Old Famous Chandni Chowk, A Street Food Heaven

Back in the motherland for another 3 1/2 weeks means a few more blogs on the the food and experiences from some of the   places I'll be visiting. And as usual, the first stop is my favourite city, Dilli.

I wanted to give my friend from NZ a taste of the true Delhi that I have grown to love over the years so I took her to Old Delhi (Purani Dilli).

Purani Dilli is (in)famous for many reasons, but from a culinary point of view you go there for 2 types of food: the authentic Mughalai curries/tandoor and the other is the street food.

After a quick Google search we found Natraj Dahi Balle. It's a tiny 3x1m corner shop near the Chandni Chowk metro station. They sell only two things - Dahi Balle and Aaloo tikki.

Dahi Balle is basically a pakora that has been soaked in cold yogurt with a range of chutneys and spices. It's not supposed to be spicy but instead it blends sweet with sour with tangy tastes. Natraj's dahi balle had the perfect mix of the three sensations. Highly recommended for people who like yogurt or sweet & sour meals.

My pick of the day though was the Aaloo Tikki. This is a potato patty that has been freshly fried and served with a range of sweet/sour and spicy chutneys. A differentiating factor of Natraj's Tikki was the fact that it was stuffed with dried masala that you normally find in kachoris. I was blown away by the amount of flavour in this dish. Such a simple concept with so much taste. The "chatpatta" ("zingy") spice will definitely leave you wanting more!

And finally, to cool down our taste buds we walked over to the "Old Famous Jalebi Wala". Jalebi is a flour based paste that has been deep fried in oil and then soaked in sugar syrup to absorb the sweetness. This one was particularly fat and very juicy but I found that it wasn't as sweet as it probably should be. Standing around the Jalebi Wala while he swirls his hand in the spiral motion is quite an experience so if you aren't keen to eat it, at least go over and see what the crowd is looking at.

Chandni Chowk may not be the cleanest or glamorous place to visit in Delhi, but it really is a special place and the places I listed above are safe must-haves (with no tummy aches afterwards).

Looking forward to what else this trip has to offer me....

Above: Dahi Balle

Below: Aaloo Tikki

Above: a view of the old famous Jalebi wala

Below: fresh fat jalebis

Auliya - ideals of an ideal leader.

Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah - New Delhi

A few months ago I heard a song from the Hindi movie "Ungli" which had the following lyrics:

"Auliya mere rastaa dikha...Girte ko uthna sikhaa" which (roughly) translates to "'Auliya' show me the way... teach someone who has fallen to get back up"

I had never heard the word Auliya before so decided to look it up. According to Google it is a term given to Sufi saints meaning "Friends of God" or a more generic meaning is "Friend/Supporter". One of the first links that was available was to one of Delhi's popular tourist attractions - Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah (Sufi shrine).

Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya was a humble man who was said to have preached and lived by strict principles which include the following:

• Unity and equal treatment of all people irrespective of financial, social or religious background - at a time when the caste system and religious divide was at its peak
• Helping the oppressed and feeding the hungry
• If everyone acts out of love for god and others, there would be no war or poverty
• The equality of women
• Spiritual control and sobriety is better than spiritual intoxication

When I visited his dargah in South Central Delhi. I was quite surprised to see the large number of people who were there to pray for the soul of this man. What was even more (pleasantly) surprising was that right next to the 100s of Muslims praying in the masjid (hardly 5m from the dargah) there were many non-Muslims who were praying for him.

I asked an elderly man if these people were worshiping him. He said no, they just seek his "blessings and guidance".

Travelling through India has shown me so many different cultures, religions, languages, traditions and ways of life. Yet today, our leaders and people in the position to unite us and change this country are choosing to employ the tactic that we cursed the British for using in order to achieve their own agendas - "Divide & Conquer".

I might be wrong but maybe India could do with more people like Nizamuddin Auliya - who can show us the way and teach India how to rise up to what it is capable of being.

The Mumbai "Must Do's"

When you come to Mumbai there are a few items you absolutely have to try - Pav Bhaaji, Frankie, Gola and a Grilled Sandwich. People will have their own opinions of where to go to have the best of these but since these are are relatively simple preparations you can't really go wrong.

Pav Bhaaji is made up of two main components - the pav (bread roll soaked in butter and some masala) and the bhaaji (potato and vegetable puree curry). It's a unique and simple meal but is full of flavour and is appropriate at any time of the day (as a snack or proper meal).

Frankie is a large snack in which a veg/non-veg curry is wrapped up in a paratha with a layer of egg. This concept is similar to a Mediterranean shawarma or the Kolkata Kathi Roll. In Lokhandwala I had the chili chicken frankie. It tasted amazing and had a relatively strong kick to it, making it a heavy snack. There are many different veg and non-veg frankies to choose from. This was my favourite in Mumbai.

Gola is basically a snow-cone on a stick. You are given a glass with syrup to dip the shaved ice into and then you suck the cold syrup out. You repeat this until the syrup is finished or the ice falls off the stick. The original syrup flavour is called "Kala Katta" (sour black) and is probably the most popular, but if you don't want to experiment then you can pick from a range of conventional fruity flavours. I had the chance to enjoy a Kala Katta gola as the sun set at Juhu Beach (one of Mumbai's tourist attractions) which made for some awesome pics.

Finally, the grilled sandwich. At midnight my friends and I went to Amar Juice Centre in Juhu   which is known for its range of fresh juices as well as snacks. We ordered a grilled sandwich. You may be thinking "what is special about a grilled sandwich?". It is just like any other vegetarian grilled sandwich you get in NZ, the only difference being the sauce/chutney and cheese gives it a much stronger Indian taste. When you bite in to it you aren't expecting those tastes to come from a normal looking sandwich.

Apart from the popular meals listed above, if you have more time to spend you should go to Mohammad Ali Road in South Mumbai and try the mughalai food at a popular hotel such as Shalimar which serves delicious shami kebabs, tandoori chicken and bombay style biryani.

If you are travelling with a local who knows the area well, late at night get them to take you to a "Doodh wala" (milk seller). Apparently it is quite normal to go out late at night to buy some warm milk. At 1am my friend took us to this taxi stand where a Doodh wala (Arif) had his bike parked up behind some rickshaws. He gave me a cup of some hot bournvita milk. It actually felt quite relaxing to sip on a hot chocolate drink while we discussed the night's events. A truly different experience to say the least.

Four days in Mumbai was more than enough time to get a good feel of India's largest city and its cuisine. Mumbai is considered to be a generally safe and multi-cultural city in which many migrants come from all parts of the country to try living out the American dream. Once you are settled in Mumbai, you are no longer considered Kashmiri / Rajasthani / Punjabi etc - you become a "Mumbaikar" (similar to being a "Kiwi" in NZ). The "safe" and "multi-cultural" characteristics of the city are also reflected in the cuisine which creates a unique taste. Other than the heat, traffic/road conditions and the blind hatred Mumbaikars have for Delhi - it's a pretty cool city.

Above: Pav Bhaaji in Seven Bungalows

Below: Lokhandwala Frankie

Above: Gola on Juhu

below: Sunset at Juhu

Above: Amar Grilled Sandwich

Above: Mughalai at Shalimar

Below: late night milk

Hyderabadi Biryani - fit for a Nizam

Continuation from the previous blog:

Everyone knows how good Hyderabadi biryani is... Or at least they think they know. People in NZ sadly think that biryani sold at "Paradise" in Sandringham (Auckland) is a good representation of (quality) Hyderabadi biryani. My two days in Hyderabad showed me that people cannot truly understand how good the cuisine is unless they have visited the city of Nizams or if they have Hyderabadi friends who can make it at home. I also found myself telling people when they asked me if I ate enough, "Mein daba ke khaiya" (I pushed food in).

I had the chance to enjoy three different biryanis in under 48 hours - kacchi biryani (mutton), Hyderabadi dum biryani (chicken) and delicious home cooked biryani (chicken) at my aunt's house. The kacchi biryani was from the original franchise of restaurants called "Paradise Hotel". After enjoying tasty kheema (mince) stuffed naan with kheema on the side (must try) we were served the biryani. This biryani was extremely tasty with a lot of masala which it made it very filling.

The Hyderabadi dum biryani was from a restaurant called Spice 9. "Dum" is simply a way the dish is cooked which includes sealing the pot with dough to trap all the fragrance and steam inside. This biryani had a completely different taste to the kacchi biyani and a strong fragrance that is synonymous with biryani.

Another differentiating feature of Hyderabadi biryani is that it is usually served with "Mirchi ki salan" (a gravy made from chillies). This adds another dimension of spice and flavour to the already very tasty meal.

Biryani has a very important place in mughalai cuisine and even more so in Hyderabadi cuisine. For those people who are passionate enough about biryani to have "biryani parties", I strongly recommend you visit the city of Nizams or start socialising with Hyderabadis.  Your stomach and taste buds will love you for it.

Above: Kacchi biryani

Hyderabadi Cuisine (Excl. Biryani) - Exploring the city of Nizams

Hyderabadi cuisine (Nizami) has a reputation similar to that of Delhi (Mughalai) and Lucknow (Nawabi) for being a non-veg lover's heaven. Each city has one or two dishes which it's famous for; Delhi has its nihari and quorma,  Lucknow has its kababs and Hyderabad has its biryani (refer to the next blog which explains this in detail). However, similar to those royal and historically/culturally rich cities, Hyderabad has a lot more to offer than just spicy non-veg meals.

My cousin and I met up with a friend of mine from NZ who was in Hyderabad at the same time. First we went to Charminar (the icon of Hyderabad). The 4-towered mosque is located on a roundabout bang in the centre of the old city of Hyderabad (similar to Old Delhi) and is a fantastic display of Islamic architecture. After taking a few mandatory selfies we walked down one of the streets that start from Charminar called Laad Bazaar (market for jewellery - particularly bangles and pearls) to help my friend with some shopping.

Since we were in the Old City, we decided to have some lassi and falooda from an old hotel restaurant called Sheraan. The lassi was thick and had a cherry with roohavza (rose syrup) and also a generous amount of Malai (the fat from boiled milk) at the top. The falooda was nice but probably could have given it a miss.

Hyderabad also has a chain of restaurants called Chutneys which specialises in South Indian cuisine and some monster sized Dosas. This restaurant offers a range of approximately seven chutneys with all meals. If anyone is looking for some nice vegetarian food in Hyderabad then definitely check this place out.

Hyderabad has two unique sweet dishes - Qubani ka meetha and double ka meetha. Qubani ka meetha is an apricot based sweet dish which is popular during Bakr-Eid. It was very sweet and served cold which was very refreshing on a tiring day. Double ka meetha is a type of bread pudding (very similar to Shahi Tukda) that is served at weddings and on Eid. This was very heavy and can be quite tiring if you have already eaten a large meal (which we had).

Overall I felt that Hyderabad was the cleanest city I have been to in the last three years. In my opinion it is probably the most liveable city in India at this point. I found the cuisine offers a lot for people with different tastes - in quantity and quality.

Be sure to check out the next blog post on Hyderabadi biryani.

Above and below: Charminar at night

Above: mandatory Charminar selfie

Below: me being the bangle expert when shopping

Above: Hyderabadi Lassi at Sheraan Hotel

below: Massive dosas at Chutneys

Above: Qubani ka meetha

Below: Double ka meetha

below: The clean streets of Hyderabad

Chennai Thali - Pride of the South

During my short stay in Chennai I only had two or three chances to try Tamillian cuisine. My cousins and I had heard of a popular franchise called Hotel Saravana Bhavan. This vegetarian restaurant offers a huge range of Tamillian dishes as well as indo-Chinese and some north Indian favourites.

We enjoyed many Tamillian dishes but for our evening meals (when our stomachs craved something hearty) we all had the popular Chennai/Tamil Nadu thalis (pronounced "thaalee"). A thali is a large meal generally consisting of many (at least 5 different) food items including rice, roti, curries, curd, chutneys, pickle and sweets. All of these items are presented on a large thal (tray), hence the name. It is common for each region or state to have its own thali which showcases their favourite and traditional food (e.g. Punjabi thali, Gujarati thali, Rajasthani thali etc).

The chennai thali at Saravana Bhavan was served on a large banana leaf (common for South Indian meals) and had 14 different food items. Yes, FOURTEEN. My cousin was in shock when it arrived in front of him - he didn't know where to start or the best way to eat the items which were new to us north Indians. We soon learnt that there was no one right way to eat it. Thalis are a great way for food lovers to get their creative hats on and try new combinations by mixing the various sabzis, sambar, rassam and chutneys with rice or papad and roti. Another cool thing about thalis in some restaurants is that the items may be "bottomless" so you have the option of having second and third helpings of the items that you liked.

Even though we were completely stuffed, we finished the meal off with some nice Indian ice cream (mango, chikku and kulfi) and some traditional filter coffee which is always fun.

I highly recommend that you eat at Saravana Bhavan. The staff were friendly and explained everything clearly in English/Hindi (contradicts the misconception that people have thinking that the locals of Chennai will only speak to you in their local language) and the food was delicious.

Chennai has many activities and attractions but in my books the Chennai thali takes the prize as "Pride of the South".

Above: one of the thalis. If you move the papad you had a perfect spot for the rice

Below: a solid effort

Above: Kulfi, chikku and mango ice cream

Below: Chennai filter coffee after the DIY filtering

Below: Chennai Central railway station. Next stop - Hyderabad

Pondicherry - a mini (and more relaxing) Goa?

It was only a 3 hour drive from Chennai to Pondicherry (Puducherry) and as soon as we stepped out  of the taxi, we could feel that this place had a different vibe. Once a French colony, this coastal town is famous for its chilled out atmosphere, beautiful beaches, yoga/ashrams, and the obvious French influence. 

My cousins and I chose Pondy as our New Years destination because we thought it would be something different to the usual big-city life new year bash etc. The city is easy to get around (by auto rickshaw or hired scooters if you are willing to try). The main Pondicherry beach gives the public a picturesque view of the Indian Ocean, a large Gandhi statue and plenty of fruit and general merchandise sellers to buy from.

We enjoyed some awesome seafood while we were there. I highly recommend people to try the various prawn and fish preparations that are available in Pondy. We tried chili prawn , fish 65 (65 is a Hyderabadi style of food - to be explained when I visit in a few days), prawn 65, prawn masala and grilled fish. I think crab is also popular but we were unable to find a place that would do it justice.

Those people who have a sweet tooth must try one of the many French pastry cafés. We found one on TripAdvisor called Zuka which had great reviews. Located on a main street (Misson Road), we took an auto from the other end because it was too hot to walk. We were greeted by a life sized chocolate replica of Gandhi ji (a theme of Pondicherry maybe). My cousins and I struggled to make our choice from the numerous options available. Eventually we had different brownies with ice cream cold coffees. They were just what we needed in the heat. Highly recommend Zuka. 

For breakfast we stuck to traditional "south Indian" (categorized by North Indians) food including dosa, vada, sambar and idli. This was a good plan because it gave us tasty and filling meals in the morning which were light enough to digest quickly so that we could eat plenty for lunch and dinner.

Overall, the food in Pondy was awesome, the vibe was chilled out and relaxing, people were friendly and the weather was hot but bearable. If you are looking for a quiet coastal getaway but not keen to deal with the crowds and commercial vibes of Goa, then make Pondy your next destination!  

above: Panorama of Pondicherry Beach

below: Zuka chocolate cafe

above: Fish 65

below: Gandhi Statue on Pondicherry Beach, seagulls restaurant, auto rickshaw selfie and a random street in Pondy