Savouring Old Delhi

0nce known as the city of Shahjahanabad, established by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, the very mention of Purani Dilli today conjures up images of utter chaos. Although the glory and grandeur of the erstwhile days have disappeared, Chandni Chowk and other areas continue to be as popular as ever, for reasons you will soon discover.

There are many who brave the chaos and confusion everyday, to throng the labyrinth of narrow lanes in search of the best bargains in wedding finery, textiles, electronics, books, spices, industrial products and beyond. To lure them even further is the promise of tempting street food that has stood the test of time.

So, one sultry morning, lured by the same promise and undeterred by thoughts of being plagued by the ‘Delhi Belly’ syndrome, my better-half and I found ourselves outside the metro station at Chandni Chowk, jostling for space like everybody else. In the confusion of rickshaws, cars, bikes and blaring horns, enthusiastic shoppers and shop keepers alike, eager tourists and nonchalant cows, we chose to walk.

Our modus operandi was to simply follow our nose down the alleys where, more often than not, the most delectable of eats could be found in obscure little shops, most of them belonging to the last century or earlier. We navigated our way around the streets, soaking in the atmosphere, catching glimpses of old havelis. A mass of tangled electric wires and phone cables followed us everywhere we went, not to mention the occasional monkey or two.

Warming up

Our first stop was at famous Ghantewala Confectioners. Established in 1790, it is one of the oldest sweet shops in Delhi, and over centuries, it has managed to create an impressive brand name for itself, having catered to the Mughal Emperors of yore right down to our presidents, prime ministers and the people of the land alike. The sohan halwa amongst the other mithai is especially popular, but since it was too early to start the day with something so sweet and sinful, we decided to get some packed to take home.

Moving on, we spotted a sign leading us to the legendary Parathewali Gali. There was once a time when the entire lane was lined with paratha shops. Today, however, just a handful of shops dating back to the 19th century, remain. With everything else forgotten, we squeezed ourselves into a hot, stuffy and narrow sitting area at Pandit Baburam Devi Dayal’s eatery, and after much deliberation, chose the pudina, mewa, the mixed paratha and the new twist to the quintessential flat bread — a paratha roll. For once, no calories were counted as we attacked the deep fried delights and unanimously voted in favour of the mewa paratha. I was disappointed at not having tried the other variants, but I can guarantee that I will be back to binge.

Full throttle

As we stepped out, and walked past a few saree shops, we spotted lassi being served in earthen kullhars at Sharma Bhojanalay and quickly made a beeline for it. As the sweet drink made its way down our throats, it almost made us forget the oppressing heat around us. The summer months are clearly not the best of times for extensive food walks in Old Delhi, yet, our adventurous spirit had already got the better of us and there was no turning back. A little further down the lane, we came to Kedarnath Premchand Halwai, where we tasted melt-in-your-mouth balushahis. Even before I had finished my last mouthful, I spotted a vendor close by, selling hing kachoris and found myself standing in line for some.

Barely through with lunch, we happily let our stomachs lead us towards Sita Ram Bazaar where the best kulfis are found at Kuremal Kulfi Wale. Since the shop was closed and we were in no mood to be outdone, we asked around and found our way through some more narrow lanes, till we came to the Kuremal factory. We were in luck and got to taste the absolutely refreshing jamun and panna flavours, besides the rabri matka kulfi. More interesting options on the menu were mango, kiwi, anar, sharifa, cheeku, litchi, imli, kala-khatta and a whole lot more. An interesting creation was the stuffed kulfi, a dish where an entire fruit is scooped out hollow, filled with kulfi and frozen. After the cool kulfis, it was time for the famous dilli ki chaat. We headed into Chawri Bazaar, where every few meters we found a vendor serving rabri falooda, golgappas or tikki chaat. Walking through the bylanes, we reached Hira Lal Chaat Wala. Here we tried the pav bhaji, alu tikki chaat and their signature delight — the kuliya (scooped out vegetables and seasonal fruits  filled with pomegranate seeds, chick peas, with a magical sprinkle of masala lemon dressing).

Having ticked off chaat from our list of things to gorge on, we continued walking down the lane, taking in the sights and smells of the bazaar. The chaatwallahs finally gave way to the wholesale paper market, leading us onto an architectural masterpiece, the largest mosque in India — the magnificent Jama Masjid. Opposite Gate Number One of the mosque was the Matia Mahal Bazaar, a lane dotted with scores of eateries and enveloped with the aroma of kebabs being roasted, a sensation that is enough to transport one to a gourmet’s paradise. Popular dishes on most menus are biryanis, kormas and a wide range of kebabs, besides speciality dishes like nihari, paya, keleji and bheja fry. Honestly, we fried our brains trying to figure out our favourites from these options, each of which only trumped the other. In order to spice up our quest, we decided to skip the usual choice — Karim’s Restaurant — and went in search of lesser-known joints that pack quite a punch into their fare. On asking around, a local key maker on the pavement directed us to what he claimed was one of the best places for biryani. Fifteen minutes later, in a tiny bylane of the Chitli Qabar area, we found Pehelwaan Biryani Wale. While we debated sampling some of his spicy biryani, a burqa clad woman arrived to buy some, and swore by the taste of the biryani being doled out of a giant deghchi.

Once convinced of the taste, we walked out of Chitli Qabar with a packet of biryani and kept a lookout for some sizzling kebabs. As luck would have favoured, we soon got lost in the maze of galis and ended up in Choodiwalan lane known for Hotel Maaidah and its chicken changezi. This joint, a decent little place to dine in, got the better of our gluttony as we ended up polishing a plate of chicken biryani, some succulent seekh kebabs and chicken changezi with rotis.

Last lap

Our next stop was Lal Kuan, famous for Bade Miya’s kheer. Quite true to his reputation, the small shop which started in 1880, serves some of the best rice puddings around. As the last spoonful of rich, creamy kheer went down rather reluctantly, we realised that our gastronomic adventure had to be brought to an end for the day. Not because we had run out of places to eat, but because we were bursting at the seams. Carrying satiated spirits in sapped bodies, we left for home, vowing to be back soon, to sample another wave of Old Delhi’s delicious delights.