Afghan food gains big market share

Though the volume of Afghan refugees in Islamabad has been considerably reduced from thousands to hundreds as majority of them has returned to their country but those living in the federal capital and running Afghan restaurants are offering mouth-watering dishes and locals prefer delicious cuisines over other continental food. Afghani food outlets in the city are offering services with a distinctive spices and taste. Their dishes are generally mild to moderately spicy mostly including gourmet rice, meat and fresh vegetables. Syed Mursaleen Afghani, who runs a restaurant at Sector G/9, said after a massive repatriation of Afghan refugees in mid 90s, his business had faced some financial crisis but he was now satisfied with the response of local customers. “More and more local are becoming my customers and 90 percent of our customers are Pakistani citizens.”
There are two main Afghani restaurants in the city, which are being run by Afghani nationals – Khyber Restaurant in Sector G/9 and Kabli Restaurant at Jinnah Super Market. During a visit to the restaurants, it was noticed that Kabli Palao and Afghani beef tikkas with sheep fat were most favourite dishes of locals. “I prefer Afghani palao and beef tikkas as they have different taste,” said Ayesha Khan, a customer at Khyber Restaurant. Kabli Palao is the most popular dish of Afghanistan – steamed rice with chops of raisins and carrot. Ayesha, a mother of two, said Afghani foods were less spices than the Pakistani food and that was reason she always preferred to visit Afghani food outlets. “Kabli palao and beef tikkas are our favourite dishes,” said Ayesha’s five-year-old daughter Neelam.
The owner of Khyber Restaurant, Mursaleen, said that only Afghan nationals could prepare Afghani foods. “There are a number of restaurants in the city, which offers Afghani foods prepared by non-Afghans but they failed to attract customers,” Mursaleen noted.
He said after Kabli Paulao, Afghani tikka was the most favourite dish of the customers.
It is mostly served with nann and sometimes with rice. Afghani Tikka is less species than the Pakistani tikkas.
There are number of other dishes including lamb kabab, Afghani kabab, lamb chops, ribs, kofta, qourma, mantu and shorma. Afghani qourma is also very popular among Pakistani people. It is made with fried onions, meat, fruits or vegetables.
Similarly, mantu steamed dumplings fattened with minced onion beef is also among wanted items.
While writing on Afghan dishes, how Afghani rooti or naan (bread) can be ignored. Usually, Afghans consume two types of breads, which are locally called nann and rooti. Afghani naan is made of wheat and is thin, long and oval shaped, while Afghani rooti is long, which attract customers.
Haji Ghulam Nabi, who works at Kabli Restaurant at Jinnah Super Market, says Afghani rooti is a hotcake for the local customers and its sale is on the rise due to cheap rates and extra ordinary size.
He claimed that one Afghani rooti, being sold at Rs 12, was enough for two men.
In winter season, the said restaurants are also offering Afghani soup. Another Afghan national Ali Raza, who runs a small shop at F8 Markaz, offers Kabli Paulo mixed with beans at cheap rates as compared to the rates of other mentioned hotels. That is one of reason customers always throng Ali’s shop.