Muharram food offerings get costlier

RAWALPINDI:

Catering shops have increased prices of plain rice, curry, biryani, pulao and sweet dishes as preparations for Muharram food offerings in memory of the martyrs of Karbala begin.

Prices of rice, spices, chicken and meat used in the dishes have also risen.

At catering outlets, a 10-kilogramme pot of white chickpeas is being sold for Rs12,500, mixed vegetable rice for Rs13,000, biryani for Rs18,000 to Rs20,000, beef pulao for Rs22,000, chicken pulao for Rs17,500 to Rs19,000, mutton pulao for Rs35,000, sweet rice for Rs8,000 to Rs12,000, haleem for Rs25,000 to Rs30,000 and chicken curry for Rs9,000.

Where customers provide all ingredients, cooking charges alone are Rs5,000 per pot. One hundred haleem parcels with naan are being sold for Rs6,500, chickpea dal parcels with naan for Rs4,500, and 100 parcels of minced meat with peas or potatoes and naan for Rs8,000.

Prices of disposable glasses, spoons, plates and food boxes used for Niaz have also increased by 30 percent.

Catering Food Union Secretary Mashkoor Ali Abbasi said Muharram is a peak season and prices of rice, chicken and spices have reached record levels.

Commercial gas cylinder prices have increased from Rs17,000 to Rs22,000, while chicken is selling at Rs730 per kilogramme, beef at Rs1,600 and mutton at Rs2,700 per kilogramme.