There is no parallel to Paratha Rolls when it comes low budget munchings. Whether its an after school lunch or a midnight craving whilst binging a Netflix series, Paratha Rolls are your best bargain when it comes to low budget. Paratha Roll is a food that a generation has grown with, Mayo Cheese, Cheese Paratha Roll.
But why does everyone eat it?
It’s convenient, or perhaps reliable. It saves you money and the stress of searching through endless restaurants to find the best one.
Where can we get one in Lahore?
Well, the cluster of Paratha roll fanatics is divided between two franchises in Lahore, Karachi Silver Spoon and Karachi Red Rock. And although, I prefer Karachi Silver Spoon,personally. RedRock does a significant amount of sale. Both restaurants are grandfathers of the Lahore Paratha Roll field, no one can ever compete with them. The best part about both of them is that they are highly competetive, with a branch in every area of the city, they are quite literally open 24/7. Even if your order is placed at the most absurd timings, like, 5AM on a sunday night, the boys will come to serve your craving within 30 minutes. The price of paratha rolls in the ’90s made a huge contribution in making them famous all over the city. A roll would cost you between Rs15 and Rs20 when it rose to prominence. They were the lunch, snack and dinner of college-going kids, office boys and shopaholic parents since it didn’t take much time to serve. A normal Paratha roll can cost around Rs 190 but if you’re really out to spend and really get the taste of a good Paratha roll, the the Mayo Cheese Paratha Roll of either of the Paratha Joints will do you justice and it will only cost you around Rs 250. So basically its worth the money, everytime.
Where did it come from?
The origin of paratha rolls can be traced back to the 1970s when Tariq Road in Karachi was famous for its unconventional kebabs inside the parathas. But not many fast-food joints considered paratha rolls worthy enough to be on their menu as the item seemed more related to the bun kebab rather than sandwiches and burgers. However, it all changed in the 1990s when paratha rolls became a must-have desi food item in Karachi. It became part of the city’s identity just as chapli kebab is Peshawar’s and nehari and halvah poori is Lahore’s. For those who visit Karachi from other cities, having a paratha roll is something of a ritual since it doesn’t exist elsewhere. Just like other cities tried and failed to replicate the ‘Karachi ka mashoor kebab paratha’, the authentic ‘Karachi ka mashoor paratha roll’ exists only in this city. Now, a lahori might argue that Lahore has better paratha rolls, but its actually not true. Even in Lahore, any good paratha roll place starts with ‘Karachi’ Whether you’re posh, middle class or below middle class, the paratha roll is for everyone to relish. And the paratha roll fanatics always find their way to a paratha roll joint. The popularity of the ‘paratha roll’ has exceeded all expectations and now there are shops in leading malls of the city where rolls are served and devoured. The dominance of Paratha Rolls, is evident and a major competition to the fast food industry. To read more from ProperGaanda: Petition filed against Ali Zafar’s PSL theme song