Takeaway Services Of Traditional Food Get Boom For Iftar Amid Third Wave Of Coronavirus Pandemic

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Takeaway services of traditional food get boom for iftar amid third wave of coronavirus pandemic

With spike in coronavirus cases, the takeaway services of traditional food including Chappli Kabab, Peshawari Polao, Haleem and Nehari have witnessed an upward boom in the provincial capital where fasting people take parcels of their favourite dishes to enjoy it with their families during iftar at home

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Apr, 2021 ) :With spike in coronavirus cases, the takeaway services of traditional food including Chappli Kabab, Peshawari Polao, Haleem and Nehari have witnessed an upward boom in the provincial capital where fasting people take parcels of their favourite dishes to enjoy it with their families during iftar at home.

The hotels and restaurants' business dealing with takeaway services of Chappli Kabab, Peshawari Polao, Chikens Achar, Haleem, Nehari, Panchay, Baryani and others have shined in Peshawar where people were being seen in front of these shops in substantial numbers under SOPs to enjoy these delicious traditional food with their loved ones during Iftar parties.

Known as a City of traditional food, Peshawar is a historical city for being most frequently visited by tourists, archaeologists and food lovers to relish on its delectable traditional foods varieties, of which mouthwatering Chappli Kabab and Peshawari Polao business' takeaway and home delivery services get upward boom in wake of third wave of coronavirus.

Chappli Kabab, Peshawari Polao and others traditional food outlets started roaring business these days by witnessing deluge of orders for home delivery from residents and visitors to enjoy its delicious bites along with families, relatives and friends during iftar.

A substantial numbers of buyers could be seen at historic Qisa Khawani, Namak Mandi, Hastnagri, Firdous, Warsak and Ring Roads where myriad shops were opened to attract foodies to taste tantalizing aroma of Chappli Kabab, Peshawari polao and others at home.

More than 2,500 chappli kebab shops in and around Peshawar city are existed, catering needs of people of all ages taking keen interest in Chappli Kabab and Peshawari Polao besides others traditional food.

"I bought four kilograms Chappli Kabab and two Peshawari Polao's parcels to enjoy it with my family during Iftar party at home," Khrushid Alam, an officer of a Govt Corporation told APP at Qisakhwani on Friday.

"Before Ramazan and coronavirus pandemic, I enjoy these aromatic and mouthwatering food at Firdus on every weekend with my family but could not come last Sunday due to fear of contraction of coronavirus," he said In Peshawar, one kilogram Chappli Kabab is being sold at Rs550 and one pack of Peshawari Polao at Rs 350 to Rs400 and its prices are high that needed to be checked by the district administration.

Chappli Kabab's history dated back to Mughals era as they had great influence on culture, art, architecture and foods in subcontinent. Derived its Chapli name from Pashto word Chaprikh means 'flat', this key dish of Peshawar-origin had gradually expanded to other provinces of Pakistan even beyond borders and this traditional food item figures high on hotels and restaurants' menus in south Asian countries including Pakistan.

"My iftar seemed incomplete without Chapli Kabab and Peshawari polao along with cold drinks. I avoid bazaars these days because of caronavirus infection fear and prefer to bring my favourite food at home to enjoy it with my family for iftar," said Omar Khayyam, a businessman of Nowshera district waiting for his turn in front of a famous Chappli Kabab restaurant at Firdus in Peshawar City.

"Since my childhood, my first choice is chappli kabab because it is simple, cost-efficient dish with lots of taste, flavor and spiciness," he added.

"The south asian countries has over dozens of popular kabab recipes such as shami, boti, seekh, Behari, Dehli, Lahori and Kashmirs but none of them can compete with the world famous Peshawari Chaplli kabab in taste and deliciousness," he said.

Arif Ahmed, owner of fanous Jalil Kabab house at Firdus Peshawar told APP that the takeaway business of Chappli Kabab and Peshawari Polao get upward boom in Peshawar these days as people prefer to take these popular dishes of subcontinent to home for Iftar parties instead to enjoy it in hotels due to fear of the third wave of COVID-19.

He said iftar parties in hotels were banned by the Government and only takeaway services was being allowed.

While recalling his forefathers, he said that he inherited Chappli Kabab's business from my father, Jalil Ahmed after he took over it from his own father, Jumma Khan in 1950.

"My grandfather started chappli kabab business from a single 'Karahi' (frypane) 70 years ago and today with the grace of Allah Almighty we have six more shops including one at Melody Food Street, Islamabad, two each at Firdous and University Road, one each at Gulbahar and Faqirabad Peshawar." He said, "Chappli Kabab's making had initially originated in Peshawar during Mughal dynasty as told by our forefathers and from here its recipe shifted to Karachi, Lahore, Quetta and other cities of Pakistan besides Jalalabad and Kabul in Afghanistan and Amratsar, Lucknow and Dheli in India.

Arif Khan said minced meat was being used in Chappli Kabab and once it is rightly crushed by experienced labourers, tomatoes, red chili powder, onions, dry coriander leaves, eggs, ginger, lemon juice, salt, masala and pomegranate seeds go into its marinated meat and it takes only 10 minutes to make a complete Chappli Kabab served with chutney, katchup, salad, yogurt and naan to our customers followed by Peshawari Qehwa.

Peshawari Chappli Kabab's demand was often being received from UAE, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Gulf States, he said, adding its demands increase manifolds during weddings, engagements and haqeeqa parties of the new borns.

Following third wave of corona cases, he said the number of tourists has been decreased again in Peshawar, reducing kabab's sale to 50kg meat per day from earlier 80 KG prior to the holy month of Ramadan.

However, he said takeaway and home delivery service of Chappli Kabab and Peshawar Polao had increased that immensely helped to fulfill our gas, electricity and labour expenses.

One KG Chappli Kabab was being sold at Rs 550 and its prices were directly linked with prices of others commodities like tomatoes, meat, ghee and others ingredients, he said.

He urged KP Government to announce special relief package for hotels and restaurants in the wake of adverse effects of coronavirus on it to help businessmen associated with food industry.