Katlamba: A taste of Peshwar in the heart of Faridabad - Partition Tales

By Saurabh Duggal

The Wadhwa brothers, Gaurav, 35, and twins Pankaj and Amit, 41, are on a mission to keep their ancestral culinary traditions alive in Faridabad. Their grandfather, the late Roshan Lal, migrated from Kohat in the North-Western Frontier Province during the Partition. They settled in Faridabad's New Industrial Township (NIT), which became the largest settlement of refugees crossing the border from the Punjab side.

Over five decades ago, their grandfather's sister, Raj, who married into the Arora family, started making Katlamba (qatlama, kutluma or katlama)—a Peshawari fried layered bread served with potato pickle gravy. 

Katlamba, originally a popular dish in Peshawar, gained prominence in Kohat due to its proximity.

Late Raj Arora's efforts in making Katlamba helped keep the culinary traditions of their forefathers' place alive in Faridabad. About two decades ago, the Wadhwa brothers continued this legacy by starting to make katlamba at NH-1 (area in NIT). 

"Katlamba is quite a popular dish among the people who migrated from the North-West Frontier Province, especially those from Kohat. Every Sunday morning, we sell katlamba at a roadside stall, and in a couple of hours, our dough gets finished," said Amit.

"Earlier, there used to be 3-4 stalls selling katlamba on Sundays at NIT, but now we are the only ones. During festivals, there are three stalls, including one by the family of our aunt (Raj Arora's grandchildren)," added Pankaj.

"Though we haven't had a chance to visit Kohat, selling katlamba makes us feel connected to the culture and tradition of the place of our forefathers," shared the Wadhwa brothers, who run the Royal Cafe & Restaurant on weekdays.

"Katlamba is an important culinary element in all our celebrations, and it is good that the Wadhwa brothers are contributing to keeping the legacy of the North-West Frontier Province alive," said Sanjay Adhlakha, a resident of the neighboring NH-2.

A plate, two katlambas served with potato pickle and gravy, is priced at Rs 50.

Katlamba is also a popular dish in Dehradun, thanks to a refugee family from Kohat who settled in Dehradun during the Partition.