From Peshawar, with love

For Iskander Sultan Khwaja and his family, Ramadan is a month of both festivity and piety

When Aaqib Sultan Khwaja, a businessman based in Dubai, invited me for Iftar to his residence at Jumeirah Islands, I arrived at his house, slightly nervous and expecting alien food and a very formal welcome. I knew Aaqib and his family hailed from Peshawar district of Pakistan, and to be honest, my knowledge of Peshawari cuisine and hospitality is very limited. However, I was very keen to learn and experience it firsthand, and the Sultan Khwaja family certainly did not disappoint.
Arriving at their beautiful villa at Jumeirah islands at 5.30pm, what greeted me at the doorstep of the Sultan Khwaja household were four, cheerful young men clad in the traditional Peshawari shalwar kameez, ready to host an elegant and delicious iftar. Their home was filled with the scents of aromatic rice and slow-cooking meat, while Aaqib's mother Raana Kanwal slowly dipped onion pakoras (fritters) in hot oil. The dinner table was already laid out with delicate cutlery and delicious food.
"Wonderful to have you with us today," said Raana. She motioned at her boys to lead me away from the kitchen to the living room, where I could wait for the Azan to end the fast.

After greeting Raana, Aaqib introduced me to his brothers Tariq, Mustafa, and Mohammed, and their family friend Haaris Ahmad. Then, I was led into the living room to meet the head of the family Iskander Sultan Khwaja.
Iskander's beaming smile and warm welcome banished all the remaining reservations that I had about the evening to come. After we settled down into our seats, Khwaja explained that he has been living in the UAE since 1983. "We are in the metal scrap business and my family has been into this line of work for several generations before me," he said.
According to Khwaja, his ancestors have always practiced trade. "I am the youngest of three sons and my father send me to Dubai to expand our family business, before which I was living and working in Peshawar. After me, my sons can take over the business if they like," he added.
In '83, after a few years spent living in hotel suites, Khawaja got married to Raana in 1987 and their first son Tariq was born in 1988. They then moved to Buhaira Corniche. "Life has been quite comfortable for us from day one, Alhamdollillah," said Khwaja. The family lived their initial years in Sharjah and moved to their house in Jumeirah Islands only 10 years ago.
"We remember Ramadan and Eid while we were in Sharjah. It was a lot of fun," said Tariq. Chipping into the conversation, Aaqib said: "I remember having a lot of friends and people belonging to different faiths around us, and and we would all celebrate together." Mustafa, who is currently in university in the UK, said: "Iftar and Ramadan is best experienced in the comfort and support of your own home." His brothers, who studied in Boston, agreed with him and said that the support system in Dubai during Ramadan is unlike anything that they have seen in other countries.
Khwaja said: "Ramadan is a time of festivity. The month is very busy as we plan zakat, and other activities with other members of the family, and friends. It is a time for positivity and prayers." Their youngest son Mohammed is in the 9th grade at Choueifat School in Dubai.

Interestingly, according to Khawaja, the core sentiments and spirit of Ramadan has not changed over the years. "The biggest benefit of being in the UAE is that you have the freedom to practice your religion as well as enjoy the comforts of the Western World. It's a perfect mix and we can't enjoy that anywhere else in the world," said Raana.
As the time for Iftar approached, the family gathered around the dining table and broke their fast with fresh dates and a cold glass of water. For starters, there were hot onion and potato pakoras, chicken spring rolls, and chicken tikka, along with other dried fruits, like figs. However, the show stealer was definitely the gajjar (carrot) pulao - a dish traditional to Peshawar. "We don't eat the biryani, like how it is common in Karachi and Punjab," Raana said. Peshawar is 33 kms away from Afghanistan and the cuisine is similar to Afghani food, and markedly, not spicy. "We eat a lot of meat and use several aromatic spices. But the food itself is not hot spicy," she added.
The pulao is slow cooked mutton in rice, garnished with sweet carrots and herbs. "Another favourite is dahi bhalla (yoghurt chaat) and chicken kadai curry to go with the rice," she said. Peshawar is also well known for its chapli kabab (flat patties of meat), chops, and Aash, which is a variant of spaghetti and meatballs. For desserts, we like gajjar ka halwa (carrot dessert) and kheer (rice cooked in sweet milk). Another must have is a bowl of cut fruits.
After a quick meal, the men rushed to the nearby mosque for Maghreb prayers, while Raana filled me on how they try and spend at least one Eid every year in their hometown. "It's either Eid-al-Fitr or Eid-al-Adha, one of the two," she said. After we've finished the meal, the very gracious hosts settle down for hot tea as they chat about Peshawari culture. "It's very common to see men shoot into the air during Eid. Most households in Peshawar keep guns, and sometimes the shooting goes on for several hours," said Khwaja.
The conversation ranged from their business to families and politics, and when I realised that I might have been overstaying my welcome, I bid goodbye to the family at 8.30pm, a few pounds heavier, but definitely a lot wiser about Peshawari culture and food traditions.
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com

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