brain) nihari. Mostly consumed as dinner Nihari is the best gift for any foodie.
#1 Biryani:
All hail the Almighty Biryani, The Karachi’s epi-center for all foodies. Karachi is famous for its spicy and delicious biryani. Biryani is a mixed rice dish originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is made with spices, rice, and meat, Biryani is popular throughout the subcontinent. Finding delicious biryani in Karachi is a child’s play because every seller in Karachi offers a different yet a delicious taste. A small price to pay for a great luxury is not a bad deal at all. What say Karachiites?
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Oh, by the way do you know you can cook all of the above-mentioned dish at your own house by ordering the essentials from chase.pk and you can even add an extra touch of your own to the dishes. So what are you waiting for logon to chase.pk now.
