PESHAWAR
Many of Peshawar’s cuisines dishes are well-known around the world because of their attractive and unique tastes, but ‘Chapli Kabab’ is no slouch either and become a household name in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa because of its demand.
Chapli Kabab has a distinctive place in the list of food items available at different eateries because of its mouth watering taste and suitable price, ranging between the reach of even poor people to enjoy the savory dish occasionally.
Every bazaar in Peshawar, Food Street and in every village smoke emitting shops due to burning of wood beneath a long black frying pan can be witnessed offering especially cooked Chapli Kabab.
The dish, made in a special large frying pan, is one of those foods that is famous for its flavor as well as its appetizing aroma.
Chapli Kababs are made from beef or buffalo meat. First the meat is minced, then corn flour, chopped onion, spices and salt are added as required. Earlier kebabs were made in fat but now they are being made in cooking oil.
History of Chapli Kebab
It is not known exactly where Chapli Kabab came from in Peshawar. However, Qari Javed Iqbal writes in his book ‘Saqafat Sarhad Tarikh K Ayeene Me’ (Frontier culture in the mirror of history) that the people of India were vegetarians but all the invaders from the West including Mughals, Turks, Ghazni and Afghans who attacked India were carnivores.
When they conquered India, they introduced the habit of eating meat in new ways and customs.
Qari Javed writes that the Mughals made meat-eating a cultural dish by making it a substitute for beef and buffalo meat and adding various spices to it. Because their first home was in Peshawar, this dish got a regional name and colour.
Qari Javed further writes in his book that “The most famous Chapli Kabab in Peshawar was found at Karimo Kababi in Nothia, Jalil Kababi, Mohmand Tore Kabai in Firdous Bazaar in front of Jinnah Park, Tarojaba Kebabi on GT Road and Bakhshi Pul Kabab had gained international fame. These frying pan Kababs still exist today and people from far and wide come here to eat it.
60 years old Haji Hazrat Ullah owner of Mohmand Tore Kabab Firdos Peshawar said that since 1950 his father had started a shop of Kabab and now he extended the business in different parts of the city by setting up franchises.
“People from all over the country order Chapli Kabab from here,” he said. Whenever tourists come to Peshawar, they do not go without eating Chapli Kabab” claims Haji Hazrat Ullah.
“People dispatch Chapli Kabab purchased from my shop to Abu Dabi, Saudi Arabi and other countries”.
Hazrat Ullah said that he personally visit to buy buffalo and cows for Kabab. I sells Rs.400 per kilogram while the other shops sell it at Rs.600 per kilogram, said Haji Hazrat Ullah.
Hazrat Ullah said that Former Prime Minister, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had visited his shop and eaten Chapli Kabab here. He said that different public officers, Judges and MPAs visit his shop to eat Kabab.
Chapli Kabab is prepared from minced meat, chopped onion, tomato, spices, coriander seeds, said Hazrat Ullah.
Hazrat resident of Badhber said that he came to Firidos along with his friends to eat Chapli Kabab as it is a delicious dish and very famous.
Abdullah resident of Badhber said that Peshawari Chapli Kabab were famous across the world as famous Bollywood film star Shah Rukh Khan also likes Peshawari Chapli Kabab.
