Pure vegetarian Indian dishes new rage in Pak

Karachi, August 11

Pakistan’s industrial and financial centre Karachi has become the food capital for the foodies of the cosmopolitan city, with the latest trend being an acquired taste for authentic and refined Indian vegetarian dishes such as ‘soyabean aloo biryani’, ‘aloo tikkis’, ‘vada pav’, ‘masala dosa’ and ‘dhokla’.

For millions of people in the capital of Sindh province, Karachi’s beauty is the food options ranging from the most expensive European and Italian cuisine to affordable Chinese food or a simple bun kabab as the food capital caters to the taste and pockets of everyone. The foodies in recent months have also developed a taste for “pure vegetarian” dishes.

Mahesh Kumar, who owns the small Maharaj Karamchand Vegetarian Foods Inn inside a historical old compound of the bustling MA Jinnah Road, says his business was booming as people have developed a taste for vegetarian dishes known in Karachi as “pure vegetarian Indian dishes”.

“Our Soybean Aloo Biryani, Aloo Tikkis, Paneer Karahi, and mixed vegetables are famous and we witness a lot of rush during lunchtime with a lot of takeaways and deliveries as well,” Kumar said.

It is not just this Hindu-run vegetarian restaurant that is doing a great job but, in other parts of Karachi, entrepreneur Hindu, Christian and Muslim women have set up food stalls specialising in refined Indian vegetarian dishes such as ‘pav bhaji’, ‘vada pav’, ‘masala dosa’ and ‘dhokla’.

Kavita, who started a food stall in the Cantt area on a side street eight months ago, sells Indian vegetarian dishes and can barely keep up with the rush at her stall.

What surprised Kavita and her family is the taste the meat-loving people of Karachi have developed for pure vegetarian dishes.

A stall that sells 'dhoklas' and 'dal samosas' is run by a Christian lady Mary Richards. — PTI