Stir your taste buds with Pakistani fare

By Nadia Fazlulhaq and Aamna Mahboob

The aroma from a variety of spices wafts through the air, the aroma of mouth-watering Pakistani food. Although Colombo does not boast of many Pakistani restaurants, the demand for this cuisine has never decreased.

Serving Biriyani to customers at Big-Bite

“Tandoori Naan and Murgh Buriyani have been the Sri Lankan favourites since the day this restaurant was started,” says Mustaq, the chief chef of Imperial Hotel and Restaurant on Duplication Road, Bambalapitiya. Mustaq who is a Pakistani has been working here, since the restaurant was opened 12 years ago.

The founder of this hotel and restaurant is Rafeek Bai, a Sri Lankan of Pakistani origin. His main aim was to cater to the Bai community. “In recent times, however, we have seen even other people being interested in sampling Pakistani food,” says Mohamed Farzan, the Manager.

Marinated Chicken at Imperial Hotel

The biriyani here has special flavours. Dishes of Murgh (chicken), Bakray (mutton), Machli (fish), Jinga (prawn) or Subzi (vegetable) biriyani are ready any time to tickle your taste-buds along with curries like Murgh Tikka (chicken marinated in spicy curd and grilled on charcoal).

“Our biriyani is special, because we import the original masala (a collection of mixed spices) from Pakistan. Even the Basmati rice is freshly imported from Pakistan,” says Farzan.

Most of the Pakistani desserts too can be tasted here, from Gaajer Ka Halva (Grated Carrot Pudding) to Rusmalai (Milk Pudding), with fresh pistachios, almonds and cashew from Pakistan, thrown in.

Big-Bite, a Pakistani restaurant on Dematagoda Road, Maradana serving a variety of Pakistani Biriyani, also uses herbs and spices from Pakistan.

“The food we prepare here, especially the Biriyani, is similar to the food available at the Big-Bite in Karachi,” says Mubarak, the owner. “Most of the cooks are from Pakistan, so the fare served here is authentic,” he adds.