Fruit sandwich, what's that? It sounds like something a concerned mother would whip up for a finicky child. But I couldn't have been more wrong, as I sample this strangely delicious dish at a tiny shop in Raghuganj, Chawri Bazaar. But that's going ahead of the story. Let's start from the beginning. With a food hunt on my mind, I decide to embark on a walk down the chaat street of old Delhi.
A sunny morning, slight chill in the air, a growling tummy and foodie friends for company, and soon a food walk is whipped up. If you wish to have a guiding hand take you on a food trail then there are groups like Food Enthusiasts of Delhi and Delhi Heritage Walks that organise regular food walks in old Delhi. But we just take off on our own.
You feel like a child on a treasure hunt in Chawri Bazar - old Delhi's hub of hardware shops - with culinary treasures turning up after every step. The first halt is Ashok Chaat Bhandar, which you see as soon as you get out of the Chawri Bazaar metro station. At a small kiosk, orders for papdi chaat and gol gappe are flying in fast. Though the plate of papdi looks mouthwatering, I opt for the specialty - the kalmi vada. Made of chana dal, these crisp vada come laden with dahi, diced potatoes and tart chutneys. The walk seems to have gotten off to a good start.
In Chawri, wherever you see a small crowd gathered, be assured that there is a food stall in place. We pass busy chhole kulche sellers and umpteen tea stalls to come to Hira Lal Chaat Waale where a bouquet of smells assail the senses. The sizzle of tikkis being fried and bhaji simmering on the chulha get us drooling. But what gets our interest is the kulle ki chaat, or kuliya as it is sometimes, known.
We watch in fascination as potatoes, tomatoes, oranges and cucumbers are halved, scooped out and cut into cup-like shapes. Priced at Rs 50, these edible cups are then filled with boiled chickpeas, pomegranate seeds with a dash of the secret masala. This aromatic garam masala leaves me teary-eyed with its pungency, but I just have to ask for one more helping. "We introduced the country to kulle ki chaat and tale hue aloo. No one had ever thought of this concept before," says the owner who is busy catering to a mix of foreign tourists and locals.
Now is a good time to give the tastebuds a rest, you would think. But you couldn't have been more wrong. I still have to find the fruit sandwich, which was highly recommended by a friend, and I refuse to rest before that. The owner of Hira Lal tells us to turn left into a small gateway after 20 shops, where we will find Jain Coffee House - the sandwich innovators. And true enough, a small arch leads us to Raghuganj, a gali full of foodgrain shops. My heart leaps as I spy the tiny sandwich shop in the corner.
"Apple, pineapple, anaar or banana, which sandwich do you want?" we are asked. Without thinking I blurt out "apple." The assistant neatly lays out a slice of bread, and adds four perfect circles of crunchy, juicy apples, a slice of paneer, ruby red pomegranates and rounds it off with fruit jam. I gingerly take the first bite to find a gazillion tastes explode on my tongue. The combination may sound strange, but it truly works! Pair this with a chikoo shake and you have a gourmet meal at hand. How did the shop owners come up with such a novel concept? "Bas dimaag mein aa gaya toh aa gaya," says owner Anil Jain who manages the shop (in existence since 1948).
Enough of the veggie fare, next up some meaty delights. We get back to the main Chawri Bazaar road and walk ahead for ten minutes to find the statuesque Jama Masjid looming ahead. A couple of turns and the aromas of kebabs assail our senses. Let me not bore you with details of the succulent mutton burra or the creamy stew or the spicy lamb biryani that we had for the umpteenth time and you might have read umpteen times elsewhere. Instead let me take you to Haji Tea Point, right opposite Karim's where we round off our meal with kadak chai and sinful shahi tukda.
You would think that we would stop now! But again, you are wrong. How can one leave old Delhi without visiting Natraj Dahi Bhalla Corner in Dariba Kalan. So we hail a rickshaw, hang on to dear life as scooters, autos and carts seem to be in a vicious mood to get ahead of us. The sound of parathas being fried at Parathewali Gali makes us halt in our tracks and we just have to have the khurchan and mawe ke parathe with sitaphal ki subzi.
Soon we are back on track and cross the road to Natraj where a sea of people greet us. After being pushed around like a rag doll we manage to get the much-coveted plates of soft bhallas covered in dahi and sweet imli chutney. Satiated and bursting to the seams, we decide to call it a day. Just ahead the original Gianis and the iconic Old and Famous Jalebi Wale come into sight, but they will have to wait for another sunny morning.
A sunny morning, slight chill in the air, a growling tummy and foodie friends for company, and soon a food walk is whipped up. If you wish to have a guiding hand take you on a food trail then there are groups like Food Enthusiasts of Delhi and Delhi Heritage Walks that organise regular food walks in old Delhi. But we just take off on our own.
You feel like a child on a treasure hunt in Chawri Bazar - old Delhi's hub of hardware shops - with culinary treasures turning up after every step. The first halt is Ashok Chaat Bhandar, which you see as soon as you get out of the Chawri Bazaar metro station. At a small kiosk, orders for papdi chaat and gol gappe are flying in fast. Though the plate of papdi looks mouthwatering, I opt for the specialty - the kalmi vada. Made of chana dal, these crisp vada come laden with dahi, diced potatoes and tart chutneys. The walk seems to have gotten off to a good start.
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We walk a little ahead, only to discover three thelas selling the famous daulat ki chaat. This airy and fluffy dessert, made from milk, is a winter specialty in this area. Pramod, in his 20s, hails from Moradabad and comes here every winter to sell this sweet delicacy. In summers he sells gol gappas near Burari bypass. "My entire stock of daulat ki chaat finishes by the end of the day," says Pramod.
In Chawri, wherever you see a small crowd gathered, be assured that there is a food stall in place. We pass busy chhole kulche sellers and umpteen tea stalls to come to Hira Lal Chaat Waale where a bouquet of smells assail the senses. The sizzle of tikkis being fried and bhaji simmering on the chulha get us drooling. But what gets our interest is the kulle ki chaat, or kuliya as it is sometimes, known.
We watch in fascination as potatoes, tomatoes, oranges and cucumbers are halved, scooped out and cut into cup-like shapes. Priced at Rs 50, these edible cups are then filled with boiled chickpeas, pomegranate seeds with a dash of the secret masala. This aromatic garam masala leaves me teary-eyed with its pungency, but I just have to ask for one more helping. "We introduced the country to kulle ki chaat and tale hue aloo. No one had ever thought of this concept before," says the owner who is busy catering to a mix of foreign tourists and locals.
Now is a good time to give the tastebuds a rest, you would think. But you couldn't have been more wrong. I still have to find the fruit sandwich, which was highly recommended by a friend, and I refuse to rest before that. The owner of Hira Lal tells us to turn left into a small gateway after 20 shops, where we will find Jain Coffee House - the sandwich innovators. And true enough, a small arch leads us to Raghuganj, a gali full of foodgrain shops. My heart leaps as I spy the tiny sandwich shop in the corner.
"Apple, pineapple, anaar or banana, which sandwich do you want?" we are asked. Without thinking I blurt out "apple." The assistant neatly lays out a slice of bread, and adds four perfect circles of crunchy, juicy apples, a slice of paneer, ruby red pomegranates and rounds it off with fruit jam. I gingerly take the first bite to find a gazillion tastes explode on my tongue. The combination may sound strange, but it truly works! Pair this with a chikoo shake and you have a gourmet meal at hand. How did the shop owners come up with such a novel concept? "Bas dimaag mein aa gaya toh aa gaya," says owner Anil Jain who manages the shop (in existence since 1948).
Enough of the veggie fare, next up some meaty delights. We get back to the main Chawri Bazaar road and walk ahead for ten minutes to find the statuesque Jama Masjid looming ahead. A couple of turns and the aromas of kebabs assail our senses. Let me not bore you with details of the succulent mutton burra or the creamy stew or the spicy lamb biryani that we had for the umpteenth time and you might have read umpteen times elsewhere. Instead let me take you to Haji Tea Point, right opposite Karim's where we round off our meal with kadak chai and sinful shahi tukda.
You would think that we would stop now! But again, you are wrong. How can one leave old Delhi without visiting Natraj Dahi Bhalla Corner in Dariba Kalan. So we hail a rickshaw, hang on to dear life as scooters, autos and carts seem to be in a vicious mood to get ahead of us. The sound of parathas being fried at Parathewali Gali makes us halt in our tracks and we just have to have the khurchan and mawe ke parathe with sitaphal ki subzi.
Soon we are back on track and cross the road to Natraj where a sea of people greet us. After being pushed around like a rag doll we manage to get the much-coveted plates of soft bhallas covered in dahi and sweet imli chutney. Satiated and bursting to the seams, we decide to call it a day. Just ahead the original Gianis and the iconic Old and Famous Jalebi Wale come into sight, but they will have to wait for another sunny morning.