4 Sisters
Kabob and Curry
Our Story
The smells of curries and spices—ginger, coriander, cardamom, turmeric, peppers, cinnamon—mingle with the scent of roasting coffee beans one block over. A line of people forms, all eager to order naan bread, samosas, butter chicken, lamb kabob and other Pakistani and Indian dishes produced inside the food truck located at the corner of Park Street and Dover Road in Easton, Maryland. The 4 Sisters Kabob & Curry has been a welcome addition to the town since its opening in the fall of 2019. A tribute to a mother’s love, 4 Sisters is a success in an area more used to crab cakes and burgers than palak paneer. The family’s story is one worthy of a novel and begins in Kashmir when owner and chief cook Shahida Perveen was a child, preparing food for her seven uncles.
The family’s journey to the Eastern Shore began in 2001 when they left their native Kashmir, Pakistan to come to the United States. Like many immigrants seeking better opportunities, Shahida worked various jobs, including a 7-Eleven on Kent Island, while learning a new language and how to drive a car, and did some catering on the side. Ann created a contact list and every Thursday night they would text the menu for Friday pickup. Soon their list grew to over ninety customers and the family started looking for restaurant space in Easton but found nothing to suit their needs.
The women opened 4 Sisters Halal Meat & Groceries on Park Street in Easton selling spices and frozen foods. Realizing that most people couldn’t cook authentic Indian and Pakistani food, even with the seasonings, the daughters encouraged their mom to follow her passion of cooking her own food and started exploring the idea of a food truck affiliated with the store.
Using her own recipes, Shahida buys only the freshest ingredients and prepares everything by hand, incorporating her distinctive spice mixes to more traditional fare. With her deep knowledge of the curative properties of foods, she often includes healthful options like bitter melon and turnips in her side dishes. Her naan is made by hand without the benefit of a tandoor oven, cooked instead on a flat pan on top of the stove and with the dexterity of a seasoned chef.
From aromatic Saffron to hot Chilies, and Cumin to Cardamom, we know our spices and the right way to use them!
Delicious Indian and Pakistani Cuisine
Named as a tribute to Shahida’s four daughters, ages fourteen to twenty-seven, 4 Sisters is a family operation with each daughter helping when she can. Since all are in school, scheduling is key. Bushra attends Kent Island High School, and both Areej and Shanza are college students having earned full scholarships, Areej at Washington College, and Shanza at the University of Maryland. Ann helps with the shopping and the ordering. Ann’s husband helps with the butchering, cleaning up and wherever an extra hand is needed.
From the kitchen, patience reigns as descriptions are offered, suggestions are given and questions are asked about how hot you want it (mild, medium or spicy). Portions are big and meant to be shared. Since the food is often eaten with fingers—bread is ripped and dipped into sauces—it is a delightfully social experience.
Our Team
From left, Areej, Bushra, Andleeb, mother Shahida and Shanza are the women behind 4 Sisters Kabob & Curry
