4 Delicious Pakistani Street Foods You Should Definitely Have Once In your Life.

A Street Food Journey Through the Flavors of Bun Kabab, Tikka Boti, Golgappy, to Chana Chaat!"

 What is Street food? 

"Street food is not just about what you can eat in a hurry at the roadside, it's way more than that. It's an emotion and innovation. You can see friends gathering, the sound of laughing, and giggling, the noise of traffic, and waiters taking orders loudly. All these vibes make Street food different from restaurants. 

So be ready for the street food trip to Pakistan. Today, I am gonna tell you about the 5 Delicious Pakistani Street Foods You Should Have Once In your Life.

List Of Street Food:

• Bun kabab
• Channa chaat
• Tikka botti 
• Golgappy

Bun kabab

Bun kabab has a rich history in the subcontinent. Karachi streets are incomplete without the cart or shop of bun kabab. If I say, this is the best street food in Karachi, the majority of people must agree with me. Bun kabab is a combination of Bun and Kabab. It is served with sauces. Each shopkeeper has their sauces.

 

Ingredients:

• -500g ground beef
• - 2 medium-sized onions, finely chopped
• - 1 tablespoon ginger paste
• - 1 tablespoon garlic paste
• - 2 teaspoons red chili powder
• - 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• - 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• - 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• - 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
• - Salt to taste
• - Oil for frying
• - 6-8 burger buns
• - Butter or margarine
• - Chutney 

Recipe:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, onions, ginger paste, garlic paste, red chili powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, and salt. Mix well.

2. Take small portions of the beef mixture and shape them into round patties.

3. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the beef patties until they are golden brown and fully cooked. Set aside.

4. Cut the burger buns in half and toast them on a griddle until they are lightly browned.

5. Spread butter or margarine on each half of the burger buns.

6. Place one beef patty on the bottom half of the bun and spread some chutney on top.

7. Cover the patty with the top half of the bun.

8. Repeat the process with the remaining beef patties and burger buns.

Chana chaat  

Chana chaat is a healthy salad however, people in Pakistan and India consider it as a food item that is available on the streets. It is quick-serve street food. With a lot of spices and vegetables.

 

Ingredients:

• - 2 cups cooked chickpeas (chana)
• - 1 small onion, finely chopped
• - 1 tomato, finely chopped
• - 1 green chili, finely chopped
• - 1/2 cup chopped (coriander) leaves
• - 2 tablespoons mild chutney
• - 2 tablespoons mint chutney
• - 1 teaspoon chaat masala
• - 1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
• - Salt as per taste

Recipe:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked chickpeas, chopped onion, tomato, green chili, and cilantro leaves.

2. Add the tamarind chutney, mint chutney, chaat masala, roasted cumin powder, and salt to taste.

3. Mix well until all the ingredients are evenly coated.

4. Garnish with sev and more cilantro leaves, if desired.

5. Serve immediately and enjoy the tangy and spicy flavors of this classic Pakistani street food!

Note: You can also add boiled potatoes, chopped cucumber, pomegranate seeds, or any other ingredients of your choice to this chana chaat recipe.

Tikka Botti

Tikka Botti is known for its spices and it. comes in various flavors such as (Bihari, Green, Afghani boti, etc). You can find Tikka both in the restaurants and in the streets too. Karachi and Peshawar Tikka are famous in Pakistan. It is prepared on coal with rich spices.

 

Ingredients:

• -1 kg boneless chicken, cut into small cubes
• - 1 cup plain yogurt
• - 2 tablespoons ginger paste
• - 2 tablespoons garlic paste
• - 2 tablespoons red chili powder
• - 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• - 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• - 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• - 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
• - 1 teaspoon salt
• - Juice of 1 lemon
• - 2 tablespoons oil

Recipe:

1. In a bowl, mix the yogurt, ginger paste, garlic paste, red chili powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, salt, lemon juice, and oil to create a marinade.

2. Add the chicken cubes to the marinade, stirring well to ensure that the chicken is coated in the mixture.

3. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or ideally overnight, to allow the flavors to develop.

4. Preheat your grill to 200°C.

5. Thread the chicken cubes onto skewers.

6. Grill the chicken skewers, turning them occasionally, until they are fully cooked and browned on all sides.

7. Serve hot with naan bread, rice, or your preferred side dish. 

 Paani poori

Paani poori or Golgappy is a popular item or street food in Pakistan and India. It is made from maida. It has a crispy and crunchy texture. It is served with a special spicy and salty water.

 

Ingredients:

• -1 cup semolina (sooji)
• - 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (maida)
• - 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• - 1/4 teaspoon salt
• - 1/2 cup warm water
• - Oil for deep frying

For the Filling:

• - 1 cup chickpeas (chana), boiled
• - 1 medium-sized potato, boiled and mashed
• - 1 small onion, finely chopped
• - 1 small tomato, finely chopped
• - 1 green chili, finely chopped
• - 1 tablespoon tamarind pulp (imli)
• - 1 teaspoon chaat masala
• - Salt to taste
• - Coriander leaves (dhania) for garnishing

Recipe:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the semolina, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.

2. Gradually add the warm water to the flour mixture, kneading it into a soft dough.

3. Cover the dough and let it rest for about 20-30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the filling by mixing the boiled chickpeas, mashed potato, chopped onion, chopped tomato, chopped green chili, tamarind pulp, chaat masala, and salt.

5. Heat oil in a deep frying pan.

6. Divide the dough into small lemon-sized balls.

7. Roll out each ball into a thin disc.

8. Using a round cookie cutter or the rim of a glass, cut out small circles from the rolled-out dough.

9. Deep fry the circles in hot oil until they puff up and turn golden brown.

10. Drain the fried golgappas on a paper towel.

11. Make a small hole in the center of each golgappa using your thumb.

12. Fill each golgappa with the prepared filling using a spoon.

13. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve immediately.

 

  "DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RESTAURANT AND THE STREET FOOD"

 

Street food doesn’t just come from a street cart or something like that… it can also be a food truck or a small takeaway shop.

&

"Restaurant is the most popular name in the present world. Many people do not eat their food at their home, they always have food from restaurants. The restaurant is a public place, which is open for selling food to any kind of people. Restaurants have a good sitting area and hygienic food as compared to street foods."

Bonus item

I don't know about you but we Pakistani love French fries. French fries is also eat as a snack and sell in a street of Pakistan. 

If you want to read more about this item click here.Here Are The 4 Best Loaded Fries In Karachi

Conclusion

In conclusion, Pakistani street food is a delicious and diverse cuisine that represents the country's cultural heritage and culinary traditions. Unlike restaurant food, street food is prepared and sold in public spaces, adding an element of authenticity and social interaction to the dining experience. Exploring the bustling streets of Pakistan and trying out its flavorful street food is an adventure worth taking for anyone who loves food and culture.

If you want to read about famous food streets of Pakistan, click here Burns Road Food Street and Hussainabad Food Street