Karachi Eat Is Back With A Bang!

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The seventh edition of the biggest eat festival – Karachi Eat 2020 is back with a bang. This year, there are more than 100 eateries to tempt foodies. The three-day festival will give a chance to food lovers to taste sweet, savory and delicious food till 12^th January at the Beach View Park.

The 100 plus food stalls are set up by big multinationals to startups or home-based businesses. Keeping in mind the haphazard of previous experiences, the organizers are more precautious and have made some changes to accommodate the crowd. There are clear signs for directions, entry, and exit to avoid the rush.

The eateries will include Chipseez, (introducing their signature Beetroot, Sweet Potato, Potato Chips), Zoya’s Kitchen giving Cannoli (Italian pastries) and Lemon Grass, introducing Crying Tiger, Rigos ice cream, Churrosity will have Churro Hot Dog, Cloud Naan will have Chicken Naan, Spicogetti will introduce their new starter Chic ‘N’ Cheese Spaghetti along with signature Khausa, Singaporean Rice and Wrappeite will give you Bread Bowl Lasagna.

Some very distinctive titles will also be at Karachi eat 2020. These will include Drty Dogs, Khichdi Express, Brew Factory, Abid Chatkhara, Punjabi Dhaba, Arabi’s, Clucky’s, Lemon Grass, Leena’s Cevapi, Burger Boss, and D’oh.

Following are some picks from Karachi Eat 2020 that you must try out,

Made Easy

For a yummy sweet dessert, visit Made Easy stall by National Food Ltd. Here you will find the tasty Royal Falooda. Made Easy is also offering delectable Bun sliders with a unique filling made up of Nihari, Karhai, and Tika Boti. Their other items include Chullu kebab and other BBQ wraps Scene on chaat Lebanese magmour and Kachori. You can win a Free biryani on a digital game at the stall.  

Ice Cream by Rigos

Select the base of ice cream asper your choice and Rigos will add two gold flakes.

Brew Factory

As the Karachi is witnessing extra windy weather, the Brew factory’s coffee is favourite among the foodies.

Khichdi Express

This traditional food stall is offering yummy dishes including the khichdi, poppadoms, bhagaray baingan, khattay aloo, chutney, etc.

Delina

Don’t forget to try their latest addition, the Hot Mess dessert. Taste the unique taste of Lotus crumble, layers of caramel sauce, cream and cake all covered in a delicious sauce made from condensed milk.

2 Guys 1 Grll

If you are a fan of typical Chicken and Beef Burger than this 2 Guys 1 Grll is the place for you at Karachi Eat 2020.

The Nugget Town

Who can resist nuggets? Yes, no one can! The Nugget Town is offering crispy nuggets with Korean sauce, served with mac and cheese. A taste that you will remember.

Khan Haleem

You have heard about Matka Biryani and Matka Chai but this is something new. Khan Haleem will serve you their hot Haleem in a matka with a savory topping.

The above mentioned are some of the picks from the eat festivals. There are numerous others as well that you should try. 

On Sunday, the festival will be open for the public from 12:30pm to 10:30pm.

The Ticket costs Rs450. 

Happy eating! 

Photo: Web 

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Review - For The Love Of Sea-Food At Asia Live, Avari Towers!

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Last time I went there to try their yummy Arabic Food. The experience at Avari Towers’ restaurant Asia Live was so excellent that I decided to go there once again. However, this time, it was not a food festival but a regular themed night dinner. Yes, Asia Live offers distinctive theme buffet nights with a vast variety of delectable cuisines.

In my previous blog, I have already written about the cozy ambience of Asia Live. The restaurant's staff will welcome you with a friendly gesture. They will escort you to your desired table. The thoroughly professional team is very cooperative and helpful. The impeccable ambience is perfect place for a delightful evening as it provides an absolute leisure atmosphere so that you can fully relish your meal.

Read our review An Insider's Guide To Arabic Food Festival At Asia Live, Avari Towers!

Coming back to their creative themed dinners, the seafood nights happen every Friday at Asia Live Restaurant. I must say that through its themed dinner nights, restaurant is not only offering masterfully prepared scrumptious food but also raising the bar for fine dining. The idea to add a theme to dinner is to make it more enjoyable. 

So, the last Friday, I went there to experience another wonderful dinner comprised of seafood. I was expecting some unusual dishes as part of seafood. But to my surprise the buffet menu was well-chosen while keeping in mind the food-lovers’ typical choice and tastes.

The menu was an amalgamation of culinary flare, unique flavor and diversity of seafood. It included fish and crab based dishes along with pasta, vegetable, Japanese savors, fried, tikka and the yummy fish pilaf. The huge range of appetizing salads, pickles, and desserts was another feature of the buffet dinner.

One of the most attractive feature of the seafood theme night was Live Fish Cooking. There was a variety of raw fishes available that one can select and order to be cooked as per taste. The chefs would prepare your desired fish dish and serves you right from the stove. This is an amazing side of Asia Live restaurant that keeps it on top of other eatery places. 

I started my dinner with a crab soup. It was prepared as restaurant’s own specialty. The taste was fine and well balanced. After this, I tried Tilapia fish with Thermidor sauce, Crab in bonne femme sauce, Red Snapper teppenyaki, Tuna fish pulao, Bekti tikka, and Pasta Marinara.

I loved the crunchy taste of Bekti tikka and spicy flavors of Tuna fish pilaf. Both dishes were cooked in a pure eastern way and gives a BBQ and biryani style aromatic flavors. The Crab in Bonne Femme sauce was prepared in a white creamy textured sauce and tastes very good. The meat was well cooked. The Pasta Marinara was another great dish with slight red colour and peppery taste.

I finished my dinner by tasting the sweet treats including jelly with pine-apple, fruity trifle, brownies, soft custard, and the famous king of sweet dishes the Gulab Jaman dipped in sugary sauce.

Verdict

If you are a true sea-food lover and want to enjoy some aromatic dishes, some creamy flavors and diverse desserts, then I would highly recommend that you should try the menu of Asia Live’s themed nights with your family, friends, and colleagues. It will cost you Pakistan Rupees 2300+tax per head.

Ratings

I would give it following stars;

Food – 4/5

Ambience – 4.5/5

Service – 4/5  

Opening Times

Friday – 19:30pm to 23:30pm

For any query or reservation of your table, visit the official website Avari Towers.

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Review - An Insider's Guide To Arabic Food Festival At Asia Live, Avari Towers!

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Asia Live is a casual dining area of the Avari Towers Hotel Karachi, with a conventional baron elegant leitmotif. The restaurant has gained a reputation of a terminus for organizing extravagant food festivals, serving exotic recipes from Far East, Europe and Middle Eastern domains.

Recently, I went to Asia Live restaurant for a food festival; the Arabic Food Festival. It is a 3 day long fiesta from 26^th to 28^th October 2018. I would like to suggest that any person who wants to be acquainted with mouthwatering Arabic cuisine, should visit this restaurant’s festival and enjoy the wide range of starter – mezza, more than 8 dishes of main course and of course the last but not the least; the famous desserts that no one can resist.

The Ambience

As soon as you walk through the door, the smiling face friendly staff will greet and guide you through the tables to your desired space. The warm, appealing dining room is flawless spacious hall for a delightful eating experience; the flavorful meal at a comfy table. The pleasing ambience will convey a sense of relaxation while you enjoy your incomparable cuisine. Moreover, the scrumptious cuisine along with distinct live music will gear-up your frame of mind to an impressive Arabic ambience.

The Food

Now let me tell you more elaborately about my experience. I started my dinner with starter – mezza, including all the true Middle Eastern salads such as Babaghanooj (an Eggplant dip), Hummos (the famous chickpea dip), Tabbooleh, Fattoosh, Samboosek, Keshkeh, Khoboz Araby (the Arabic bread) served with pita bread. However, the Mahammara, a blended rich dip made of redpeppers, walnuts, oliveoil and pomegranate molasses, was the main attraction of this category. I tried it with everything from the meaty dishes to rice with dry fruits.

Me and my friends requested the concerned person to meet the creator of the menu. We were introduced to Chef Naim who later briefed us about each and every dish that was served. He has a vast experience in his field and knows very well how to create a quality aromatic dish with a twist of seasonal ingredients to give you an array of flavours. What I understand from his way of explanation is that he along with his team maintains a special emphasize on high quality, cleanness, freshness and the taste. It all reflected in their delectable creations.

After talking to chef, we started our main course that was comprised of a mixture of BBQ, grilled meat, rice, and vegetable based menu. It included Makloobet Betenjan (an eggplants and rice dish), the moist and juicy Lamb Chops, Rez Bel Ja (chicken and rice dish), Shiekh Elmehshi (a dish prepared with Zucchini and Yogurt), Koosa Mehshi (a dish comprised of stuffed Zucchini), and the two most famous dishes from middle east; yes here I am talking about the Shawarma Chicken Kabseh and the Mesakan Chicken kabab, most commonly known as Shish Tawook. Every dish was cautiously prepared and seasoned with sporadic Middle Eastern spices.

At the end of the dinner, I tried the selective desserts including the Kushta (a homemade Arabic cream), Baklawa Pastry, Basboosah (Hareeseh), Katayef and the most delicious sweet treat Umm Ali.

Verdict

If you are a Arabic food lover, then I would recommend that you along with your family and friends, should drop in for this 3 day long Arabic Food Festival and enjoy not only an intimate Arabic meal but also an Arabic Night full of traditional Arabic music and performances; all in a wholly Arabic ambience.

Ratings

I would definitely give it following rating;

Food – 4.5/5

Ambience – 4/5

Service – 4/5   

Opening Times

Fri, Sat, Sun – 19:30pm to 23:30pm

For any query or reservation of your table, visit the official website Avari Towers. 

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National Foods Empowering Women, Definitely Not A Failure!

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Gone are the days, when women were supposed to spent their lives in the heat of kitchen just to show the love and care they have for their families. The 21^st century women have introduced a new concept of spending less time in kitchen while still showing their affection and carefulness for the loved ones.

Today’s modern women select those things that are not time consuming, for example, ready to wear, ready to cook, and most importantly, the hygienic ready to use recipe mixes. Many people, particularly, the older ones, still think that this kind of mentality to choose easy-to-go things, is actually a sign of laziness and failure.

However, smart women have a very valid answer to this accusation. They establish their point of view by saying that instead of killing precious time in front of stoves, one should take sahulat (facility) of easily available balanced spices for cooking. This is the best way to save time to complete other important chores. Moreover, such sahulat gives women a lot of spare time to spend with their children, husband and other family members. They can also have a “Me time” that has been stolen from the older lot due to the absence of such spicy and tasty sahulat.

Recently, we came across the new TVC of National Foods that superbly highlighted the same fact that kitchen and ability to balance the spices to present a well-cooked dish, is not a litmus test for a woman’s love for family. She should not remain confined to one corner of house just to produce tasty food. All women should Live and love outside the confinements of the kitchen when National Recipe Mixes gives them the “Sahulat” to cook delicious food in less time. This does not make them a failure!

With a history spanning over four decades, National Foods has always tried to do something extra ordinary to empower women. With their latest TVC, the brand has intelligently not only tried to break the stereotype but also introduced a new concept of “Not A Failure”. 

The tag #NotAFailure is a great initiative to tell everyone that if a woman cannot spare time for certain things for example making round chapatis, cooking aromatic curries, washing dishes or doing other household chores, it’s not a failure. Look at the lives of those women who have achieved great things in life, made proud their families, earned name in their respective fields. Those women may not be good cooks and experts of making round roti but have showed their passion and determination to attain their goals. They are definitely #NotAFailure but an inspiration for all.

Hence, women who choose to avail the convenience of National Foods recipe mixes - a perfect blend of traditional, spicy, tantalizing flavors, to make perfect meals for families and manage to take out sufficient time for loved ones, are Not A Failure.

So, ladies, it’s time to grab some of those enriched and flavorsome recipe mixes with a combination of exotic herbs, spices and seasonings, to show our talent and offer a tasteful experience of aromatic Pakistani cuisine to our families without wasting too much time in heat - after all we are #NotAFailure.

Ladies you can follow National Foods social channels here:

Instagram: National Foods

Facebook: National Foods Limited

Twitter: National Foods

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Recipe - Delicious Chicken Chapli Kebab

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Chapli Kebab is a traditional dish that can be made with any meat for example beef, mutton and chicken mince. These juicy kebabs are spicy and one of the most popular non barbeque mince based dish. The simple cooking procedure seals all the spices and flavors within the mince without making kebabs dry.

We always prefer to make chapli kebabs at home for our family dinners and parties as well. Traditionally chapli kebabs are served with Naan, but you can serve it with chappati, rice and even use them as a patty for making yummy burgers.

So, today we are going to share with you our very own recipe of Chicken Chapli Kebabs. 

Let’s start our recipe:

Ingredients:

Chicken Mince 400gms

Ginger Paste 1tbsp

Garlic Paste 1tbsp

Onion Chopped 2tbtsp

Coriander seeds 1/2tbsp

Cumin Seeds 1/2tbsp

Red pepper crushed 1 tbsp

Garam masala 1/2tbsp

Salt as per your taste

Coriander leaves 2tbsp

Pomegranate seeds 1tbsp

Eggs 1

Green chilies chopped 1tbsp

Tomatoes chopped 1/2cup

Oil for frying

Method:

Take all the ingredients in a large dish and mix them well.

Let it marinate for 30 minutes.

Grease your palms with cooking oil or water so that mince do not stick to your palms.

Make a medium size round patty with slight thickness.

Use all mince to make equal size patties.

Fry your patties in medium hot oil.

Fry patties until they turn golden in colour.

Serve Chicken Chapli Kebab with salad and any dip of your choice.

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Review - Paramount Fine Foods Brings Lebanese Food To Pakistan

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Whenever a new restaurant comes to town, we all love to visit it with our family and friends to taste its new cuisine. A few months back, an international food chain Paramount Fine Foods has opened its restaurant in Karachi. The food chain already has its outlets in Canada and USA. Its specialty is offering authentic and remarkable Lebanese and Middle Eastern food in a cozy atmosphere.

One fine afternoon, we visited this new restaurant with our friends for lunch. The decision to try the food of Paramount Fine Foods was turned into an amazing experience because we liked the comfortable atmosphere and enjoyed a super yumlicious lunch.

Let’s have a look at the menu of Paramount Fine Foods. The Hummus and Pita bread was really a great starter to warm up for some great Middle Eastern dishes and desserts. Hummus is very popular recipe around the world and Paramount has added more taste to it by combining it with fresh Pita bread that enhances the flavor of hummus.

The Zaatar Manakeesh was another flavorsome dish. This was very different and unique taste. It is a thin crispy dough with the combination of different herbs. 

The highlight of the menu was mixed Grilled Platter. There were many tasty things arranged on platter, for example, the BBQ beef and chicken, falafel, Kafta, Sheesh-tawouk with salad and Tahini sauce. It was the best grilled meat that we have ever tasted.  

The Saj wrap and potato fries with fresh salad garnishing was one delicious dish that we liked the most. The marinated and grilled shrimps were also very tasty, you must order it for lunch or dinner. 

Paramount Fine Foods has a vast variety of desserts. You will fall in love with the wide range of tempting sweets like Baklawa and Kinafe, all displaying in glass showcases. The taste of different Baklawas is unique and the accurate amount of sweetness made them simply outstanding.

The menu also includes hot beverages like tea, coffee, cappuccino, café lattee and cold beverages includes mango juice, cocktail juice, strawberry juice and paramount special. We ordered plain water bottles because “Paramount Water Bottles” has some incentive of charity, with each order of water bottle Rs 5 is donated to Dar –Ul-Sukoon.

We would recommend that you should visit Paramount Fine Foods with your family and friends for the fresh delicious and healthy food. 

Rating:

There is no doubt that this Paramount Fine Foods is a must-go restaurant, so we are giving it 5/5. 

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Recipe: Traditional Shahi Haleem

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Haleem is a traditional dish made up of lentils, pulses and meat.  A certain amount of various spices is important to enhance the flavour and aroma of haleem. This dish can be made with beef, mutton or chicken, but, if you are looking for the authentic taste than beef is best.

Haleem usually takes around 5-6 hours to cook and needs a lot expertise to make the right ratio of spices and lentils etc. To avoid any inaccurate ratio, the best way is to go for a brand’s spice and lentil packet, easily available in market and stores.

Today we will share haleem recipe made with Shan Shahi Haleem Mix. The ratio of spices and lentils is very balanced in this packet. All you need is to buy meat portion and your dish will be prepared easily. 

Let’s start our recipe

Ingredients

Meat boneless 400g

Bones 500g

Oil 1-2 cups

Onion 1

Shan Shahi Haleem Mix with two sachets of spices and pulses, grains.

Steps of Cooking

Heat half cup oil, add meat and Shan Shahi Haleem Mix. Stir fry for few minutes Add pulses and grain. Add 12 cups of water.

Cover and cook on low heat for about 4-6 hours until meat is tender.

Remove bones and discard. Blend mixture into a thick paste with wooden spoon or slightly grind it in a blender.

Again add water 2 cups and cook for 20 minutes.

Heat remaining oil and fry the sliced onion until golden. Pour into Haleem. Cover and cook on low heat for 20 minutes.

Garnish with fried onions, finely chopped ginger, green chillies, green coriander and lemon juice.

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Recipe - Yummy Chicken Karahi

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Photo: Oh Lady Mania

Karahi is a local term used for cooking utensil "wok". The traditional dish Karahi is a recipe that mostly cooked in a deep wok, hence the name has word 'Karahi' (wok) in the recipe.

Karahi can be made from beef, mutton, chicken, fish and prawns with the addition of yogurt, tomatoes and green chilies. It is an easy to make recipe with just few spices.

Let's check out our recipe of home made Chicken Karahi.

Ingredients

Chicken pieces 1 kg
Tomatoes 500 gms
Ginger Garlic Paste 2 tbsp
Red Chili powder 2 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Salt as per taste
Fenugreek seeds 1/2 tsp
Yogurt 1/2 cup
Oil 1/2 cup
All Spice powder 1 tsp
Green Chilies 5
Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method

Heat oil in a wok.
Add ginger garlic paste and fry it till aroma comes out.
Add chicken pieces in it and cook till colour changes.
When chicken meat changes its colour, add chopped tomatoes and cook well.
Also add salt, turmeric and red chili powder in it.
After tomatoes are cooked well, add yogurt and fenugreek seeds.
Let it cook till oil separates.
When oil separates, add green chilies and all spice powder.
Cover the wok and cook for a minute.
Remove from flame.
Dish out Chicken Karahi and garnish it with coriander leaves and ginger thin stripes.
Serve it with Chapati or rice.

If you like very spicy food, adjust the spices as per your taste.      



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Happy Independence Day!

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Pakistan Flag

Dear Friends,

Let us introduce our beloved country to all of you. We would not go into the details but will tell you very briefly. This introduction will make you understand a little bit about our homeland Pakistan.

Today is 14th August, the day our country Pakistan became an independent state in 1947. Our independence is the result of determination, hard work and great struggle under the dynamic leadership of Mr. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan. 

Muhammad Ali Jinnah

Muhammad Ali Jinnah in his first speech to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan said:

"You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place or worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed – that has nothing to do with the business of the State."

State emblem of Pakistan

Pakistan is a cradle of civilizations including the great Indus Valley Civilization. It has a rich ethnic and linguistic culture. The national dress for both genders is Shalwar Kameez, however, trousers, Jeans, and shirts are also popular among people. 

Pakistan's food is mostly meat based with lots of spices. Some of the famous gravy and rice dishes are Biryani, Pilaf, Qorma, Nihari, Haleem, BBQ, Sajji, Saag, Paya Masala etc. The famous sweet-dishes are Kheer, Gulab Jamun, Zarda etc.

web photo

Checkout the following to know something about our country,

Our Mother of the Nation is Fatima Jinnah and the National poet is Doctor Muhammad Iqbal.

Fatima Jinnah and Doctor Muhammad Iqbal

National language is Urdu

National flower is Jasmine

National fruit is Mango

National tree is Himalayan cedar

National sport is Hockey

National monuments are Mazar-e-Quaid, Minar-e-Pakistan (Tower of Pakistan), Bab-e-Pakistan (Gateway of Pakistan) and Pakistan Monument.

Minar-e-Pakistan (Tower of Pakistan)

Mazar-e-Quaid

Pakistan Monument

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