Tawa/Fried Fish: A Winter Delight Like No Other

So, winter finally decided to grace Lahore. The kind of chilly winter where you can go out and enjoy the beautiful weather accompanied by delicious traditional cuisine. And what better way to do that with some meaty, fried fish. 

You know you can not enjoy fish as much as in winters. To do exactly that I decided to head out and make the most of this weather that, unfairly, came quite late.

With some guidance about the directions from a senior colleague, I along with a friend made my way to Taj Din fish corner on a recent cold evening. The reason I chose this place was that I was told it used to sell the best fried fish at one point.

Located in the narrow lanes of the bustling main bazaar of Mozang Adda, Taj Din claims to be the oldest fish shop in town, having completed 100 years last year and being run by the third generation of owners. Their specialty is the tawa and deep fried rohu and baamfish as well as snacks on the side such as assortment of pakoras.

There were two of us and not starving so we ordered some fried rohu. The freshly fried fish appeared in just a few minutes and as soon as it was placed in front of us, the aroma of the spices made us salivate and we dug in – though we had to be extra careful about the bones of all sizes, some of which were so small that they almost went down my throat.

What was great about the fish was that the outer layer – the skin and spices batter – was unusually crispy and delicious, which isn’t the case with most fried fish that are too rubbery on the outside. Inside, it was aromatic, soft, fresh and really light. And the two types of sauces served with the fish beautifully complemented it: one was the dried apricot and white radish chutney served almost by every fish shop. But the second one that I saw being offered with fried fish for the first time was a tangy, spicy mint, coriander, green chilli and white radish chutney that was finger-licking good.

The owner later told us that their flagship product, the fried fish, sells all year round and that they witness only a negligible decline in business in summers because “jinhon ne macchi khaani hai unho ne sara saal khani hai”. 

The infrastructure reflected the trend in the old part of the city: a tiny shop selling its fare through an open counter and with few or no tables for dining in. Due to lack of space to dine in, families tend to take their orders home.

Other fish shops that cropped up a decade or more after Taj Din operate the same way. There’s Bashir Darul Mahi in Mozang, Siddique Fish Corner in Garhi Shahu, Haji Sadar in Gowalmandi and several others selling delicious fried and tawa fish with all of the catering to a loyal set of customers, but off the counter and mostly no room to dine in. This is probably what Bashir Darul Mahi cashed in on: they opened up more branches across the city to capture a wider market and for the convenience of customers who had to travel from Gulberg, Defence and beyond.

By branching out, they not only took their fish closer to people, but also offered it in a family-friendly ambiance by establishing modern restaurants with comfortable dining halls, valet parking facility, uniformed waiters – a complete departure from the traditional shop they had been running for decades, and adapting to the areas they expanded to.

One of the owners, Awais, at the Husain Chowk outlet of Bashir Darul Mahi, he said they had to move out of the area as times had changed and that this was convenient for people. “That was set up in 1935; this is now 2017.”

Originally published in Dawn Jan 16, 2017