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Y S A B A I M T I A Z ( H T T P : / / R O A D S A N D K I N G D O M S . C O M / A U T H O R / S I M T I A Z / )

A K I S T A N S P A T T Y K I N G S

T T P : / / R O A D S A N D K I N G D O M S . C O M / 2 0 1 3 / P A K I S T A N S - P A T T Y -

I N G S / )

hen McDonalds and KFC first opened up in Pakistan in the 1990s, there were manic scenes. Snaking queues, traffic jams

r miles and kids running amok in play areas. Burger joints had existed before, but the fried chicken and would you like fries

th that phenomena swept through the country, paving the way for spinoffs in every neighbourhood and small town.

ut long before the golden arches began gleaming through Pakistan, there was always the poor mans burger: the bun kebab.

he bun kebab builds on the familiar burger formula: its a patty in a bun. But its flavors stretch far beyond the western world,

mbining Pakistanis love for spices and fried food, all in one go.

D ( H T T P : / / R O A D S A N D K I N G D O M S . C O M / C A T E G O R Y / F O O D / )

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hile there are many ways to fill a bun kebab, two patties emerge as the overwhelming favorites on the streets of Karachi: the

ami kebab, made from minced meat, egg, chillies and spices such as ground cumin and cinnamon, and a lentil or boiled

otato patty, which is soaked in an egg batter before being shallow fried in butter. The condiments are what make it so

intessentially Pakistani: a heap of sliced onions, spicy tamarind chutney, cucumber and tomato slices and a secondary patty

st made of beaten egg. Its served up at roadside cafes or at stalls where people crowd around and wolf them down in

nutes, chased with bottles of warm soft drinks. The price? A fraction of what an imported burger costs: between 30 cents to

alf a dollar, compared to a basic McDonalds cheeseburger ($1.20).

assic Burger is run by a family who now operates forty bun kebab joints in just one area of Karachi, and have rented out

alls all over the city. Pervaiz Jalal has worked at one for fifteen years. My maternal uncle Chaudhry Ameer Mohammad came

Karachi from Kashmir forty years ago and set up a cart on Tariq Road. Now our entire family is in the business.

very day, the branch Jalal runs sells 250 to 300 bun kebabs, though his take is slightly modernized: it arrives with a side of

es and the bun kebab features colesalad and ketchup. The fries, Jalal says, were incorporated based on customer demand.

espite the western touches, Jalals best seller remains the lentil and egg patty. Its the most delicious one, he says.

Nursery Super Bun Kebab, a worker explains between flipping buns that this is because most people dont trust eating meat

om a roadside stall. Nursery Super Bun Kebab whose specialty is crispy, spiced mincemeat kebabs also adds sliced

etroot. A bun kebab is good, Jalal says, because of its condiments: the chutney and the vegetables make the dish.

orking the bun kebab assembly line

atching a bun kebab being prepared is a hypnotic experience. A cook slices the bun and browns it on a griddle with clarified

tter. He fries the patty at the same time, pressing it down with a spatula to absorb the fat and crisp it up against the hot

rface. He then combines the two, followed by a cascade of condiments, before returning the whole package to the griddle for

final crisping. Eating it isnt any less of an experience: the warm bun, the juicy patty and the tart chutney combine to form a

old but harmonious package of flavors and textures, making the sketchy hygiene associated with roadside food in Pakistan a

easier to swallow.

ut while the bun kebab continues to thrive, KFC and McDonalds have been in the news for other reasons. These were once a

ace for rich kids to hang out at who were nicknamed burgers for their affinity for fast food, American accents and designer

othing. KFC is now a favourite for rioters looking to vent their rage on a blasphemous comic or film. Even though foreign food

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ains take pains to advertise their affinity to religion by covering the glass doors with Islamic verses, or publicizing that they

e owned and operated by Pakistanis, they almost always face the brunt of protesters.

st September, I trudged through a branch of KFC that had been torn apart by a mob protesting the controversial Innocence

Muslims film. Everything had been looted, from serving trays to packs of ketchup and the air conditioners and bathroom taps.

heyve even taken our delivery system! That isnt even of any use to them, a worker said.

he head of the Jamaat-e-Islami, one of Pakistans oldest religious-political parties that identifies with the Muslim Brotherhood,

ce announced during a speech that, Food from KFC and McDonalds does not suit our taste, culture or pockets. Our taste is

ore suited to the bun kebabs being sold in front of these places.

erhaps the bun kebab vendors who havent been attacked or torched are having the last laugh.

arachi-based Saba Imtiaz reports on politics, culture, militancy, human rights and religious movements. She can be contacted

saba.imtiaz@gmail.com. A list of her recent work is available on her website (http://sabaimtiaz.com/).

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