Chitral's Street Food: Delights Amidst the Mountains

The Chitral town food street makes for an intriguing detour away from pure Chitrali traditional dishes. 

A major food street staple is the Chapli kebab. Said to have originated from Peshawar, Chapli kebabs have made it to the food streets of Afghanistan, India and Bengal. 

Chapli kebab is made from minced meat of beef, mutton or chicken with the addition of various crushed peppers and other condiments. These are then shallow fried and served piping hot.  

Various renditions of Kabuli Pulao also grace the Chitrali market place with their sweet captivating aroma. Kabuli Pulao originates from the Afghani bourgeois kitchen that could afford to add rich ingredients like sautéed carrots, caramelized raisins and nuts.

Naan has been an essential item at the South Asian food table since before the Mughals, but was popularized as a breakfast item during their rule. 

Naan is Persian for ‘bread’. Naan is made from refined flour that is thoroughly kneaded with the addition of salt, milk, yogurt and yeast. Interestingly, naan is also a very popular serving side at Chitrali restaurants.

Tourists have often complained about the lack of Chitrali traditional meals present in the local food street and restaurants. However dumplings are influenced from the surrounding areas, specially the nearby Chinese border.

Dumplings are a very popular snack with school going children and is a very popular street food in Chitral.

A serving of dumplings with spices and chutneys.

In Chitral BBQ is easily found. It is usually eaten during the lunch time rush.

Although traditional Chitrali food has little or no spices, the bazaar has many shops that sell all kinds of spices and herbs.

The main Chitral bazaar has many shops for dry fruits from the region and caters to locals and tourists alike.