Delhi Food Walks

Posted on October 12, 2014

Real Good Brunch by Yummiez

Delhi in a unique cook-along brunch prepared with delectable ready-to-cook delights. Brunch is considered to have it roots in England. Originated in the late 1800s, served in buffet style, the tradition appears to have become popular in the United States in the 1930s. When you think of brunch, you usually conjure visuals of salads, grilled meat, cold cuts, veggies and bite-sized delicacies which is light and yet wholesome. A fan of molecular gastronomy, Vicky gave useful hints on how to rustle up easy and yet lip-smacking brunch at home utilizing herbs and spices to bring out the best taste to suit individual palate.

Today, preparations for a brunch, especially at home, is made easy and simple. All one needs is some Ready-to-Cook (RTC) products. A wide variety of products are easily available with the neighborhood kirana store or supermarket. The benefit of using RTC products is that they cut significant kitchen time and yet allows you to create great tasting food. Vicky showcased three recipes – *Meat Ball Slider*, *Aloo Tikki And Rajma Pineapple Chaat*, and *Chicken Mushroom Penne*. Foodies in the city donned
the apron to learn and cook along with Vicky with some of the newly launched *Godrej Real Good Yummiez Chicken Meat Balls*, *Aloo Tikki *and *Chicken Kheema*. They created their own signature recipes in a short time.

Speaking about the brunch, Vicky Ratnani, chef consultant, Godrej Tyson Foods Ltd. said, “A brunch with Ready-to-cook products are perfect weekend solutions for urban foodies who lead a busy lifestyle and crave for spending time with friends and family. It allows them to experiment with food and at the same time enjoy a great weekend with restaurant style meal at home. Godrej Tyson has a wide range of vegetarian and chicken products that helps even novices to show off their culinary skills.

*3 quick and incredible recipes for a perfect weekend brunch*

*Aloo tikki Rajma pineapple chaat*

Godrej Yummiez Aloo tikki 1 packet
Cooked rajma
1 cup
Chopped onions tbsp
Chopped red, yellow, green bell peppers 3 tbsp
Chopped tomatoes 2 tbsp
Chopped chillies 1
tbsp
Tomato ketchup 2
tbsp
Chilli sauce
1 tbsp
Olive oil
1 tbsp
Pine apple cubes 2
tbsp
Chopped fresh coriander 1 tbsp
Tamarind pulp 1
tbsp
Garam masala 1
tsp.
Chaat masala 1
tsp.
Ice berg lettuce 1
cup
Sour cream 2
tbsp
Tortilla chips.
100g
Pan fry or air dry or bake the Yummiez aloo tikkis until golden brown. Mix the rest of the ingredients for the chaat. Serve with tortilla chips n sour cream. Garnish with fresh coriander.

*Meat ball sliders*

Godrej Yummiez Magic balls 1 packet
Slider buns 4
Mayonnaise
Coriander leaves
Ice berg lettuce chunks
Cucumber ribbons
Sugar
Vinegar
Tomato salsa
French fries

Pan fry or bake the meat balls until brown n lovely Marinate the cucumber ribbons with sugar n vinegar. Mix the chopped coriander with the Mayo. Toast the slide buns lightly. Spread with the coriander Mayo. Assemble the slider with the lettuce , meat ball. Marinated cucumber and top with salsa . Serve with fries or potato wafers or banana chips
*Penne Mushroom Makhani Kheema*

Godrej Real Good Chicken Kheema
Cooked penne
Chopped onions
Chopped garlic
Chopped green chillies
Sliced button mushrooms
Makhni gravy
Cream
Butter
Basil
Coriander
Parsley

Sauté the onions , ginger, garlic, chillies until soft add the Kheema and cook for 5 minutes add the mushrooms and sweat for 3 minutes. Add the makhni gravy n simmer until the chicken Kheema is cooked. Season to taste. Add the cream basil and parsley. Add the penne and toss well so that the sauce coats the pasta beautifully Garnish with chopped coriander n serve smoking hot!!

Posted on October 9, 2014 October 9, 2014

The Rolls ROYCE’ of Chocolate

The Rolls ROYCE’ of Chocolate is finally in Delhi

By Aisha Bhattacharya

New Delhi, October 7, 2014: ROYCE’, the famed Japanese confectionary company, makes its way to the capital this October. When I heard the word Royce’’ I played a word association game in my head. It went something like this:

Royce’ – Rolls

Rolls Royce – Luxury

Luxury – Indulgence

Indulgence – Chocolate

And, I was quite right. Japan’s finest chocolate Royce’ was launched in India at Palladium, Lower Parel in Mumbai in July 2013 by Samir Gadhok & Avani Raheja of Burgundy Hospitality which is a first-of-its-kind fine foods and luxury gourmet curator. Since then Royce’ has built a religious cult-like following with chocolate lovers across the country. After enchanting and surprising customers in Mumbai and Bangalore with its unique array of chocolate and confectionary, Royce’ is all set to launch in Delhi, with its fourth store at Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj.

Royce’ was founded in 1983 in Sapporo, Hokkaido in Northern Japan. It prides itself on the wide and unique offering that follows one underlying theme- chocolate products that are rich in flavour, textures, complexity and creativity. The climate in Sapporo is similar to Switzerland and is conducive to chocolate production and dairy.

Royce’ does for adults what Willy Wonka did for children. Each chocolate is carefully crafted and true to Japanese spirit – meticulously packed to keep the chocolate at its best.

The official launch meant tasting time for us and we had Samir Gadhok explain the intricacies of each chocolate that we tasted. I’ll try and recount each piece with precision and in case I manage to arouse your interest, you can always hop across to the store and try some. In order of tasting:

NAMA is part of the signature range of chocolates for Royce’ and is Japanese for pure or raw. We started with the Mild Cacao then went on to the Ecuador Sweet and ended with the Ghana Bitter. The main focus on this range is texture – soft, velvety, melt-in-the-mouth chocolate that leaves you satisfied yet wanting more. I don’t know how they managed that but they did. The Mild Cacao tastes like milk chocolate and is comparatively sweeter than the other two. The Ecuador Sweet comes from a single origin cacao bean and isn’t really that sweet. Just a tad sweeter than the Ghana Bitter. All three are rectangular pieces of soft ganache-like chocolate (due to the presence of 20% cream) dusted with cocoa powder. The packaging when you buy a box involves 5 layers. First the plastic box that the chocolates are placed in. Then the box that the plastic box is encased in. This is then wrapped in plastic film. This box is placed in a thermal bag and the fifth part is the frozen gel pack which ensures that the chocolate is kept under 10 degrees till it completes the journey from the store to your fridge. The attention to detail is amazing.
Important note: always hold the box in an upright horizontal position to avoid damaging the delicious product it holds. Pro tip: The Ghana Bitter is outstanding!
POTATOCHIP CHOCOLATE (Original) is another signature product from Royce’ that has taken India by storm. The saltiness of the potato chip combined with the sweetness of the milk chocolate coating on one side is divine. A great treat for those who enjoy salted caramel macaroons and other such pairings. Sweet and salty as a combination is something many people might not realise is done in Indian cooking very often and therefore is definitely going to be a hot favourite. It tickles your senses and makes you think, ‘let’s see if there’s more where that came from’.
PRAFEUILLE CHOCOLAT (Berry Cube) is inspired by the French Mille Feuille (meaning a thousand leaves). It is a 1 square inch piece of 3 mm thin milk chocolate, strawberry scented with blueberry and raspberry sauce. Think of a chocolate dessert with raspberry coulis and the joy you derive from eating an entire dessert. Now replace it with this piece of chocolate and you can stop counting those calories. A sweet mouthful that you can end your meal with and feel all the satisfaction with none of the guilt.
CRIOLLO CHOCOLATE (Bitter) is the most expensive of the lot and this complex, aromatic chocolate is made from Criollo beans, the world’s rarest and most expensive cacao beans, found only near Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela. A square inch piece of the most exquisite chocolate I have ever tasted with 65% Cacao. You have to smell it first. It smells like an explosion in a cocoa plantation bitter, sweet, rich and warm. The texture is smooth and starts melting on your fingers as soon as you pick it up. If I ate one piece every day I would die a happy death.
PURE CHOCOLATE (Venezuela Bitter & Ghana Sweet) these discs of pure chocolate are divine and true to Japanese innovation one side is flat and the other side has grooves reminiscent of waves. This increases the surface are of the chocolate and releases more flavour when you place that side on your tongue. This is not a chocolate to be broken but to be eaten whole. Let it melt in your mouth and the flavours will leave you speechless.
NUTTY BAR CHOCOLATE is Fruit & Nut meets Crackle but on another level. Milk chocolate with crispy puffs and an array of nuts – cashew, pecan, macadamia and almonds. For all those who like a bit of bite in their chocolate this is perfect.
CHOCOLATE WAFERS (Hazel Cream) is like “Kitkat on steroids”, according to Samir Gadhok. It reminded me of chocolate wafers I used to eat as a child in terms of how light the wafers are and kitkat because of the chocolate wafer combination. It has light and crunchy wafers sandwiched with hazelnut cream and a chocolate coating.
BATON COOKIES were chocolate coated biscuits in coconut and hazelnut flavours. The coconut biscuit was mildly sweet and tasted of roasted coconut but, because I tried that first I couldn’t quite get a hold of the flavour in the hazelnut biscuit. The chocolate to biscuit ratio is just right and would go terrifically with a shot of espresso.
COFFEE CHOCOLATE last but definitely not the least this piece of chocolate was packed in a manner similar to the Criollo chocolate and is a brilliant combination of milk chocolate and coffee. Think of a non-alcoholic Affogato and that is what this chocolate does; the creaminess of the ice cream and the wonderful warm hit of coffee that makes you want to savour that first spoonful forever. I could eat an entire box of this or be content with just one piece. Coffee lovers, this one is definitely for you (I mean us).

The ROYCE’ store at Ambience, Vasant Kunj has been designed to complement the intricate Japanese identity and culture of the brand. The front fascia of the store as well as the display counter, mimic the delicacy and geometry of contemporary Japanese architecture and interiors. The interiors above the display counter is supposed to be a visual representation of what it feels like when you eat a Nama chocolate. Materials like hardwood maple are used to blend in with existing surroundings creating a warm and inviting retail as well as tasting experience. The space has been designed as a transformative Japanese chocolate bar, conducive to exploration and interaction.

There are no long descriptions with each tag just the name and price so if you want to know something you can ask any one of the very efficient and informative people who work there. All the staff is trained and they know everything about the product and are very good at helping you find the perfect chocolate. This makes the entire chocolate sampling and buying experience more interactive and personal.

So, the next time you go across to Ambience Mall in Vasant Kunj, look out for the Royce’ store and at least try a piece of chocolate. It will be a happy day, for sure.

Posted on October 7, 2014 October 7, 2014

Pat Chapman Grills the world

By Anubhav Sapra

Recently, I was invited by Barbeque Nation for their food fest – Pat Chapman Grills the world ( Oct 3^rd to Oct 14^th ).

Chef Pat Chapman is a celebrity chef, writer, and a man who brought Indian food to the UK. Inspired by barbeque cultures worldwide, Pat Chapman has created 14 fabulous marinades exclusively for Barbeque Nation. Here, I am listing down some of the exclusive recipes created by Pat Chapman for the event.

Yorkshire Lamb Patties

Ingredients-

Vegetable oil, Horserdish sauce, salt, chopped onions fried a level below golden brown, coarsely chopped parsley and lamb mince.

Method-

In a round mixing bowl, mix horseradish sauce and vegetable oil. Whisk well. Add fried onions and coarsely chopped parsley. Check seasoning. Season lamb minces with salt and pepper. Make round patties of 50 gms each and cook on pan grill. Serve hot with cool mayonnaise dip and crisp salad.

Hot Mail Thai Fish ( my favourite )

Ingredients –

Basa fish boneless, lemongrass paste, basil leaves, green chilli paste, fish sauce, refined sunflower oil and fresh coriander

Method

In a round-bottomed bowl, mix fish sauce (which according to Pat Chapman smells like socks), lemongrass paste, chopped basil leaves, green chilli paste and vegetable oil. Whisk lightly and add fish pieces. Let it marinate for 30 minutes. Pierce pieces with a skewer and grill over a medium charcoal fire. Serve hot sprinkled with chopped fresh coriander.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Ingredients-

Chicken drumstick, vegetable oil, muscavado sugar(brown sugar), cider vinegar, rum, pepper powder, nutmeg powder, cinnamon powder, salt, chopped onion fried brown, naga or scotch bonnet chilli, fresh thyme, garlic fried.

Method

Make diagonal cut marks on chicken pieces. In a round-bottomed bowl, add all the ingredients except chicken. Whisk lightly. Add chicken pieces and marinate for 30 minutes. Grill over a medium charcoal fire. Serve hot, sprinkled with crushed black pepper.

The grills were truly delectable, especially the Fish which was simply marvellous. I had my fill and tried other grills as well- Aztec Poblano Paneer, Spanish Valencia Prawns, Arabian Exotic Veggies, Chinese Sichuan chicken, Albuquerque Atomic Chicken. All of them had nice seasonings and textures. The drinks on the mocktail menu are interesting to try as well

I must say, it’s a good way to start the non-vegetarian journey after Navratras.

Posted on October 6, 2014 October 6, 2014

Amritsari Kulcha

October 6, 2014

Amritsari Kulcha

By Anubhav Sapra

There is always something emotional about your first job, your first salary. And then comes a day when one has to take a stand to move on. I left my job few days back after working for an NGO for 4 years. I had to think for days to arrive at this decision to move on and follow my heart’s call.

On the last day at work, I decided to introduce my colleague to the partner organizations with whom I used to coordinate with. After starting from Saket in the morning, we reached another voluntarily-run organization in East of Kailash. The meeting got finished around lunch time. We rushed to a nearby community centre and started exploring the eateries out there. I have always followed a maxim, that if there is a crowd, the food has to be good.

We reached a place where young men in formal attire were having their lunch. I smiled, and told my colleague – this is the place where we are going to eat our lunch. He was a bit disappointed as he wanted to eat comfortably in a restaurant. However, I persuaded him to try the food there and he hesitantly ordered a plate of Amritsari kulcha and chole from a cart, which turned out to be absolutely delicious.

The cart is owned by Ashu Monga (Mobile number 880074901). He hails from Firozpur in Punjab and has been selling Amritsari Kulcha for the last 4 years in the Community Centre, opposite Building no.20 in East of Kailash. He is there from 10 am to 3:30 pm. A plate of two Amritsari kulchas with chole cost Rs 30.

The kulchas were soft and fluffy with the topping of tomato and paneer. I have never before eaten a similar kind of kulcha of this standard anywhere in Delhi. I requested Ashu to share the secret behind the softness of the Kulchas. He happily shared the secret – these kulchas are made up of wheat and semolina and not white flour, and secondly, they come straight every morning from Ballu Bakery in Firozpur, Punjab. He adds a spoon of chutney over the chole and garnishes it with onion rings and serves these kulchas with green chilly pickles.

I returned to my office with my colleague feeling satiated and thinking about the right decision of leaving the job to pursue my vocation of running Delhi Food Walks full-time.

Posted on October 2, 2014 October 2, 2014

Tandoori Momos

October 2, 2014

Tandoori Momos

By Anubhav Sapra

The one dish which has caught the imagination of Delhiites is Momos. It has become the most sought-after street food of Delhi. At every nook and corner, one can find small kiosks- a table and a steamer with steaming momos. Adjacent to the steamer are two big jars of chutneys –One is red, hot and spicy with loads of red chillies and the other is red in colour too but mild in spices. Some of them sell steamed momos and some sell fried versions, both vegetarian and non vegetarian.

Recently, my sister, who is fond of momos, introduced me to another version of momos on the street – tandoori momos. Whenever I have posted the query on DFW’s facebook page asking the fans about the best place in Delhi to try tandoori momos- the answer has always been QDs. I must admit that I am not at all a fan of QDs and have never liked their dry and half cooked tandoori momos. My search for the best tandoori momos continued for years and finally I have found a place, which in my knowledge serves the best tandoori momos.

The place is in C-7 market of Lawrence Road and the small kiosk is owned by Dheeraj (cell number 9990892822). It was a delight to my eyes to see him prepare a plate of tandoori momos so passionately. It is cooked the same way as the other tandoori items are cooked. On skewers, pieces of momos interspersed with capsicum and onion are grilled uniformly. The grilled momos are then added to a bowl where green coriander chutney, red chilly momos chutney, mayonnaise, cream, chaat masala, and lemon juice is added. The momos are mixed and served on a plate with a toothpick and a spoon – toothpicks for the momos and spoon for gravy. The momos were juicy and delicious in taste. A plate of Chicken momos is Rs 100 and Veg costs Rs 60 and Paneer is Rs80.

This place is a must visit in North Delhi for all the momos lovers. I have got the long list of places to try momos in North Delhi and I am going to try them all soon. Till then, keep reading and keep munching!

Posted on October 2, 2014 October 3, 2014

Arjun Pav Bhaji

October 2, 2014

Arjun Pav Bhaji

By Simran Kaur

Looking for finger licking street delicacy around North Delhi? Then Ajun ki pav bhaji located in Model town 3rd is surely a delight for all the pav bhaji lovers. Arjun, a Marathi man with magic in his fingers started his business on a small cart nearly a decade ago in a silent corner in Model town 2^nd. The quality of his appetizing servings gained him all the popularity and encouraged him to expand his business to a shop in main market of Model town 3^rd.

Finger licking spicy Bhaji, fully prepared and garnished with big chunks of butter along with Masala Pao is the main attraction of the place. A plate of Pav Bhaji is served for Rs 80 and does justice to the quantity served to its customers. Not only Pav Bhaji, Arjun also does super spicy vegetable pulao with a tangy sauce and refreshing salad. Vada pao is another super delicious delicacy served to the customers. But special garlic Pav Bhaji is the biggest hit amongst the people.

In the evening, huge crowd of people gather outside his stall, who are served sizzling hot Pav bhaji . However, you may find difficulty in parking your cars but once you taste it, trust me you will realise it is worth waiting for. Arjun Pav bhaji has a quick service so you can enjoy your meal inside your cars .The stall opens at 6pm in the evening and due to huge demand it is wrapped up around 9.30 pm. Surprisingly, Everyday it sells more than 150 plates of pav bhaji within 2hours, as estimated by Arjun, who loves to cook and feed people.

Definitely try this place and let your taste buds enjoy a spicy roller coaster ride with this amazing Arjun Pav bhaji.

Posted on September 20, 2014

Cocktail Magic at Mamagoto

September 20, 2014

Cocktail Magic at Mamagoto

By Aisha Bhattacharaya

A warm September evening, good company, food and innovative cocktails in glasses crammed with ice cubes. That’s when you realise that life is good. This was the scene last evening at Mamagoto in Khan Market.

As a brand that is associated with fantastic food and has been around for 4 years already, it is safe to say that Mamagoto is here to stay and has plenty of tricks up its sleeve. They are well known for the wide spread of Asian food that is always cooked to perfection and maintains a consistency of standard. To add to this they are now experimenting with various new cocktails. I was lucky enough to get an invite for a Bloggers meet to try out their exciting new cocktails and give feedback.

There are 5 new cocktails on the menu:

1. Mama Gymkhana (359): honey, fresh ginger, hazelnut essence and orange juice mixed with blended scotch (Black & White)

2. The Botanist (399): Gin (Tanqueray), light coriander, muddled cucumber with sugar and lime

3. Oriental Pop (359): basil leaves muddled and balanced with white chocolate syrup, white rum (Bacardi), sugar and lime

4. Ohjay (359): cinnamon essence, spiced rum (Captain Morgan’s), orange juice, orange chunks and lime

5. Passion fruit mojito (359): the classic Cuban cocktail of mint, lime chunks, sugar and white rum (Bacardi) gets a nice tropical twist with some passion fruit puree

The first drink I tried was the Ohjay – the idea of Captain Morgan’s spiced rum with orange and cinnamon was rather exciting. The drink is visually appealing and was served in an Old Fashioned glass on ice and was garnished with a lovely orange spiral. Initially, I couldn’t get a strong enough flavour of the spiced rum and the orange juice was overpowering mostly because of its typical Real packet juice flavour. I felt the rum travel down my oesophagus and leave its distinct burning trail but other than that it didn’t pack a punch. The marketing manager for Azure hospitality, Priyanka Shangari was present at the event and came over to me and asked me what I felt. I told her and she called the bartender and asked him what could be done to make the drink more suitable for me. He asked me why I didn’t like it and I told him I prefer the taste of fresh OJ over tetra-pack OJ. He offered to remake the drink with fresh orange juice and I agreed. The fresh orange juice version of Ohjay was absolutely delicious! The fresh orange juice enhanced the cinnamon flavour which in turn added to the spicy flavours of the rum. This version hit all the right spots.

The second drink was the Mama Gymkhana – I was very interested to see how hazelnut would pair with honey, ginger and blended scotch. First off, visually similar looking to the Ohjay in terms of the glass and colour but on closer inspection you see the ginger slices on top. This drink is well blended and extremely smooth. If I didn’t know there was supposed to be hazelnut I wouldn’t guess off-hand that there was any. One of the other bloggers got his drink changed and said it was better with more hazelnut and less honey. I liked it anyway. It’s a brilliant drink and would go down well with men and women even though most people think women don’t drink scotch.

Next we tried the Oriental Pop – here again some interesting combinations of basil leaves and white chocolate syrup. I tried some of the syrup separately and it was pretty good. Visually the drink looks like Limca with basil leaves. The taste is interesting. A little sweet for me and the Bacardi has a strong hit. But an innovative concoction deserves credit and they’ve managed to pull it off.

The Botanist was being served to someone else and it looked good. Similar to the Oriental Pop in terms of colour but the clear distinction of the coriander leaves was there. So, I asked if I could try some and a sip was had. Not much was clear in that one sip. A very light flavour that is quite neutral. Maybe more could be done to the drink in terms of giving it that extra punch but I’m not so sure. I didn’t have enough to judge it in a real sense.

Last but definitely not the least was the Passion Fruit Mojito – unlike any other mojito you’ve ever had. The first mix they gave me was sharp, sour and the Bacardi was overpowering. The passion fruit and lime accentuated all the sour notes of the drink and the Bacardi being particularly strong just made it very hard to drink. I walked up to Priyanka and asked her if some changes could be made and she kindly agreed. I asked the bartender to go easy on the lime and put a little extra sugar syrup and to add some of the fresh orange juice that had been squeezed for the modified Ohjay. He topped the drink with Soda this time and Wow! The right balance was needed and this went straight to the top as my favourite of the 5 drinks on the new menu.

Mamagoto has been in a constant endeavour to give people a fantastic food experience and that achievement has led to the quiet incorporation of an innovative drinks menu that will give your taste buds a real kick and get the party started for you whenever you want. The new cocktails are tasty, innovative and definitely worth a try. Another thing which should be mentioned is that they are not stingy with the amount of alcohol in their cocktails. You can taste the liquor and you know you’re paying for a worthy drink. Their ability to take feedback and implement it immediately is amazing. Most places say, “It’s made like this here”. But not at Mamagoto, if they can make something better and improve your culinary experience they will. This is not to say that every person who says something is bad just for the sake of it will be accommodated but to say that if you have a genuine problem they will try their best to sort it out for you.

Posted on September 20, 2014 September 20, 2014

Mini Samosa

September 20, 2014

Mini Samosa

By Anubhav Sapra

Long back I read an article titled ‘Samosa trail’by Chitra Balasubramaniam, where she tried to cover the journey of Samosa in Delhi and discussed its variants at great length. Starting from the legendary Embassy’s samosa to the Japani Samosa, she had covered it all! Here are a few of them:

Embassy Samosa: Weighing 300-350 grams, this samosa isfilled with cubed potatoes, paneer pieces, matar (peas) and loads of green chillies.

Where: Lutyen’s Connaught Place.

Farukhabadi Samose: It has mashed potatoes, to which salt and red chilli powder are added.

Where: Shanti Mohalla, near Gandhi Nagar market.

Allahabadi Samose: This variant of the samosa is filled with well-fried dal.

Where: Bengali Sweet House at Bengali Market

Japani Samosa: This snack has a total of 60 layers filled with aloo, matar and very little spice which seeps through the incredibly crisp layers. This is served with delicious, piping hot pindichane and an interesting pickle of lauki (bottle gourd) and mango.

Where: Manohar, Chandni Chowk

Recently, I was at Connaught Place, getting my breakfast packed from an eatery famous for Chole Kulche near Scindia House. While crossing the subway from the Hindustan Times office to the other side of Naurang House, I noticed a man sitting on the pavement near Parsvnath complex, swiftly wrapping mashed potatoes with a thin dough and frying it. The size of the samosa took me by surprise! It was so small that it has been rightly named Mini Samosa. The weight of one samosa would besomewhere between 10-15 grams. Inflation, a key poll issue in last general elections, seems to have no effect on the mini samosa. 6 samosas are served with green coriander chutney at a minimal price of Rs.10. It is a treat to your taste buds.

Sri Ram, the owner, and his son Rajesh, who hail from UP, have been selling this delightful, affordable snack to office goers sincethe past 12 years at the same pavement.

The next time you are in Connaught Place, near Barakhamba Road,find your way to the Mini Samosa wale and gobble up the mini treat! I’m just happy to have added another variant to Ms. Balasubramaniam’s list.

Posted on September 13, 2014 September 13, 2014

Yadav Ji’s Chole Kulche

September 13, 2014

Yadav Ji’s Chole Kulche

By Anubhav Sapra

Saket has some decent eating joints for office goers in J block market. By decent, I mean good quality, reasonably priced food which anyone can eat. One such place in J block Market is Om Prakash Yadav‘s Chole Kulche. What attracted my attention to Yadav’s Chole Kulche cart was the horde of people of all age groups who thronged his stall – school children with empty lunch boxes getting chole kulche packed, office goers eating paranthas with chole and some of them getting packed chole kulche in Aluminium foils for their colleagues back in office.

Om Prakash Yadav hails from Siddharth Nagar in Uttar Pradesh. He has been selling CholeKulche for the past 24 years. His cart is right opposite Neelu Nursing Home in J Block Market. The interesting part about Yadav ji’s Chole Kulche are the lemons which you can cut and squeeze over the chole yourself, unlike at other places where you need to ask the Kulche man for a few drops of lemon. Also, pickles of green chillies and mangoes are lying in huge quantity in a tray and one can pick as much as they want. I asked for the knife from Yadav ji to cut lemon in to two equal halves and squeezed them over the chole to make the spices a bit mild and savored them with kulchas which were soft and fluffy.

A plate of Chole Kulche and Parantha Kulche is priced for Rs 30 and a glass of boondi raita is for Rs 20. So, next time you are around Saket Market, try Yadav ji’s Chole Kulche. To add that tangy flavor, do not forget to add the lemon juice.

Posted on September 8, 2014 September 8, 2014

Pakode Wala

September 8, 2014

Pakode Wala

By Anubhav Sapra

The sudden spell of rain last week in Delhi brought a big relief to Delhiites from the scorching heat. The word ‘rain’ has become synonymous with Samosas, Jalebis, Pakodas and Chai. The two famous Pakoda shops in Delhi are in Nauroji Nagar (Khandani Pakode wala) and Karol Bagh (Bajaj Ji Pakode ki Dukaan)

My mother always boasts of Khandani Pakode Wala whenever she relishes the taste of Pokodas of Nauroji Nagar as my Grand Uncle used to bring Pakodas straight from there in the evenings for snacks. I also became a huge fan of Khandani Pakoda wala and went there quite often whenever it rained in Delhi. The shop is located on Rajmata Vijaye Raje Scindia Marg. If one is on Ring Road, moving from Bhikaji Cama Place towards Safdarjung Hospital, you’ll find the shop on the first left turn after the Bhikaji flyover.

The list of pakodas on offer at Khandani Pakode wala is long – Seekh(mashed potatoes and peas), Kamal Kakdi(lotus stem), Cauliflower, Karela(bitter gourd), Palak Methi (spinach, fenugreek leaves and onion) and Hari Mirch (green chilli) pakoda. The pakodas – crunchy from outside and soft from inside – are served with onion chutney.

While I was in Delhi University, a few of my friends were studying in Tibia College in Karol Bagh. I used to visit my friends for the sole purpose of savouring the Pakodas of Bajaj ji. The address is Shop no. 120-121-122, Netaji Subhash Market, Tibia College, Ajmal Khan Road, Karol Bagh. The other day it rained and luckily I was in North Delhi. I landed at the shop to savour the pakodas. The person who weighs the pakodas is Mr. Banwari, who has been working there since his childhood, for the past 25 years. It is interesting to see him communicating with the customers- “ek dal ka, ek baigan, ek palak, ek paneer”, swiftly passing the pakodas for frying. The chutney they serve is of coriander and besan ke boondi. I got a plate of mixed pakodas (bread pakoda, dal ke laddo, paneer pakoda and Kamal Kakdi/Bhea (lotus stem) to take home from Bajaj ji Pakode wala and relished them with boondi chutney and chai. It’s time you tasted them too!