I worked for Pakistan's top Food and Spice Industries, Like National Foods Ltd http://www.nfoods.com/, Unilever Pakistan Ltd ( Brooke Bond Pakistan Ltd) http://www.unilever.pk/ , Ahmed Food Industries , Naurus Pakistan Limited.
One day I recieved a telephone call from my Ex Boss Mr Aziz Karachiwala (Director Finanace at Brooke Bond) asking me Irshad do you want to work abroad in Sharjah or Dubai. I replied in negative, the reason was, I want to stay in Pakistan for my parents and my family. It was 1995. After 1 years , he again asked me there is a chance for me to establish a spices and food unit at export processing Karachi for a Dubai based group. He advised me to accept this challeng as they wants to introduce a new brand. After discussuin with my wife who is also have 6 years experience at National Food Ltd as a Micobiologist , and working on McCormick http://www.mccormick.com/ products processed at National Foods. I dicided to accept this challeng.
It was 1996 when Management of Sanfaz Mersi Food Industries http://www.sanfaz.com.pk/ hand over a vast plot, with bushes grown all around, to me for their future Spice and Foods Factory. Alhamdo lillah within 2 years Factory was ready to produce Sanfazbrand spices and food products, which is now a fimiliar brand in Middle East. More Than 100 products are now in Market, ranging from Straight Spices, Spice Mixes (Pakistani, Indian, Arabian), Pickles, Custards, Dessert Mixes.
Sanfaz Mersi Food Industry Head Office is in Dubai. Mr. Saleem Abdullah is the CEO. Recently he visited Karachi Factory. I asked him to share some of his bussiness detail for my blog, he agreed and given me two hours on 24-11-2011. I asked him several questions which are given below.
Q. When did you started food business ?
A. We are in Food Business since 1989. For this purpose we established a Trading House in Dubai.
Sanfaz Mersi Food Industires Factory
Q. Which kind of food products you were marketing?
A. We were importing various products from various countries and marketing in UAE market . Spices from Brooke Bond Pakistan, Almonds from USA, Tamarind, Pulses and Tinned food from Thiland, Beans and Pulses from Canada.
Q. When did you decided to establish your own brand?
A. When Unilever Pakistan take over Brooke Bond Pakistan and decided to shutdown spice unit. We were their distributor for UAE. At this stage our family decided to eastablish our own brand for spices and foods products.
Sanfaz Food Products
Q. In how many countries your products are available and what is your rank? A. Alhamdo lillah our products are now available in UAE, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwat, Canada, Singapore, Bangladesh. For all these countries we have appoited distributors and contaners from Karachi factory directly shipped to respective country. Whole seller from Russia, Zanjibar, Tanzania, Nairobi and Yemen are getting our products from Dubai. We are number 1 in Kuwait, UAE and in Iraq and trying our best to get number 1 position in Saudi arabian market also.
Sanfaz Micrbiology an Entomology Laboratory
Sanfaz Chemical and Physical Laboratory
Q. What are your future plans? A. In future Insha allah we will establish a separate factory for Pakistani Spice and Food Market in tariff area of Karachi. We will also planning to market new product range like Jam, Jellies, Ketchups, Syrups, Dry Mix Drinks.
Q. Any message to your consumers? A. We will never compromize on quality of our products and trying to fullfil all FDA regulation for our valuable consumers.
Punjabi Chicken Handi is a very delicious and mouth watering dish with eye appealing colour. Try my simple recipe today and enjoy.
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Ingredients:
Chicken boneless 1 kg
Oil 1/2 cup
Butter 50g
Yoghurt 1/2 cup
Tomatoes chopped 4
Onion chopped 2
Ginger crushed 1 teaspoon
Garlic crushed 1 teaspoon
Green Chillies chopped 3
Fresh Cream For Garnish 1/4 cup
Ginger sticks For Garnish1 teaspoon
Fresh Coriander leaves For Garnish 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Red Chilli powder 1 teaspoon
Red Chilli cutter 1 teaspoon
Coriander seeds whole 1 teaspoon
Cumin seed whole 1 teaspoon
GaramMasala 1 teaspoon
Black pepper powder 1/2 teaspoon
Haldi powder 1 teaspoon
Saffron (optional) 15 threads
Procedure:
Take 3 glass of water in a pan , add tomatoes, onion and crushed ginger garlic and boil till tomatoes and onion fully tender. Blend in a blender , sieve and keep aside. This is your tomato sauce.
Now in another pan heat oil, add chicken and cook for 3-5 minutes , then add yoghurt, green chillies and spices and cook for 5 more minutes then add prepared tomato sauce and continue to cook till chicken is well done and oil separates out. At last add butter and simmer for 5 minutes.
Just before serving(while hot) sprinkle garnish.
Delicious Punjabi Chicken Handi is ready. Serve with naan/Roti and salad.
Chinese Sweet and Sour Chicken is a very delicious Chinese sauce. It is popular worldwide and liked by all age group.
Ingredients for Fried Chicken Pakora :
Chicken cubes 250g
Wheat Starch (Maida) 4 tablespoon
Egg beaten 1/2
Water 1/4-1/2 cup
Salt 1/2 teaspoon
Black pepper cutter 1/2 teaspoon
Corn Starch 1 tablespoon
White pepper 1/2 teaspoon
Dill seed powder 1/2 teaspoon
Vinegar 1 teaspoon
Oil for deep frying
Ingredients For Sauce:
Baby Carrot chopped 1
Capsicum (Shimla Mirch) chopped 1 inch x 1 inch pieces from 1 capsicum
Onion medium size chopped 1 inch x 1 inch pieces from 1 onion
Pine apple chunks 1/2 cup
Garlic crushed 1/2 teaspoon
Ginger crushed 1/2 teaspoon
Oil 3 tablespoon
Water 3 cup
Spring onion for garnish
Tomato ketchup 2 tablespoon
Sugar 2 tablespoon
Vinegar 2 teaspoon
Soya sauce 2 teaspoon
Corn Starch 2 -3 heaped teaspoon
Chinese salt 2 teaspoon
Black pepper cutter 1 teaspoon
White pepper cutter 1/2 teaspoon
Dill seed powder 1/2 teaspoon
Salt 1 teaspoon
Yellow Food Colour 1 pinch
Procedure for Fried Chicken Pakora:
Mix all ingredients together except chicken and oil to make a thick batter. Heat oil in a Karahi/pan, dip chicken pieces in batter and deep fry in oil till golden brown and tender. Remove from oil and keep aside.
Procedure For Sauce:
Fry capsicum and carrot in oil for 1-2 minutes then add ginger garlic and pineapple chunks and fry for another 2 minutes. Then add spices, sugar, soya sauce, vinegar, ketchup ,food colour and Corn starch dissolved in 3 cup of water and cook till a thick gravy is obtained.
Garnish with spring onion. Serve with Chinese Rice or boiled noodles
