One of the best desi comfort foods to exist in Karachi is kari pakora. This yogurt and chickpea flour based curry lends warmth that you could say is equivalent to a hot plate of daal chawal, but it also does something more. It provides this hint of a tang from yogurt and a substantial bite of the pakoras (fritters) that can either be cooked with the kari or kept alongside to keep them crispy.
I don’t hide the fact that it is one of my favourite foods to have and so I make an effort to order kari pakora from different places in the hope of finding a really good one.
Here are four places that I think you should order from when craving kari pakora in Karachi.
1. First up, Shaireen's Kitchen
We love Shaireen’s Kitchen – It’s a home-based business in Karachi that became known to make excellent khou suey and when we discovered she also has kari pakora on the menu – we were floored! The kari pakora she makes is excellent and we can’t recommend it enough.
She usually takes orders for groups of people on pre-order. Send her a DM on Shaireen’s Kitchen.
2. Second, AurChaawal
AurChaawal is a home-based business in Karachi who do a weekly menu of desi food dishes, like bagarey baingan, chicken patiala, khatti dal and they also do a mean beef biryani. Their Kari Pakora was actually one of the first that I tried from a home-based business and I immediately loved it.
The highlight of my meal were also the fried crispy bhindi that I could order as a sideline with the dish and that just made the meal heaven-sent.
ProTip: Order the crispy bhindi on the side and also remember which day of the week they have it on the menu. You can also pre-order a large serving any day, of course.
3. A Home-Business called M.S Kitchenette
M.S Kitchenette is also a home-based business in karachi and is run by a mother-daughter duo. They do weekly menus consisting of popular desi dishes as well, much like AurChaawal but where they stand out is in the huge variety of food they offer from their regular menu which can be pre-ordered a day in advance.
Another thing they are known for are their chutneys – from khatti mirchein to hari chutney and also tamatar and imli ki chutney, they really know how to develop a flavourful meal and condiment.
Their Kari Pakora was actually pretty good too! The only catch: the rice has to be ordered separately, so don’t forget to do that.
ProTip: Order khatti mirchein and tamatar ki chutney alongside your order and all your other meal-times will also thank you.
4. Kari Pakora from Cafeela
Cafeela is the only place on this list that is a restaurant and is not a home-based business and I’m including it for people who don’t want to pre-order or wait for the “kari pakora day” to arrive in other weekly menus. It goes without saying that this kari pakora isn’t exactly the best one that you will have but it does the job when there is no other option.
Their take on the dish is a little more besan-heavy than yogurt. It is also more dense, compared to all the other home-based options, but overall it tastes decent and does satisfy your last minute kari pakora craving.
ProTip: order prawn crackers alongside if you want something crispy to munch on with your order of kari pakora.
So this is our list of the places that you can order an amazing plate of kari pakora from. Let us know if you know of more and also try these out! 🙂
