Kebabs ready, but where is the platter?

In Pakistan’s port city of Karachi, 47-year-old restaurateur Shahid Bundu Khan has been working the phone for months, desperately trying to get permission to take his famous kebabs and biryanis to a Delhi fair — “for the love” he earns from Indian customers.

The India International Trade Fair (IITF) — beginning November 14 — attracts a large Pakistani delegation which usually sells its well-known textiles, crafts and food. Khan had last come here in 2008, when he had done roaring business.

Despite much effort, he could not participate last year, and even this time, he has been shown the red light — so far. The organisers have told him no participant is being allowed to put up food stalls.

“I don’t know what is the issue and why they are not allowing us to participate in the fair. We are in touch with the organisers as well as the Pakistan high commission but nothing concrete has come out yet,” Khan said.

In 2009, he had to make similar representations to Indian trade officials to request them for permission.

“Just a day before the trade fair began, I got a call from them, permitting me to set up a stall. It was impossible for me to get a visa in 24 hours. Hence, I couldn’t participate,” he said.

Khan represents a family-run chain of restaurants in Pakistan, begun by his great-grandfather from a small kiosk in Karachi after partition. Now they have around 15 restaurants in Pakistan and abroad, including Lahore, Los Angeles, Muscat and London.

“Ours is a huge family of 110 members and we all live in one house,” he said. “Many in our family are doctors and engineers but every evening all of us get together and cook for our customers.”

Reminiscing his 2008 visit, Khan said his “best selling item” was a thali consisting of tikkas, halwas and paranthas, costing around Rs120. “We used to earn Rs40,000 to Rs50,000 daily,” he said.

He earned so much appreciation that when he did not participate last year, he received calls from India. “I got so many phone calls from India last year — which shows the love for our food in your country,” he said.

Khan said while there was a lot of similarity between his fare and Indian cuisine, there were differences in the process of cooking.

“For instance, we grind our spices in a stone grinder and not an electric one because we believe electricity raises the temperature of the spices, as a result of which they lose their flavour,” he said.
The restaurateur said he was touched by the adulation he received previously, which makes him want to return again.