Dahi puri – Delhi Food Walks

Posted on November 2, 2020 November 3, 2020

MUZAFFARPUR VEG FOOD TOUR

In this special blog we bring you heartwarming accounts of a nostalgic gastronomic journey from the bustling lanes of Anubhav’s hometown Muzaffarpur in Bihar. Apart from being an important trade center of the state, Muzaffarpur is referred to as the ‘Land Of Shahi Litchi’ as it is the country’s leading producer of this deliciously succulent fruit. So brace yourself for an amazing lineup of street foods from some old and famous eateries that Anubhav had grown up eating. It was an utterly emotional experience for him to reconnect with his favourite vendors and dishes. So let’s get started.

We began with a simple and filling nashta platter from Makhan Shah Halwai at Sonarpatti. It consisted of hot, fluffy puris, a no onion garlic aloo ki sabzi, malpua and jalebis. The highlight of this platter was the freshly made malpuas. Made with a batter of maida and sugar these disc shaped sweets were pure bliss.

The next destination i.e Ram Bharan Aloo Kachalu Wale near Devi Mandir, was one of Anubhav’s childhood favourite stops that he frequented while returning from school. It was a ritual to relish the ghugni muri and aloo kachalu from this place along with the classmates. The former was a combination of puffed rice and black chick pea curry and the later was a zesty mix of boiled potatoes and spices. So during this visit, he went for these two dishes to refresh those memories. Everything, from the taste to the arrangement of things on the cart and the passionate warmth of Ram Bharan uncle was the same as it was years back. Anubhav was grateful to get this opportunity to express his thanks to him for the good times.

After that super nostalgic encounter we relished some sev buniya and lavang lata from Hotel Bahadur at Kalyani Chowk. The lavanga lata is a khoya stuffed, deep fried pastry whose loose ends are sealed with a clove. The sticky coating of sugar syrup on the crisp exterior adds more fun to the sweet’s taste profile.

The next dish that impressed us was a well assembled Dahi puri from Chintu Dahi puri wale at Kalyani Chowk flyover. For all chaat lovers like us, these curd filled crisp puris are a perennial source of joy.

We then came across a popular pav bhaji wale at Safi Saudi market. Along with the usual assortment of veggies, their version of this iconic street side dish from Mumbai had spinach and a distinct handmade spice mix in it that lent a unique flavour to the thick, buttery curry.

From there we headed to Hari Ji Kachori Ghugni Stall at Suttapati. It was a delightful place full of yummy fried snacks. Our pick was a plate of choti kachori that was a combination of sattu stuffed kachori and ghugni. It was so delicious, especially the flavour of besan fried in mustard oil was a treat for the taste buds. Hari Ji’s eclectic range of fritters attracts a huge crowd.

It was soon time for another round of sweet indulgence at two consecutive places Bharat Jalpan and Maharaj Dugdh Bhandar at Choti Sariyaganj Sutapatti. At the former place we tried rasmadhuri, balushahi and chena khajoor while at the later one we tried rasgulla, lal mohan and raskadam. In terms of great taste, the second place garners an extra admiration for serving optimally sweet treats in comparison to the first one. Anubhav has lots of yummy memories at Bharat Jalpan which he frequented with his parents during family shopping sprees.

It was soon time to punctuate the gluttony with a paan and some jamun flavoured drink both of which are known to speed up the digestive process and cleanse the palate. We need to make room for a few more popular delicacies.

The next destination was Sundar Maharaj Pede wala at Suttapatti.This Rajasthani sweet and snack shop is popular for its pedas and different varieties of namkeens like dalmoth, mixture etc. We tried some dalmoth and peda. The soft and rich pedas made from freshly made khoya bearing a sweet fragrance of cardamom were quite irresistible. Their Dalmoth i.e., spicy and tangy fried channa dal mixed was a decent snack.

This was followed by a playful helping of aloo tikki ghugni chaat from Ma Bhawani Chaat Bhandar. This mix of crisp aloo tikki, ghugni, chutneys and spices was fun.

Our penultimate destination was a Bindeswar Ji ki dukan at Purani Bazar Chowk. This humble pakoda and chup stall was situated close to the locality where Anubhav stayed with his family. It was an overwhelming experience for him to meet Bindeswar ji as it led to a flood of memories. He recounted some heartwarming recollections of the fried treats that he used to bing on from this place. A morsel of the crisp beguni stirred up more memories.

The final destination of this close to heart food tour was Sindhi Sweet Shop. Here we tried the topi khaja which is a delicious multi layered, firm and glazed sweet treat.

Thus comes to and end the walk down the memory lanes that is bustling with tales of tastes and flavours that had satiated Anubhav’s quest for food right from his childhood. Hope you enjoyed this recollection.

DFW Content Hub

Posted on September 2, 2019

NOIDA(BRAHMAPUTRA MARKET) FOOD TOUR

The Brahmaputra Market is one of the oldest markets in Noida. Situated in sector 29, it is a popular shopping and food destination for the locals. After sundown this shopping hub transforms into a gastronomic paradise pervaded with food items varying from Kathi rolls and Momos to Chaats and Chicken Biryani. Name any popular pan Indian street food, you would find a stall here to cater to your cravings. So in blog we bring you our street food explorations from this bustling marketplace. In our sojourn to sample some of the lip-smacking street food fare, we were joined by our gracious host Sanyukta Nath who is a gourmet and a local. The unfortunate part of this tour was a sudden change of weather due to which we were bound to curtail the scope of our plans.

Our first stop was an old South Indian joint named Lakshmi Coffee House. It is a quaint restaurant serving popular and authentic South Indian fare. We ordered the Paper Dosa along with filter coffee for two specific reasons. One, we intended to have a light meal so that we have enough room for other delicacies that were in the offing. Secondly, we believe that the seemingly simplest dish offered by any eatery can be a test of one’s amazing culinary skills prowess. True to its name, the dosa was paper thin, pleasantly crisp and hearty and so were the coconut chutney and sambar that accompanied it.

The second stop was the popular Evergreen Chaat shop. On arriving there we were greeted by their huge, neatly done Chaat assembling area. The sight of the ingredients on the other side of the transparent facade makes you salivate. We tried one of their bestselling Chaats i.e the Papdi Chaat. This zesty thing qualified all the criteria(components, tastes and textures) of a good Chaat. However it was this unique touch of a topping of spiced peanuts that gave it an extra edge.

Then we headed to Bombay Bhel Puri for that tempting plate of Dahi Puri that Sankyukta had been eulogizing about all through. The super pretty crisp hollow puris loaded with a delightful sweet, savoury and tangy mixture reminded us of the adage that one first eats with his eyes and then with his mouth. Just as they crack apart in your mouth, you know how sensational they are. If you are a chaat lover, then definitely give this place a try.

While moving towards our next destination, we chanced upon this stall named Lucknowi Zaika. So it was the sight and aroma of the flat kebabs stacked one upon another on the huge griddle, that attracted us to this place. To our wonder, here we had one of the most delicious Veg Kebab, that was quite similar to a well done Galauti kebab, all in taste, texture and flavour. This humble delicacy made with lentils, soya nuggets mince and raw banana was indeed a revelation for us both.

In no time the weather turned bad and it began to rain. The market place was just being set up. But neither did it dampen the spirit of the vendors nor ours. Thankfully in sometime the rain stopped and the evening food market began to emerge hurriedly. We were glad that the tour didn’t get aborted. As the cool and pleasant weather whetted our appetite and we began to lookout for our next destination.

So as the activity at the food zone resumed, we were tempted to try a plate of piping hot Chicken Biryani from one of the vendors. The biryani was served with a spoonful of Chicken korma and some Chaat masala. It had a fun taste with the chicken being moist and tender.

Finally we arrived at Al Kaif Shawarma stall to have the Chicken Shawarma Roll as recommended by our host Sanyukta. It was a no fuss Lebanese style wrap that was tightly stuffed with a juicy, tender and optimally spicy, finely chopped grilled chicken. We enjoyed this soft and filling combo.

Next was the turn of an Afghani style Chicken Shawarma roll at a cart with the same name. The wrap comprising of a soft, thick and fluffy bread stuffed with charcoal grilled shredded chicken, vegetable juliennes, seasonings and dollops of mayonnaise was simply irresistible. We highly recommend this place to all Shawarma addicts.

Our penultimate stop was Amar Momos. Their Chicken Tandoori Momos were smoky and spicy, buttery, creamy and very flavoursome. You can sense the Tandoori and the momo flavour coming together quite nicely. The chutneys were brilliant as well. The filling was quite moist and the outer case was so aptly thin that the overall deliciousness was not marred by any doughy taste.

It was time to wrap up the food tour and so we decided to call it off with a paan. For this we went to try a meetha paan from the very popular Nitesh Paan shop in the market.

Inspite of the weather playing spoilsport, this culinary trail across the Brahmaputra market in Noida was truly fun and gratifying. No wonder as Sanyukta had rightly convinced us, the marketplace is a street food haven that has some delectable gems whose brilliance you can’t escape. We are truly grateful to her for her assistance.

DFW Content Hub

Posted on August 21, 2019 August 21, 2019

INDORE FOOD WALK PART I

Indore is a city that prides itself for food. It’s a paradise for every food enthusiast. The street food here is heavily influenced by the neighbouring states of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The diverse street food culture here is a testimony of the food crazy locals and also the Indori ingenuity that is visible in the quintessential dishes found here. In this episode we bring you some of the wide variety of must try delicacies from different pockets of the city.

Our first stop was Head Sahab ke Pohe, where we tried a very interesting breakfast dish called the Usal Poha. It was basically Poha served with a spicy Chole and other accompaniments the most important of which was the Sev. It was quite spicy yet zesty. Even in the rainy weather a crowd had thronged the place to enjoy a plateful. The name of this eatery was quite intriguing hence when we inquired about the idea behind it, we got to know that it was established by a who was so fond of feeding feeding that he left his job as that of a head constable and started this eatery.

The second stop was Rasgulla House. This place is enormously famous in the whole of Indore for the most softest and yummiest rasgullas. It is run by an enthusiastic and agile granny who proudly showed us the process of making rasgulla. Watching the tiny cottage cheese balls puffing up into spongy and bouncy delectable spheres was a thing of joy. The endearing and zealous grandmother dexterously manages this family business that she has become an indisputable authority in this art. The rasgullas were so yummy and irresistible that I had to stop myself at 4 only because we had the whole food trail to complete.

After this we headed to Ghanshyam Chaat House to gorge on some big sized Gol Gappas. The ones that you get here are bigger than the cavity size of your mouth and stuffing inside along with the spiced water makes it more difficult to handle. But the public is crazy about this as it is tasty and fun to negotiate the size and devour it. The Masala and the water was perfectly zesty. We also tried the Dahi Puchka which was a fountain of flavours. Eating it is a renders you speechless as there is no space left in the cavity to make sounds.

From there we headed on to try the unique Bhutte ke laddos or corn ladoos from Sharma Ji’s cart. Made from dried and desiccated fresh corn paste, this sweetmeat is both delicious and filling. Due to the proper toasting of the cornmeal, it has attained a grainy texture. Taste wise it resembled the besan ke ladoo. It’s a seasonal fare that one must try.

After popping the Laddo we went to Sindh Bakery, a very special bakery run by gentleman who is immensely fond of old Bollywood classics and the stalwarts who sang them. We were glad to meet this keen music lover who perhaps makes the best bakery items in the city. The ingredients and fresh and the process of making them is very much traditional and old fashioned. But the byproduct s are unparalleled. We loved their rusk and baked samosas. The samosas were different from the regular ones. They were more like puff pastries. Do pay a visit to his place for the irresistible sight and aroma of assorted cookies, biscuits, puffs etc, old music and endearing company and stories.

Next stop in the city was Sri krishna Gujrati Kadhi and Fafda, a shop famous for Gujrati Fafda and Kadhi. This gram flour based delicacy is a very popular snack that the Gujarati’s relish with mostly jalebis. But here they served it with a sweet and savoury kadhi. The combination was decent although among the two we liked fafda the most.

Soon it was the turn of some luscious kaju shake. It was a simple yet divine concoction of milk, cashew paste and sugar. The most unique and amazing thing about this place and their drinks is that all the ingredients are served through a cloth into a container from where it was poured into the glass. It’s a must try place for thandais.

From there we went to another popular spot, the lal balti kachori shop. The moniker is derived from the red coloured Balti with a bulb inside it, that is hung outside the shop. The lighted bulb signifies the availability of the kachoris and vice versa. The potato stuffed kachoris were quite decent but what made them special and delicious was a super spicy chilli chutney coriander chutney.

Next was the turn of a veg hot dog from Lala Chat Bhandar. Its very popular with the locals. The crisp pan fried buns smeared with chutney and stuffed with chole, paneer slices, potato patty, onions sev etc was zesty and very appetising.

Our final stop for the day was the iconic Lakshinanayan Doodhwala. This place is hugely popular for their flavoured milk. Apart from the hot luscious milk drink, another noteworthy thing about this place is the humongous Kadhai or pan in which the milk is boiled. It is deemed as the largest pan in the whole state. The milk keeps boiling for several hours as a result of which a thick cream settles over it.

With this we wrapped up our first day at Indore. Apart from being the food capital of Central India, this place is full of warm, friendly and cheerful locals. Another noteworthy thing about the place is that, the steer food scene here is mostly very clean and hygienic. Indore has been officially deemed as the cleanest city of the country. That’s another very cogent reason to join the gastronomic bandwagon here.

DFW Content Hub