THE PAKISTANI PALATE

Ever since the whiff of ‘Made in Pakistan’ exhibition arrived,city people have been excited. As one walks inside Himachal Bhawan,Sector 28,the queue at the Pakistani Food Court was much expected. “The stall’s been chock-a-block ever since we have arrived,” says Nazim Warsi of Warsi Food amid delivering orders — chicken tikka followed by Afghani kadai chicken. The two,Warsi says are the highest selling in Chandigarh at Rs 130 and Rs 170,respectively. Among the others that are high on the must-eat list here are chicken and mutton seekh kabab. But for those who like it less spicy,malai korma is a must try.

Nestled at the far end of the exhibition in the open is this food court. “The idea is to recreate Anarkali Food Street of Lahore,” says Warsi,who’s travelled across the Middle East with his food and has been to Chandigarh about four times. “When we travel around the country,we travel with our bag of spices,but not in India. Here all the spices are easily available. But what sets our food apart is the way we cook it,” he says.

M Imran of Lahore Tastes too nods in agreement as he dishes out the best of Sindhi dum biryani,one of which is rich in spices and fruits. “Our recipes are different. For instance we buy pepper seeds from here but grind and prepare them in our own way,” he says. At his stall,reshmi kabab,a platter which is priced at Rs 200 is worth a try. While the food court is mostly about non-vegetarian delicacies,one can also enjoy the richness and flavour of Pakistan. As for any alterations in the authentic Pakistani food,they are not welcome. For instance the fusion Russian salad has limited takers. “It was an experiment of blending a local and foreign recipe but the city prefers the original,” says Imran.

The food festival at the exhibition is on till May 3.