On a spice trail in Old Delhi

Whenever our mothers temper dishes with spices while cooking, the rich strong aroma suffuses every nook and cranny of the house making everyone sneeze or cough. For just this one time of the day it becomes a tad difficult to stick around in the house!

“Initially, when I completed my graduation at Bhagat Singh College and started coming to the shop, the smell of spices used to make me cough. I felt weird, but after six or seven months I became used to it,” says Akif Azam, the fourth generation scion of the family that is the proud owner of Noori Masale.   

The name today is a landmark in the narrow lanes of Bazaar Chitli Qabar near Jama Masjid, Old Delhi. For this is one of the oldest shops in the city, selling spices. On the back of their visiting card are listed 22 spices with a mention that the establishment is ‘Sunday Closed’.

A look at the tiny cubby-hole of a shop and one can be forgiven for wondering how it stocks up such humongous amounts of exotic spices, given that there is always the danger of some spices getting stale. Akif informs that this concern is well taken care of by the godown in the opposite lane and just a shout is sufficient to get his workers to deliver big supplies for his loyal clients like Karim’s, Urban Punjab, Chawla and many others. 

Established in 1928 by Akif’s great grandfather, the shop is a testimony to the rich heritage of Indian spices. Mohd Azam, Akif’s father, takes Metrolife back in time to share that his grandfather started the shop for his father.

“Our family was earlier  in the leather business. In 1927, he bought this shop
and asked my father to run it.

My father became fond of this place and worked day in and day out to make it what
it is today.”

Though he was born after Partition, he recounts anecdotes that his father shared with him. “My uncles decided to migrate to Pakistan, but my father was so attached to this shop that he refused to go along with them.”

Contrarily, when Mohd Azam grew up and was asked to join the business, he had least interest. He recollects in a light mood, “My father enrolled me in Delhi College at Ajmeri Gate. I used to feel odd coming to the shop after college. Phir waqt ke saath shauk paida ho hi jaata hai.”  

His father was known to make the workers wash their hands before they started grinding spices. “It is not that easy to be present when the spices are being ground, but my grandfather used to get the job done only in his presence,” says Akif.

He informs that initially they sold only basic spices such as lal mirch, dhaniya, garam masala, etc but today they have made packets weighing a kilo with recipes described on the back for the ease of the retail buyers.

“A packet of Meat Masala priced at Rs 25 is sufficient to cook a kilo of meat. Similarly we have 26 readymade spices,” says Akif bringing the topic to rates and inflation. “When I started frequenting the shop, a kg of red chilli powder cost Rs 60 -70. Today it costs Rs 160.” One can sense the surprise in his voice, but the conviction to take the business to greater heights is also apparent.