Hello Hive World!
Welcome to my post. This is @mairaj.ansari from Karachi, Pakistan.
When it comes to food, Pakistan has a very rich and diverse list of dishes. From breakfast to dinner and even the little bites we need before going to bed there’s endless variety. I am pretty sure who knows Pakistan, or have visited, can relate to what I am saying.
Some of the most famous dishes here are Biryani, Qorma, Pulao, Nihari, and Paye (buffalo foot stew). Even if I try to only list down the names, it would not be possible to cover the list in one post.
Since this is one of my early food posts on Hive, I thought I’d start with breakfast. And when we talk about Pakistani breakfast, the very first name that comes to mind is Halwa Puri. In different regions, it is called by different names, but “Halwa Puri” is the most common name.
Let me first share a picture so you know exactly what I’m talking about 😍.
This is Halwa Puri, made from refined flour dough, shaped by hand into round discs, and fried in hot oil or ghee for just 5-8 seconds. And just like that, the puri is ready! you can litterly see the oil pouring down from puri while it's taken out of the wok.
The truth is, out of all the breakfast items, Halwa Puri is probably the most celebrated. On weekend mornings, people especially buy it in packs for their families. Since it’s a day off, most wake up late, the kids don’t have school, and for moms it’s a treat too, no need to cook breakfast in the kitchen 😃
Now, let me break it down for you. First, of course, comes the Puri as you have just seen in the picture above.
Then come the accompaniments, starting with my personal favorite Chana Salan (chickpea curry).
Next is Aloo Tarkari (spiced potato curry).
For those who like a tangy kick, there’s always Achaar (pickle), though not everyone prefers it.
And last but definitely not least, Sooji ka Halwa the semolina dessert that’s actually part of the name “Halwa Puri” 😊
Man, this dish is a total knockout, it looks killer and honestly tastes even better. Thing is, you’ll find it popping up right after Fajr prayers, hanging around till like 2 in the afternoon. Folks in Karachi? Yeah, they’re not exactly early birds on weekends, so what’s supposed to be breakfast just casually slides into brunch territory. Now, if you swing over to Lahore or anywhere else in Punjab, it’s a whole different ball game. People there are up at the crack of dawn, seriously, stalls and shops open around 4 AM, and by 7? Good luck finding a single crumb left.
Personally, I prefer having it early in the morning. It’s a heavy, oily dish, so mornings are the best time to enjoy it. These pictures were taken around 6:30 AM, which is why the stall doesn’t look too crowded. But if you make the mistake of going after 8 AM, you’ll probably have to stand in line for 30–40 minutes and sometimes for more than an hour 😥.
Thank you so much for reading my post! Do let me know in the comments how you liked this post and what you think about Halwa Puri. If you’ve tried it before, share your experience too, I’d love to read it.
All pictures used in this post are taken by me and belong to me.
