“Purely vegetarian Indian dishes” – new trend among gourmets in Karachi, Pakistan

Karachi: Karachi, Pakistan's industrial and financial hub, has emerged as the culinary capital for the cosmopolitan city's foodies. The latest trend is a strong preference for authentic and sophisticated Indian vegetarian dishes like 'soybean aloo biryani', 'aloo tikkis', 'vada pav', 'masala dosa' and 'dhokla'.

For millions of people in the capital of Sindh province, the beauty of Karachi lies in the wide variety of cuisines available, ranging from the most expensive European and Italian cuisine to affordable Chinese food or a simple bun kebab, as the food capital has something to suit every taste and budget.

In recent months, gourmets have also developed a taste for “purely vegetarian” dishes.

Mahesh Kumar, owner of the small Maharaj Karamchand Vegetarian Foods Inn in an old heritage complex on the busy MA Jinnah Road, says his business is thriving because people have developed a taste for vegetarian dishes, known in Karachi as “pure vegetarian Indian dishes”.

The Narayan Complex, where Hindus, Sikhs and Christians lived in peace and harmony before the partition, houses not only the restaurant but also the centuries-old Swaminarayan Temple and a Gurdwara.

Originally built to accommodate the residents of the complex, the Maharaj Karamchand Inn is now a popular meeting place for lawyers and visitors who come daily to the city courts directly opposite the complex or for other business in this commercially vibrant area of ​​Old Karachi.

“Our soya bean aloo biryani, aloo tikkis, paneer karahi and mixed veg are famous and we see a huge rush during lunch time as many takeaway and delivery options are also available,” said Kumar.

Kumar said his father opened the restaurant in 1960. There is nothing fancy about it with the same old wooden chairs and tables, but what attracts Muslim and non-Muslim customers are the homemade spices and the fresh vegetables and oil used in preparing the dishes.

Kumar admits that they do not advertise their restaurant because there are still some conservative Muslims who consider it taboo for Muslims to eat food prepared by Hindus.

“We have enough customers who are happy with our food and service but don’t want to advertise it,” he added.

Not only is this Hindu-run vegetarian restaurant doing a great job, but in other parts of Karachi too, Hindu, Christian and Muslim women entrepreneurs have set up food stalls specialising in sophisticated Indian vegetarian dishes such as Pav Bhaji, Vada Pav, Masala Dosa and Dhokla.

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

“What’s surprising to us is that in addition to walk-in customers, we have built up a base of regular customers who love our food,” she said.

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

Not only Kavita, but her sister-in-law Chandrika Dixit, brother Jeetandra and mother Nomita also run three stalls side by side, while a fourth stall selling ‘Dhoklas’, ‘Aam Panna’ and ‘Dal Samosas’ is run by Christian Mary Richards.

“We all live in the same residential complex nearby and after hearing how much people like Indian vegetarian dishes, we decided to try our luck. We cook these dishes regularly at home,” said Mary.

Muslim and non-Muslim customers call out her name “Kavita Didi” and the vibration in the air can be heard, while people arriving by car also have to queue in the well-lit street to place their order.

Kavita’s food stall has already been featured in major Pakistani media and even BBC brought a story about how a Hindu girl's food is selling like hotcakes among the people of Karachi.

On the other side of the cosmopolitan city, two sisters – Mahreen and Lubna – are also enjoying success with their food stall on a famous food street in the populous Hussainabad district.

“We are unique in that we sell Indian vegetarian dishes in the midst of restaurants and stalls selling traditional Pakistani meat dishes,” laughs Lubna.

The two sisters learned how to prepare masala dosa, vada pav, vegetarian rice and pav bhaji from their elders who migrated after the partition of India in 1947.

The two sisters chat for a long time while their hands continue to prepare dishes and distribute them to eager customers.

“People are eating these dishes now because they are inexpensive, delicious and quick to prepare,” Mahreen said.

Far away from the crowded Hussainabad district, a Gujarati-speaking Muslim family who migrated from Junagadh in India has been selling various types of masala dosas in Bahadurabad for over five decades.

“When the sun goes down, business picks up,” says Zafar, whose father opened the masala dosa stall out of a beat-up Suzuki van and who proudly claims that his stall is one of the first places to sell purely vegetarian Indian food.

Zafar and his team of cooks and helpers sell various masala dosas, but the aloo masala dosa remains their best-selling item, despite costing Rs 500.

“I think in Karachi there are a lot of immigrants from India who are more moderate or liberal in their food choices, and therefore there is an acquired preference for Indian vegetarian dishes,” explained Zafar.

At the other end of the spectrum are the upscale restaurants Rajdhani Delight and Nawab Dynasty in the chic Clifton district, whose daily changing “pure vegetarian” dishes and “chicken thalis” are in high demand among foodies.

As soon as you enter Rajdhani Delight, a restaurant owned by a Gujarati family, you are hit by the aroma of authentic Rajasthani and Gujarati cuisine, said restaurant manager Jerome Earnest.

The Navratan Vegetarian Thali, with its mix of vegetables, paneer, daal dishes, chutneys, achar, spicy yoghurt, dhokla, rice, salty lassi and gulab jamuns, is a bargain at Rs 1,500, and waiters in traditional Rajasthani garb wait to serve you fresh chapatis on metal trays with small bowls.

“We have mostly families visiting for lunch and dinner and they love the Navratan Thali,” Earnest said.

Earnest, who has worked in the food industry in the Middle East, says the quality of traditional Indian vegetarian dishes is improving in Karachi as demand for the food increases and some cooking schools now have a curriculum for “vegetarian Indian dishes.”

Huma Sheikh, a food critic, believes that Karachi residents like to eat out two to three times a month.

“I would say a typical Pakistani family tries something different in their eating habits at least once a month, and that explains why there is growing interest in Indian vegetarian dishes, which are now available in Karachi to households of all incomes,” she said.