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Zayekon ka Kazbaa

The street food in East Delhi has really come off age, and taking the streets of Krishna Nagar by storm is a place called Desi Kazbaa. The shop opened recently and has attracted the attention of all locals for its wide variety of food. Starting from Shawarma and Momos to full-fledged Chinese and Indian meals, they have it all; and they even serve a variety of different styles of Maggi. Now how can you not love this place!

The variety of food offered here, is the highlight. They have at least 11 different flavours for Maggi as well as Momos, such as Chicken Tandoori Maggi, Butter Maggi or Chilli Paneer Momos, Butter Chicken Momos,etc., and that is a lot! But it is the flavour and the effort behind the scenes that makes their food supremely delicious and leaves one craving for more…

There is a lot more to here, than just Momos and Maggi. Say if you’re hungry for burgers, don’t look for the next Mcdonalds because Desi Kazbaa not just serves some amazing and unique Burgers, they also have a number of different Sandwiches, an array of Fries served in distinctive sauces, Garlic Breads, Pastas, Chicken Nuggets and so much more. Along with all that food the drinks served here are also top notch. Their Kazbaa Special Bad Boy Shake- A mixture of Kit Kat, Oreo, 5 Star and Chocolate, is quite popular amongst locals and why wouldn’t it be, because something that looks this good will definitely taste better.

Desi Kazbaa has left no stone unturned when it comes to variety. There is a dish here for every picky eater in your group of friends. The range of food in this little food joint is enormous, not to forget the food they serve is scrumptious. So if you want to taste some of these amazing dishes, mark the date in your calendars for the NBT Flavour Fest on 20th and 21st October’18, at Baba Kharak Singh Marg.

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Flavour Bombs Of Bengal

It’s Durga Puja Season, and no better way to start this auspicious journey than with PUCHKA. Us Dilliwalas, are obsessed with chaat; the sweet, savoury, spicy and tangy flavours that just burst in your mouth. Puchka, the Bengali cousin of Gol-gappe or Pani Puri, is a must-have whether it is festive season or not.

So, we made our way to C. R. Park for the authentic Puchka experience and found ourselves at a little stall called Raju Puchkawala. The 20 year old shop serves some of the tastiest chaat in the area. The Puchkas are made of wheat unlike gol-gappas that are usually made of suji. It is filled with a mixture of mashed potatoes, various spices, coriander and chickpeas, and then you can choose between khatta paani or meetha paani. Even the “paani” for puchkas has a tamarind base contrary to Jal Jeera which has a mint base. This may sound like any other pani puri to you, but wait till you taste it. The flavour combinations are so on point, that there is no way that you wouldn’t go back for at least one more plate. These Puchkas are like flavour bombs, just one puchka packs quite a punch.

Now, if you think Puchka is all this place has to offer, you are highly mistaken. Another crowd favourite is Churmur. As the name suggests, churmur is a mixture of a few tid-bits that are mixed together to make this Amazing dish. They add boiled potatoes, chickpeas, a combination of spices and some puchka water, along with some crushed Papri- All this is mixed together and voila, your churmur is ready. The Aloo Kabli served here is truly unique. Instead of frying the potatoes and drowning them in spices and green chilli chutney like the usual Aloo Chaat, here they use boiled potatoes that are topped with onions, green chillies, spices, chickpeas and tamarind water; this combination has a surprisingly refreshing taste that is quite different to the super spicy Aloo Chaat that we Dilliwalas are used to. 

Experience bengali culture in the streets of Delhi. And if you can’t make it to C.R. Park for this lovely chaat just mark the dates 20th and 21st October’18 for the NBT Flavors Fest at Baba Kharak Singh Marg, and discover street delicacies from all over India or you can just chow down on these mouth-watering (literally) Puchkas, and call it a day!

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Ek Pyaali ‘Tandoori Chai’ dila do

One word, a thousand emotions. Chai. A cup of Chai is perhaps the most indispensable item in the Indian kitchen. It binds together the household like nothing else.
It is not uncommon to see a hot brewing cup calm a rather heated conversation or how easily conversations flow over cups of Chai. Perhaps that’s the magic of this drink.
Chai or tea leaves are cultivated extensively in our country and every state offers a very unqiue type of chai. Like its sourcing, it also has a variety of preparation styles. An insanely different style is the one I shall elaborate on. It’s the Tandoori chai.
‘Alpha’ss Tandoori Chai’ in Mukherjee Nagar seems to be the talk around town for introducing an innovative yet extremely tasty version of this staple household favorite. Open from 9 in the morning till late in the evening (11 PM), the shop is happily satisfying the caffeine cravings of its many customers.
The roots of this unconventional idea of having chai being made in a tandoor stemmed from a rather everyday conversation between friends. They wondered that if something like the popular street food-momos could be made in a tandoori style,then why not the beloved Chai?


The name of the shop is unique as proclaimed by one of the shop owners. It is an acronym for the names of all the people who started the shop.
The Kulhad, a traditional earthen pot is a popular dish used to serve Chai. The process involves baking this dish in the Tandoor and pouring half cooked Chai in this. The hot Kulhad then diffuses a rather smokey tinge to the Chai and this is how this beverage gets it’s unique taste. Although the shop is in it’s nascent stages,it has been getting a great amount of recognition and has already established a broad base of loyal customers.

What makes this a must visit stall while exploring the food scene in Delhi?
A. It is the only place in Delhi that serves this sort of preparation B. the theatrics of making this chai. It’s an experience in itself to witness its creation and lastly, and perhaps the most obvious one,its chai!

So come and enjoy this extraordinary Chai at the NBT Flavors Fest on 20th and 21st October’18, at Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Delhi.

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Tom Uncle Maggi : DU’s official canteen

Delhi University especially the north campus is known to have numerous hangout hubs as well as it is known to be flooded with many street food joints. North campus is a go to point for the students looking for a hot meals after or in between lectures. One such quick snack tops every DU student’s eat list and that is ‘Maggi’. No matter how many rows of maggi stalls are installed in the campus, ‘Tom Uncle’s Maggi Point’ is still the best and most visited maggi point in the campus. It is situated in the crossing between Daulat Ram College and Ramjas College. It is a very famous hotspot which is always surrounded by our very own DU students. The history of this maggi point goes a couple of decades back. No matter if you are a current student or an old graduate from Delhi University you will always remember this place by heart.

This place serves almost 60 varieties of maggi which has options for every taste preferences. It has a vast variety for cheese lovers such as cheese butter maggi, cheese onion maggi and many more. It also has some of the healthy options such as oats vegetable maggi , atta vegetable maggi and even some with the Chinese twists too. The huge varieties of the maggi is enough to burn your brain out of confusion about which ne to choose and to add upon it, this place not only just offers maggi but also many more dishes such as pasta , sandwich , macroni and even  bhelpuri , sevpuri and moreover  to accompany these dishes we have our all time favourite mojitos, milkshakes and sodas.

The top recommended maggi variations are cheese masala maggi , oregano maggi and chilli pepper cheese maggi. This maggi point was initially started by ‘Mr. Ramesh Kumar’ in 1978 as a small stall which then grew into a double outlet shop which has its other outlet in vijay nagar near Hudson lane. The picture of the initial stall along with Mr. Ramesh Kumar aka Tom Uncle can be seen on the outlet’s menu. The service that started decades ago stil never fails to make every person which visits here happy wether it be in terms of varieties, taste , price , service, vibe or any criteria which makes a street food joint special.

Name: Tom Uncle’s Maggi point

Owner’s Name : Sunil Kataria

Contact number: 9540230404

Address:  Delhi University North Campus, infront of Daulat Ram College.

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Maggi Tarian : Much more than just maggi

Kamla Nagar can be referred as a big treasure box with lots of treasures and gems, I can assure that no hungry person can walk out empty stomached from this place which is full of food . If you take walk down the main market in kamla nagar you’re bound to quickly come across a small pop shop which goes by the name ‘Maggi Tarian’. It is located in front of Spark Mall or else the bada gol chakkar as the local people address it.  This tiny shop almost resembles a food truck where  you place your order and can also see the food being prepared, having the food on high tables or you can also have your seat on the stairs of the mall as people usually do here.

The menu at this place is much more than what its name suggests. It serves pasta, shakes, wraps, fries, sandwiches and of course maggi. It has a versatile variety when it comes to pasta and maggi  and also various types of shakes. According to me the most recommended dish here is the all time classic white sauce pasta and tandoori cheese pasta. I would also suggest the fries which are the classic salted ones , but the good thing is that you can choose your own dip out of a huge variety of the tangiest and mouth watering dips.

Although this place does not provide any seating but I strongly feel that everyone should try having their delicious gulps of the snacks while sitting on the low boundary of the mall and observing one of the busiest market of Delhi.  This place opens at One O’clock in the afternoon and serves their delightful snacks till 10 o’clock in the night. The most busiest hour is notably the evening hours and between 2 to 3 in the afternoon when the north campus colleges have their lunch timings.

Maggi Tarian is the best option one can go for if he or she is in a mood of having good food in a reasonable price.

Name : Maggi tarian

Address: Bada gol chakkar, Kamla Nagar

Contact Number: +91 9899667083

Owner’s name: Mr. Ishaan

 

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Chaudhary Sweets Corner : End to a good dinner

According to you what can match the satisfaction of ending your meal with a mouth watering and flavorsome dessert ?  This shop in the nukkad of one of the streets in Shakti Nagar which goes by the name ‘Chaudhary Sweets Corner’ is just the right solution for your after meal sugar craving. This place has been satisfying the sweet tooth of Delhi peeps since 1910.   I visit there very often, usually after dinner time which is when this place witnesses the most crowd. Out of all the desserts the most popular position is bagged by our all time favorite Kulfi (a popular frozen dairy dessert from the Indian subcontinent). Although this place never lags behind when it comes to the versatility of the desserts, ranging from rabri falooda to kalakand to firni. The owner proudly claims kalakand and rabri falooda to be his most sold dishes.

Whenever you visit this place never fail to notice the satisfaction which people hold on their faces after tasting the yum-yum desserts. The rates of the kulfis start from as low as rupees 10 and ranges maximum to rupees 30. There are a numerous flavors of kulfi which includes classic flavors like kesar badaam, kaju pista and even some unique flavors like caramel which they claim to be their signature flavor, other unique flavors include mocha , paan,  rewari , anjeer etc. You can even have the flavored milk which is served in disposable bottles with handsome quantity of milk and wide range of flavors at very reasonable prices.

This place is actually much more than just  desserts as you can see an extension of this shop selling delicious smelling savory items such as pav bhaji , aloo tikki , paneer tikka and kathi kebab. Moreover it even offers some quick bites such as samosa and bread pakoda which is perfect to cure your not so hungry hunger. What makes this place extra special is the swift service and very sweet behaving staff that stand as the pillars of this legendary joint and the unforgettable cleanliness and hygiene which this place maintains is remarkable.

The journey that started almost a century ago still never fails to surprise us with its consistent and toothsome dishes. We are beyond blessed to have such places in our Dilli.

Name: Chaudhary Sweets Corner

Address: 10/18, near Roshanara Club, Kamla Nagar , New Delhi

Contact number: +91 9871311188

Owners name: Devraj Chaudhary

 

 

 

 

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Kashyap : The evening munching junction

Have you ever been stuck in a situation when you feel hungry but don’t feel like eating much ? That is when you need just a little but tasty snack to munch on. Well, for the people living in Kamla Nagar or nearby areas are lucky enough to have the perfect solution for this problem. “Mr. Sunil Kashyap” has been serving the best snacks to the foodie Dilli wale since 1986.His limited yet so perfect menu includes the drool worthy paneer (cottage cheese) bread pakoda. This dish is made by a slice of paneer along with spiced mashed potato sandwiched between two slices of bread which then is dipped in  batter of besan and deep fried till perfection. This is the most common way in which a bread pakoda is prepared but at this famous food joint this is just the basic step, after this Mr. Sunil Kashyap just adds the right twist to make it more awesome. He adds some tangy spices and tops it with some shredded onion and cabbage and serves this delicacy with two types of chutneys.

Other items on his menu includes Aaloo tikki which is also served with the same twist as  the bread pakoda. This stall is in a small lane in Kamla nagar, which is well known for some famous street food joints including the legendary Chache di hatti. During a small chit chat with Mr. Kashyap he told me about how he never compromises in the taste of the snacks and always serves the dishes quick and warm which proved to be just right as I ordered a plate of bread pakoda  which was served to me in few minutes and as I took a bite of the delicacy, every taste bud in my mouth felt so satiated and delightful.

The thing which adds up to the flawless food to make the place more perfect is the old school FM Radio that plays the evergreens which adds more joy to the environment . Besides everything , in today’s era where street food has so many varieties  and twists, this simple and yet so tantalizing dish stands out to be the perfect solution for our little hunger.

 

Shop Name : Kashyap

Address : Shop number 17 E , Kamla nagar

Open hours : 3:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Owner Name : Mr. Sunil Kashyap

Mobile number : 9871126805

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SPW Pizza : Serving happiness in the form of slices

Who with pizza covered in loads of cheese and topped with freshly made pizza sauce and toppings is poor? Pizza is not a food but it’s an emotion. This world was blessed with its first pizza in the year 1889 , ever since the  true love for pizza in people’s heart has not faded and in fact it grew stronger with time. When it comes to pizza, what is better than a small roadside stall which offers a huge variety at a low cost ? One such stall resides in the cooks and nooks of Kamla Nagar which is called ‘ SPW Pizza’. It offers a huge variety which includes mushroom pizza, four cheese pizza, paneer pizza, capsicum pizza etc.

During a chit chat with the vendor at SPW Pizza Stall he told how SPW has various branches spread all over Delhi including in Rohini, Ghantaghar, Gtb Nagar etc. This may be not the most heard place to have a pizza but believe me the taste and quantity which this place offers is unmatchable. A perfect crust of pizza is topped with loads of the selected toppings and spicy pizza sauce along with plenty of cheese and of course the oregano and chilly flakes. Your mouth explodes with flavors as you gulp in the first bite of the delicacy which this place offers, first you feel the hotness of the seasoning and then creamy taste of cheese accompanied with the perfect twist of the pizza sauce and the toppings.

Along with the good taste, the service is appealingly fast and flawless. Even if you are not feeling that hungry this place has a solution for that too, the ‘baby pizza’ which is just the right size to satisfy your baby hunger. Apart from the good taste , good service and economical prices they also have the delivery service which is very convenient and worthy.

If you consider pizza as your soul food and posses an endless love for it, this is surely the right place to make your heart , taste buds and stomach satisfied with the delicious and drool worthy pizzas it offers.

Shop Name :SPW Pizza

Address : 23-F, Lolhapur Road, Kamla Nagar , Delhi

Contact number: +91 9540994357

 

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AJMER FOOD TOUR

Ajmer food tour

By Anubhav Sapra

 It is always fun to interact and explore the city with a local food enthusiast. In Ajmer I met Shikha, a dentist by profession and food instagrammer by passion. She runs an instagram account Ajmerfoodie. Together we explored the lanes of the city, with her being an excellent guide.

We started with Dhanna ki Kachori in Vaishali Nagar– a super spicy dal kachori with kadi. She remarks that this unique combination of Kadi and Kachori was invented in Ajmer and spread to other towns slowly. But the kadi is made in a different style without buttermilk or curd. Having been in existence for 20 years, the shop is run by two brothers Durgesh and Kanahiya. The kachoris are topped with mashed potatoes and coriander. To add a tangy flavour to the kachori, lemon wedges are served along with it.

From here we reached Akbari Museum. Next to the Akbari museum in Ajmer are two shops facing each other – Shankar chaat and Anant Jain lassi shop. Shankar shop is famous for kachori and saakhe. As we already had the kachori at Dhanna, we ordered saakhe with kadi. Saakhe is just fried maida dough with ajwain. Curly in shape, saakhe is also known as namkeen or matar in different cities of India. I had always enjoyed it with a cup of sweet tea. This was the first time I tried it with kadi and chutney. A great combination indeed- the crispy saakhe went well with the smooth and spicy kadi. Next, we tried lassi at Anant jain lassi shop. The thick and creamy lassi is served in a clay glass topped with malai, rabri and saffron water. In the heat of Ajmer, it was a perfect refreshing drink.

Ajmer is known for Sohan Halwa and karanchi halwa. I am sure there would be some historical relevance to the sweets in Delhi and Ajmer. In Old Delhi, sohan halwa is available in selected sweet shops like Chainaram and kanwarji. I simply love this caramalised crunchy chewy sweet biscuit. It is made up of wheat, ghee, sugar and nuts. One small bite of halwa and the mouth is literally filled with ghee. Slowly you get the flavours of nuts. Moolchand Buddhamal in Purani Mandi is the oldest sweet maker of ajmer. Established in 1870, the shop has the best sohan halwa in the old city of ajmer. The sweet is also available in dargah market at all the sweet shops.

The story of bhutia halwayi (ghost sweet maker) is interesting. One story is that the ghosts used to make sweets whole night and when the owner used to open up the shop next day in the morning, all the sweets were made. Second story is that the sweet shop was in an isolated lane on Alwar gate road. No one used to visit that lane at night because of the rumour of ghosts living in Alwar gate road. But lala ji used to open the shop inspite of rumours of ghosts in that area. That’s why the locals started calling it Bhutiya halwai shop. Whatever the real story, the sweets are really good specially doodh jalebi and gond ke laddu. We tried doodh jalebi. The sweet and sugary jalebi is crushed in a steel jug and then half a glass of thick milk is added. Both of them are mixed properly and served in a clay glass with cream on the top. The mix of soft and crunchy jalebis makes it special.

It is not easy to find authentic homestyle Rajasthani delicacies in restaurants. Mahadev dhaba is one of the local eateries in Ajmer where some of the Rajasthani dishes like gatte ki sabzi, ker sangri, sew tamatar, papad sabzi are on the menu. The dhaba is at Nasirabad road in Ajmer.The owner specially cooked sew tamatar and papad ki sabzi for us and allowed us to oversee the preparations in the kitchen. The recipe of both of the dishes was similar- first, in hot oil, onion is sautéed and garlic water is added to it, then curry gravy, some garam masala and finally sew or roasted papad are added. In my opinion, what makes it special are the two ingredients – garlic water and the curry gravy made up of malai. The malai in the gravy leaves a smooth creamy texture to the sabzi. A bit spicy for me, but It went well with the fresh tandoori roti.

On the way to our last stop for faluda, near madar gate, we spotted probably India’s biggest kachori weighing 650 gms.

In the end we decided to stop for some dessert.  Kesar pista kulfi with kesar pista ice cream, rabri, dry fruits and rose syrup were layered and served in a glass bowl. It was the perfect sweet way to end the Ajmer street food journey.

The evening was spent in the Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisthi. Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, popularly known as Garib Nawaz (helper of the poor), is a giant figure on the Sufi map of the sub-continent. Situated in the city of Ajmer in Rajasthan, the shrine is open to all faiths. It is an old saying that people who visit Ajmer Sharif and pray with pure faith and loyalty at this Dargah, are granted their heart’s wishes.

In the Dargah there are two huge degs i.e., cauldrons – for cooking Niaz (purely vegetarian food); cooked with rice, ghee, nuts, saffron & sugar. The system of cooking food in cauldron was first introduced by Emperor Akbar. And Ajmer sharif has the world’s largest cauldron with the capacity to cook 4800 kgs of food in it.

I participated in the langar with the locals and the devotees. In a big plate, fresh and delicious biryani and sweet rice were served. People kept sharing the food from the same plate. It was truly an experience of a lifetime!

 

 

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MILKSHAKE AND CO: Where the creamiest shakes meet the cutest glasses

On my recent trip to Chandigarh, I found myself bored and craving for some sugar rush on a hot lazy afternoon. Since I was back in Chandigarh after a long time, I was in an exploratory mood and wanted to try something new instead of my usual haunts. However, I also was looking for something budget friendly. I had heard a lot about the inner market of Sector 8, which has in the last few years evolved from a quiet part of the town into a fun and bustling market. The USP of this market area is its concept of takeaway food, that is co-related to the fact that it lies on the famed ‘gedi route’ of Chandigarh. While the market is relatively serene during the day, it buzzes with activity in the evening with a lot of youngsters coming in their cars to enjoy the variety of food options this market offers.
So when I finally reached this market, I was overwhelmed and confused with the presence of so many good cafes and restaurants here, and was having a hard time picking one. Finally, I went for Milkshake and Co. because I had heard some rave reviews about this one. Like most of the other eateries in this place, this one also has no seating as such and there’s a small space inside for you to stand and place your orders. And while the space is a bit cramped, it certainly is very pretty with the menu painted quite aesthetically on the left side wall, and the right side wall filled with quirky and cute emojis. The theme of this adorable quirkiness also continues into the jars and glasses in which they serve their fries and shakes . The glasses especially are super cool with animated faces drawn on them that vary depending on the flavour of the shakes you choose, with each flavour having a specific design on the glass.
Now coming to the main part, ie. the food and the beverages served here. The menu is very intriguing with the milkshakes occupying the centre stage (not surprising at all considering the name of the shop) with their interesting flavours and the even more interesting names given to those flavours. Names like Ghostly Ghost, English Summer, Deadly Red, Voodoo, Green Devil , Dark Lord, Nutty professor, just to name a few, are bound to catch your attention and set your imaginations running. Also, the flavours on offer are very diverse and cater to everyone’s tastes whether one prefers the classics, the rich chocolate shakes, the fruity flavours or even confectionery flavours like M&M, Skittles and Bubble-gum. This theme also continues with their Cream Sodas that have flavours like Orangutang, Shockwave and Blue Whale. There are also a few cold coffee options and if you’re just not in the mood for the heavy creamy options and simply want something refreshing to quench your thirst, you can choose from the many flavours of lemonade here. The food menu is a bit underwhelming though with only burgers and fries to choose from, but once again the flavours on offer are very tempting and interesting. The ‘Paneer Mango Sriracha’ and the ‘Chicken Cajun Pineapple’ in the burger bombs section definitely sound very appealing for someone with experimental tastes like me.

Just looking at this mouth-watering menu had intensified my cravings tenfold and so after some difficult contemplation I went ahead and ordered ‘The Legend’ milkshake and ‘Honey Mustard Mayo fries’. I was told by the guy on the counter that The Legend, Ghostly Ghost, Black Eye and Dark Lord were some of their bestseller shakes; and while I was definitely intrigued by experimental flavours like ‘Cheesy’ and ‘Deadly Red’, I decided to stick with the classic option for my first time. And boy, I wasn’t disappointed one bit! The shake tasted what can only be best described as heavenly. First of all, the shake really did justice to the term “thick shakes” as it was very creamy and rich in flavour. The salted caramel flavour tasted very authentic with a fine balance between the sweet flavours of Caramel and the zesty flavour of Rock Salt. And the dollops of whipped cream served on top were just ‘the icing on the very delicious cake’. While I did really like taste of the pink coloured cream when mixed with the shake, the creaminess only serving to make the yumminess of the salty caramel flavour taste even better. However, I did find the quantity of the cream to be a bit in excess, and it did not taste as good by itself once the shake got over. But all in all, the shake was quite refreshing an absolute delight to have!

The honey mustard mayo fries I ordered to have along with the shake, were good but not the best. Not sure what, but something was missing. The fries weren’t very crispy nor were they very succulent. The honey mustard mayo tasted alright but seemed to be somewhat lacking in the mustard flavour. While many people might like only a very subtle mustard flavour , I was a bit disappointed since I am someone who really likes the strong essence of mustard. But what the fries lacked in taste, they quite made up for in quantity. The serving size was really generous and while the shake itself was quite fulfilling, the fries had me full to the brim. And I had barely even eaten half of the fries. So eventually I had to get the remaining fries packed, which was simple actually considering the beautiful tin jars they serve the fries in. All that I had to do was put the lid on the jar, and my fried were good to go. Quite convenient really!
And thus, a short trip to this up-and-coming inner market of Sector 8 and my hunger was satiated, my thirst quenched, my cravings fulfilled and my tummy full. All thanks to the Milkshake and Co. The shake was thick, creamy and delightful. Another great thing about this café is their reasonable pricing. The quantity of fries is very generous for a modest price ranging from 130 to 150 rupees. The shakes might seem a bit pricey at 190 rupees, but considering the quality and the incredible taste, I found it to be totally value-for-money. I would definitely recommend this place to everyone whether you are a resident of Chandigarh or just visiting the city, and especially if you are looking to have some great milkshakes available in a variety of flavours that will boggle your mind and mesmerize your taste buds.