Eid fever in Peshawar: Grilled fish, Chappli Kabab businesses see rain-driven boom
PESHAWAR (APP): The torrential rains coupled with cold weather here Wednesday brought boom to the grilled fish and Chappli Kabab business where people are buying the mouthwatering cuisines for Iftar parties at homes.
Following cold weather conditions due to heavy rain continued with intermittent intervals in Peshawar for the last two days, Peshawarties thronged to the outlets of the mouthwatering Chappli Kabab and grilled fried fish at historic Qissa Khwani and Namak Mandi where the delectable varieties are being served with spicy sauces and green tea during Iftar orders.
Many consumers were seen taking percals of these dishes for their loved ones at home to keep themselves warm and get additional energy.
Peshawar is a unique ancient city for being frequently visited by the tourists and food lovers to relish its delectable traditional food varieties including the mouth-watering chapli kabab, Peshawari rice-pulao and fish varieties mostly brought from Malakand, Hazara divisions, Punjab and Karachi as special offer.
While travelling on historic Qissa Khawani and Namak Mandi bazaars in the bustling city of Peshawar, travelers can’t resist the aroma of grilled fish and chapli kabab being served with traditional qehwa and spicy sauces from Iftar till late night.
“The tantalising aroma of trout and carp fish, chappli kabab and BBQ have always attracted me to enjoy during Iftar at Qissa Khawani bazaar having about 3,000 years old history where plenty of shops are available for sea and meat food lovers,” said Bakhtzada Khan, Assistant Director Archealogy Department, while talking to APP.
“It is my second visit to Qisa Khawani for Iftar with family to enjoy chapli kabab and grilled fish with green qehwa at Qissa Khwani which was internationally known for storytellers.”
Tourists while travelling to subcontinent or Central Asia for trade had often stayed here at night and swapped tales of each other’s culture, civilizations and traditions besides day to day happening while enjoying Chapli Kabab with traditional qehwa .
The visitors also went around to the historic Balahisar fort, Ghanta Ghar, Mohalla Sethian with rare architecture and wood work of its buildings in a day long trip and returned to Qissa Khwani for a night stay before starting their journey to their destination for trade.
Ghanta Ghar, a famous fish trade hub in Peshawar also drew a substantial number of seafood lovers on Wednesday where the trade of fish including mushka, rahu, simon, pomfret, mahsher, and lobsters have significantly increased after the heavy torrential rain that turned weather cold.
At Ghanta Ghar, fish seller Riaz Khan said trout stock has been brought from Swat and Mansehra districts to fulfil Peshawarties’ pressing demands for Eid.
“The recipe for trout fish is very simple and time-efficient. We prepare trout in oil after its proper water wash and cutting.
Later, varieties of spicy sauces, pomegranate seed powder, salt and other spicy ingredients are properly mixed.”
Before making it on medium flame, he said the fish is properly marinated for about two hours to ensure that all sauces are intact and the colour is unchanged and later served to customers with chips, sauces (Chatnis), salad and naans.
While eating fish at Ring Road Peshawar along with friends, Qaiser Khan, a resident of Wapda Town Peshawar said trout was his favourite seafood as its meat was full of proteins and vitamins besides easily digestible.
“When I was young, I visited Swat with my father to enjoy the freshwater brown trout due to its aromatic taste and spiciness amid snowfall. This year, I did not go to Swat due to the availability of the grilled and baked trout fish at Peshawar.”
Dr Malik Riaz, senior medical specialist at Pabbi Hospital Peshawar said there was an additional burden on the heart, brains, joints and lungs of weak people and children due to persistent cough, nausea and frosts in rainy weather, adding consumption of fish was the best available choice to help reduce risks of these diseases.
Besides the best source of proteins, vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, phosphorus, iron and iodine, he said that consumption of seafood helps improve digestion, protects skin from dryness and relieves joints’ pains.
Usman Ali, General Secretary of Swat Trout Fish Farming Association said that business of trout farmers have shined in rainy weather following increase in demands of consumers and hotel industry on arrival of Eid.
He said about 150 trout farms existed in Swat that engaged extra laborers to meet the placed orders.
About 2,500 people were directly associated with trout farming in Swat where one kilogram trout was being sold at Rs 2000 to Rs 2500 per kilogram in the open market.
”Fish farming is a highly profitable business and any farmer having 35 marla land minimum and proper water inflow and outflow system can produce 2,250 kg trout by earning about two million rupees profit after 15 months raring.”
Fisheries Department officials told APP that under the Trout Village Project (TVP), around 93 small and large trout fish farms were established in Malakand and Hazara divisions under a 50:50% cost sharing formula basis.
A model trout hatchery under KP government was set up at Salathanar valley in Upper Swat on 15 kanal with capacity to produce six million fish seeds per year.
‘Development of cold water fisheries resources’, a joint venture of Federal and Provincial Governments having 40:60pc cost sharing basis, is in progress in Malakand and Hazara divisions under which 297 trout lakes were being established to bolster fish production.
KP government has approved ‘development of reservoirs for uplift of fisheries resources’ project under which 67 carp fish farms and model hatchery on 179 kanal at Swabi were being established from where fish seedlings to be provided to private hatcheries and Turbella dam.
Following completion of these projects, he said KP’s fish production would likely increase to 740 metric tons from the existing 400 metric tons by 2030.
A model coldwater research centre is being established at Madyn Swat with a facility of a fish hatchery where academia and young researchers would be facilitated to conduct researches on different issues of aquatic resources in the province.
