Loud strains of "Lungi Dance" from Chennai Express boom from gate number 14 of Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Tantalising smells of qorma, the sizzle of tikkis and colourful canopies playing host to excited families sheltered under the looming white arches of the stadium give the entire space a candyland feel. The fourth edition of the National Street Food Festival is on in full swing with 120 stalls from 20 states catering to diverse tastes. Hungry crowds keep a lookout for their favourite street food with most heading to vendors from their state to start the all-day-long food fiesta.
What started as a small congregation of 70 to 80 street food vendors at the Constitution Club of India four years ago has bloomed into a large-scale food carnival. Organised by the National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI), a not-for-profit federation of street food organisations from across the country, the festival hopes to create awareness about the struggles of vendors and dispel the myth that street food can't be hygienic. "We tested the concept with the first few editions. The festival has become very popular since then. Last year, we did a similar event in Patna and this year we have seen demand for the concept in Hyderabad and Bangalore as well," says national coordinator Arbind Singh, who is right in the thick of things, from organising security arrangements to ensuring the wellbeing of participants. "We have six lakh members and they are very important in the urban commodity distribution system. Hopefully, in the next couple of years this festival will become a well-known brand," he adds. NASVI has tried to create awareness about India's delectable street dishes not only within the country but internationally as well. "Last year, we took eight vendors from India to participate in the ten-day long World Street Food festival in Singapore and their food was quite a hit," says programme manager Anurag Shanker.
After completing arduous journeys from their hometowns, street food vendors have congregated in full force to cater to Delhi's tastebuds. "Two girls from Sikkim covered thousands of kilometres by bus to come here. Another vendor from Dharwad travelled to Delhi via Bangalore. Such has been their effort to be part of this event," says Shanker. Apart from taking care of their accommodation, NASVI also pays them a stipend of Rs 5,000 for the loss of wage during this period.
Just follow the crowds if you want to locate the stall from Sikkim. Serpentine lines form outside the small kiosk where two girls dish out piping hot chicken momos. East Delhi's Mayur Vihar, famous for its Kolkata rolls, makes its presence felt with a couple of stalls whipping up egg, chicken, mutton and paneer rolls for eager customers. Stalls from Bihar too are extremely popular with the crowds as platefuls of litti-chokha and mutton litti are ladled out. If you visit the stalls from Lucknow, do try the lehsun ki kheer. This fragrant delicacy is cooked in a way that leaves not a trace of garlic in the kheer and is extremely warming in this chilly weather. If it's flavours from the south that appeal to you, then try fish fry and tamarind rice from the Karnataka stalls. And if after all this, your gastronomic urges aren't satiated then round off the meal by sampling tangy bhel puri and tikkis from the Delhi chaat stalls.
The festival is on till December 22, from 12 pm to 10 pm
What started as a small congregation of 70 to 80 street food vendors at the Constitution Club of India four years ago has bloomed into a large-scale food carnival. Organised by the National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI), a not-for-profit federation of street food organisations from across the country, the festival hopes to create awareness about the struggles of vendors and dispel the myth that street food can't be hygienic. "We tested the concept with the first few editions. The festival has become very popular since then. Last year, we did a similar event in Patna and this year we have seen demand for the concept in Hyderabad and Bangalore as well," says national coordinator Arbind Singh, who is right in the thick of things, from organising security arrangements to ensuring the wellbeing of participants. "We have six lakh members and they are very important in the urban commodity distribution system. Hopefully, in the next couple of years this festival will become a well-known brand," he adds. NASVI has tried to create awareness about India's delectable street dishes not only within the country but internationally as well. "Last year, we took eight vendors from India to participate in the ten-day long World Street Food festival in Singapore and their food was quite a hit," says programme manager Anurag Shanker.
After completing arduous journeys from their hometowns, street food vendors have congregated in full force to cater to Delhi's tastebuds. "Two girls from Sikkim covered thousands of kilometres by bus to come here. Another vendor from Dharwad travelled to Delhi via Bangalore. Such has been their effort to be part of this event," says Shanker. Apart from taking care of their accommodation, NASVI also pays them a stipend of Rs 5,000 for the loss of wage during this period.
More From This Section
The festival is on till December 22, from 12 pm to 10 pm