Just a few days back at a Christmas luncheon at our friend’s place in Dwarka, I was introduced to a gentleman whose family owns a sweet shop in the bustling Sarojini Nagar market of Delhi.
“Our shop is 72 years old now and was started by my father when he settled in Delhi after migrating from Amritsar”, he said. On quizzing him about what their speciality was, he quipped, “Chole-bhature!” Thankfully, he had carried some of the famed chole-bhature for us, and I can vouch for it being amongst some of the best ones I’ve had in Delhi. The shop is called Mahendra Sweet House and is always bustling with eager shoppers of Sarojini Nagar Market who are looking for a quick and sumptuous bite.
The one aspect of Delhi I have always taken to, ever since I was a child, who would visit her relatives in the capital city, were these hole-in-the-wall shops which would be the pride of each market. A visit to Lajpat Nagar would be incomplete without a plate of piping hot chole-bhature at Baba Nagpal’s
and the famed Aggarwal Sweet Shop at Atta Market in Noida, which used to sell the tastiest gol-gape.
At Paharganj, Sita Ram Diwan Chand started as a push-cart in the narrow bylanes of Old Delhi, post-Partition, when a gentleman named Sita Ram and his son Diwan Chand shifted to Delhi from West Punjab in Pakistan. Served with a side of spicy aloo subzi, their chole-bhature have been the talk of the town for decades. Then at Sadar Bazaar there is Nand di Hatti - an enduring classic, which once again finds its origins in the partition of India and the struggle of the freshly migrated Punjabi community to establish their roots in a new setup.
What is it about Delhi and its food that attracts foodies from all across the world? A melting pot of cultures and communities, the capital city has always been known for its rich food culture. The narrow bylanes of Old Delhi narrate the story of an overwhelming relationship with food that dates back to the times of the Mughals. On one hand there is the parathe wali gully where the business settlers from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan settled and thus started the culture of different deep-fried kachoris and puris served with spicy aloo subzi, on the other hand there are the chaats of Delhi which are believed to be a vegetarian’s delight and a response to the succulent kebabs that are sold near the Jama Masjid.
At Majnu ka Tilla in North Delhi, one doesn’t just find a stretch of Tibetan pickles, juicy momos, spicy La-phing and comforting thukpa, none of which are exorbitant, but they serve you a vibe that is immediately identifiable with Delhi’s spirit.
In Lajpat Nagar, an area that once housed refugees from West Punjab in Pakistan post-partition, one can find an Afghani population today, who have fled from their turmoil-fuelled country hoping for a better life. With them came their cuisine, which has found lovers in Delhi too. From authentic delicacies like Kabuli uzbaki pilaf (mutton pulao from northern Afghanistan), qaburghi kebab (mutton chops made popular in Qandahar and Herat) and bolani (a flatbread stuffed with vegetables - similar to aloo paratha), one can find something that they’d take to.
At Chittaranjan Park one is spoilt for options from the Bengali cuisine - from the jol khabar like chops, cutlets, peyaaji, singhara, jhal muri and puchka, to the full fledged Bengali fare consisting of myriad fish and mutton preparations. Delhi as a city is made up of multiple communities and their cultures, which is also reflected in its food. So, when we talk about the food of Delhi, we can safely say that it is a kaleidoscope of culture and communities.
Vernika Awal is a food writer who is known for her research-based articles through her blog ‘Delectable Reveries’