Indulging to your stomach’s content at Iftar

Rawalpindi

If you are the one who wants to indulge in food frenzy during ‘iftar’, the food streets of Saddar and Stadium Road in Rawalpindi will prove the one-stop destination for you. Like Saddar and Stadium Road food streets, the Banni Chowk also lights up in Ramazan celebrations every evening. The stalls serve all the regular delicacies like ‘biryanis’, chicken kebab, mutton kebab, and the rest.

Apart from the food streets, the area markets like Commercial Market, Satellite Town, Lal Kurti, Khayaban-e-Sir Syed, Tench Bhatta, Tariqabad, Sadiqabad, Saidpur Road, Moti Bazaar, Dheri Hassanabad, Khayaban-e-Sir Syed, Kartarpura, Chaklala Scheme III, Murree Road, Muslim Town, Tipu Road, Saidpur Road, etc. are not lacking in satisfying the taste of Rozadars’ (people who keep fast)‘. Even ‘rehri foodwalas’ are inundated with ravenous visitors, all pining for a taste of the delicacies on offer.

The city roads with frequent traffic snarls in the evening transform into a foodie haven. Walking down as the sun sets in the distance we see the pleasant smells rising from the multiple sizzling food stalls that line the markets.

‘Rozadars’ gastronomical odyssey begins with the delicacies that make their appearance such as ‘nuli nihari’, mutton ‘tikka’, chicken ‘samosa’ and ‘jaleebi’, ‘tandoori roti’ like chicken ‘rogni naan’ and ‘keema rogninaan’, steaming ‘paye’, spicy ‘pakooras’, ‘karahi’ cooked in butter, barbequed kebabs and ‘malai’ chicken ‘boti’, ‘lassi’, ‘makhni chana’ and ‘saag’, barbecued chicken, creamy ‘lassi’ and refreshing sherbet, ‘kheer’, ‘firni’, sweetmeats of all kinds.

The bustling area markets of Rawalpindi offer Rozadars with delightful variety of foods. Arranged in an orderly manner, they sell specialties. As the azan sounds, the crowd starts to swell in number. The smell of barbecued and fried meat fills the senses as we enter one of the many makeshift stalls.

The heady aroma of chicken/mutton ‘tikkas’ and mutton/beef ‘seekh’ kebabs to 'nuli nihari', 'biryani's and kebabs automatically drive you towards them. Moreover, there is a variety of ‘parathas’, fried rolls, ‘samosas’, cold, milky ‘phirni’ and ‘kheer’, you name it. Exploring the whole markets and trying a bit of everything could take hours on end and a herculean appetite. Beware, though. The ‘biryani’ gets over the fastest, so you may want to reach there early and have some ‘biryani’ before it is too late!

Moving from stall to stall, we discover chicken ‘samosas’ on platters, marinated meats hung on spears, beef kebabs roasting in barbecues and the tasteful ‘parathas’ being cooked with dollops of oil.

The traditional chicken ‘sheekh kabab’ is soft and a high on flavours after been cooked in a coal fire, bringing a hint of smokiness to its taste. If you are a fan of chicken dishes, you could also try the meaty deep fried chicken pieces, served with pieces of onion and cut lemons. The pieces change colour from a lazy yellow to a gleaming red as it is deep fried and tastes soft with the lemon providing a hint of sourness to the mix.

The ‘haleem’, made with a rich blend of wheat, barley, lentils and chunks of meat, is the peak attraction of the season.

The intense flavours of the soupy dish, is a favourite among food lovers, many of who are seen packing takeaways. For sweet taste, we dabble in a mix of syrup-dripping ‘rasmallai’, the traditional ‘phirni’, ‘kheer’, served in a collectible small clay pot. The array of colourful juices, ‘faloodas’, and yummy ‘gulab jamuns’ is the perfect culmination to the food frenzy trip.