Karachi's 5 Best Street Foods

With raids and shutdowns at eateries gaining pace across the country, it won't be long before the authorities turn their attention to Karachi. So you better head out and have all your favourite street foods before the food police gets here!

DISCLAIMER: Daaman is not responsible for any problems that might take place after consuming said food! :)

Bun Kabab

 

The one stop solution to a hungry stomach! Our desi twist on a mouthwatering burger, complete with a mix of coleslaw, onions, ketchup and watery green chutney! And the guarantee of an upset stomach...

Gol Gappay



Also commonly known as pani or meethi purri, these crispy delights are a popular favourite! Topped of with sweet and sour sauces, the fun part is trying to fit the whole thing in your mouth in one go, definitely not something you should consider having in front of company!

Dhaabay Ki Chai

 

Despite the scorching temperatures, Karachi walas survive on a fuel we know as chai. And everyone who loves chai has been to a dhabba to have a good cup of hot doodh patti! Even though we know they definitely don't use Tetra Pak milk, but that's probably the secret behind it!

Paratha Rolls



One word to describe this godly wonder: scrumptious! Crispy paratha filled with succulent chicken and juicy chutney is another famous favourite! Despite the fact that you can practically taste how unhygienic this is when you see them pouring out chutney from a large not so hygienic bucket...

French Fries

Or as commonly written on the vendors cart: finger chips. The taste that these greasy potatoes, sprinkled with chaat masala and too sweet ketchup, achieve can never be matched by any gourmet restaurant out there!

Technology Takes Over Desi Weddings

With technology taking over our day-to-day lives, and the belief that 'if you don't post about it on Facebook (or Instagram or Snapchat) it didn't happen,' our lives have become even more dependant on internet and modern means of communication. Similarly, even traditional weddings have been infiltrated with gadgets and hashtags!

1. Skype Sessions During Ceremonies

No need to be relieved that your phuppo from Canada couldn't make it, she's going to demand to be on Skype the whole time and have the laptop carried around by an unlucky younger cousin!

2. (Attack of the killer) DRONES!!!



No longer will your mehndi dances be filmed from a conventional angle when you can have an aerial view of the whole event! And an even sneakier way to catch your guests munching away on the dinner table!

3. Official Wedding Hashtag



Finding your social media newsfeed full of pictures from the same event just isn't annoying enough without that hashtag that combines the bride and groom's name into one annoying nickname!
 #why....

4. Selfie Sticks

And last, but not the least, how can any wedding be complete without the bride and groom awkwardly posing on stage with a selfie stick! I mean not like they paid the photographers a huge amount of money to take proper photographs or something...

Eid Day Essentials

Eidi

Everyone knows the real reason children even agree to go out with their parents on Eid! When it comes to eidi every little bit counts, even the aunt who has been giving you Rs50 for the past 8 years. And at the end of the day collecting, calculating and comparing your haul with your cousins/friends is what makes everything else worthwhile! 

Eid Outfit 

Enough of a reason to go out every other night after iftar to buy new shoes or earrings or chooriyan to go with your perfect Eid ensemble! After all, those pictures won't look good themselves you know. #eidselfie 

Food food and more food

After having lost our appetites during Ramzan, it usually just takes one day to bring it all back, plus any bonus weight we might have lost. Seeing the feast laid out with Biryani, Nihari and Sheer Khorma is enough to make our eyes water with joy!

Post Eid Hangover

Also how can we forget the traumatic experience of getting back to work/school after Eid with regular timings and no excuse for your laziness!

Ridiculously Expensive HandBags You Didn't Know You Needed

When you hear of the most expensive bag your mind is likely to go to the latest crocodile skin Hermes Birkin. But you probably haven't heard of these equally ridiculously priced bags!

1. Louis Vuitton- Urban Satchel: $150,000

This is one of those bags you probably wouldn't want to carry on  a trip to Sunday Bazaar, out of the fear that it might be mistaken as actual trash by the garbage collectors there...

2. Chanel- Diamond Forever: $261,000

Since absolutely everyone you know has Chanel rip offs, one has to stand out from the crowd right? This exclusive purse is crafted from crocodile leather and adorned with 334 diamonds. Even the chain straps are white gold! And since 13 of these were ever made, you're guaranteed to not run into someone else ridiculous enough to buy this pretty ordinary looking bag.

3. Mouawad- 1001 Nights Diamond Purse: $3.8 million

Perfect for those desi weddings where aunties can't stop gushing over each others gold jewellery sets. You're sure to top them all with your 18k gold clutch with over 4517 diamonds adorning it!

4. Hermes- Birkin by Ginza Tanaka: $1.9 billion

Because Hermes wasn't an expensive enough brand they decided to work with a Japanese designer to make this platinum bag with 2000 diamonds, as well as a removable diamond sling that can be worn as a necklace and a removable centrepiece that can be worn as a brooch! Perfect to attract muggers as you walk down the street with this glitzy thing. What more could you ever need? 

Keep Your Cool- The Desi Way

With temperatures hitting ridiculous heights, never ending electricity shortages and unavailability of central air conditioning in our country, we as resilient Pakistanis have to adopt to the good old desi way to keep our cool!

1. A lassi a day keeps the heat away

No one knows why a cold glass of curdled milk does the trick, but everyone definitely agrees. The lungi and mooch is optional but this cold delight definitely hits the spot!


2. Aam khaanay hain aam!

Probably the only reason why any Pakistani would look forward to Summer: MANGO SEASON! At least one mango flavoured treat is guaranteed to find its way into our refrigerators and give us those few extra pounds we were looking to gain this summer (not...)!


3. Fresh juice walay

                                    

Never have we appreciated a chilled glass of falsa/watermelon/sugarcane juice more than when we're having it standing under the blistering sun at one of the numerous roadside stalls and juice walas around the city. You're definitely missing out on one of the (very few) good things about summer if you haven't tried this already!


4. Sun Sand and Surf

Again this is quite a mystery as to why summer hating Pakistanis love going to the beach in this deathly heat, but we do! The feeling of that not-so-cool water on our feet, after having walked through the burning sand, is quite amazing. Nothing works as well as that tanned skin for summer to leave its mark upon us, as well as loving aunties who ask "Beta rung kyun itna kharaab hogaya?"

5. Bless Dolmen Mall for Central Air Conditioning

                              

What better way to pass the hot day than chill in the food court for as long as you want (FOR FREE!) and have a cone of ice cream from McDonalds? And remember the mall rules if it's a weekend: one girl with a group of ten boys is as much a 'family' as a father-son duo who actually need to buy something!


6. Sleeping on the roof

                                       

A common childhood memory for a majority of Pakistanis has to be dragging your blankets to the terrace or up the roof of your house when the electricity goes out in the middle of the night and the UPS isn't charged. The slight breeze that blesses our nights is truly a reminder that God will save us from melting away.

And of course if all else fails: desi ingenuity is the way to go!
                     
                             

Valentine's Day 2015

Hey Daaman fans, February 14^th is finally here and everything from the balloons to the décor has gone red across town! Love is in the air and what better way to celebrate the day than by looking your gorgeous self on this Valentine’s Day! For those of you who are looking for that perfect red dress, look no further than Daaman’s Valentine’s Day Collection!

If you’re looking for a perfect red, be sure to check out Turn Around. It’s bold, it’s chic and sassy enough to make the right impression! The red on black combo is a big yes this year and the detailing on the pockets adds an extra bit of oomph to the design. Grab a rock studded shoulder bag with sandals to match and a perfectly ironed hairdo to get compliments from your special someone.

If you choose to dress in subtle hues for your night out, then have a look at I Heart You, which is the classic blend of beige and black with a hint of red. This dress has all the wow factor and when paired with an oversized clutch and stilettoes, you are all set for a drop dead gorgeous look!

For all of you who like to stay in the limelight, Say It Loud is perfect for you. The bold graphics are eye catching while the cropped length and the capped sleeves add smartness to your aura. Add a pair of capri pants , a quilted tote with black hoop earrings and we have a diva!

Have a great Valentine’s Day! 

"A New Year - A New You" 5-Style Pledges for 2015

Happy new year to all the fashionistas' out there! We hope that this year too turn out to be as stylish in your favor as ever.

A new year marks new beginnings, be it health, career, relationships or fashion. The dawn of January 1, 2015 brought us for a call of action and we found nothing more important than sitting down and drafting our New Year's Resolutions especially when they pertain to our specialty : Fashion and Clothes!

Now as 2014 has come to an end, we're renewing the tradition and will be spending a lot of time thinking about personal style and shopping. Here's what made our list.

1) Leave behind the pressure to look like a magazine cover:

FASHION HIGHLIGHT: Supermodels aren't as perfect as they appear on the cover on those glossy magazines.

It may surprise many amongst us that the supermodels we are most impressed with are not as perfect or in some cases healthy for a fact as they are potrayed. They too are humans like us with flaws and imperfections. What you see on the magazine reaches you after being pampered by a dozen stylists and excellent makeup artists who are experts in their art! Striving to achieve impossible beauty standards leaves you depressed upon failure whereas in 2015 we will be focusing emulating a style you adore. Be yourself and show your personality and you'll look gorgeous!

2) Stop playing it safe:

Good sense of style means taking few risks occasionally. Although being a slave to fashion trends isn't a great idea but wearing the same kind of clothes all the time looks repetitive and boring. Blossom your sense of style by "mix and match" which also happens to be our style mantra for the year 2015. Try a new shade of lipstick or maybe crop your pants for a fresher look and see what happens!

3) Clean your closet for real!

Isn't this what our mothers ask us to do all the time? It's time to make mamas' happy all over the globe. Get up , open your closet and start thinking, "is this how I want to look like?" . I am sure all of us have been hanging on to clothes that either we don't wear anymore or they doesn't fit. It's time to toss out all such items and give it to someone who can value it more than us. In this manner we'll be left with more closet space and a more clear idea of how we want to appear.

4) Invest in a Statement piece:

Instead of buying five so-so pieces that you’ll toss out after five washes, it’s better to invest in a great item that you’ll wear for a longer period of time. You can have a lot of variety from a chic top to a great leather handbag in this category.

5) Glitter out:

We all wear glitter or let’s say metallic hues during the night while attending weddings and late night events. But let’s take the risk and wear those trends while stepping out during the day. A matte gold sequin skirt paired with a pair of neutral hued straight pants can make your morning a little more bright.

Let us know what your new year resolutions are.