Flavours of Shahjahanabad

When Old Delhi comes calling one has to oblige. Having heard of the feasts put together by the Jalalis and experienced one herself, Skeeter met the Jalalis one on one over a lunch table hosted by them at at Le Meridien, Gurgaon. And it couldn’t have been better! Osama Jalali, a food writer has curated the dining experience and the meals are prepared by his mother Nazish Jalali & wife Nazia Khan. What one gets to sample is the kind of food that is found in the homes of Old Delhi or Shahjahanabad. Nazish Jalali or Ammi as she is fondly called is a passionate cook who learnt her craft from the khansamas of the nawab of Rampur before she got married and came to Shahjahanabad, where she added more recipes to her repertoire.

Emperors Aurangzeb was a vegetarian, Humayun turned vegetarian even if briefly and Akbar was vegetarian towards the latter half of his life. This did not mean they lost on sampling the best flavours that the khansamas had on offer. There were vegetarian delicacies prepared to pamper these emperors. Some of the recipes may have been lost in time, yet others live to tell a tale.
These Mughlai recipes by the Jalalis are showcased at food festivals across prominent hotels time and again. This time round the focus was on some interesting vegetarian ones. The first of these was a very flavourful Kathal ki Galouti. Skeeter has sampled unusual preparations of Jackfruit but this one outshone them all. Steamed and boiled jackfruit is mixed with lentils and whole spices for a well-textured, sublime galouti. French beans ki Shammi appeared next. Again, a well-made, melt in the mouth preparation, which forces the French beans out of their stir-fry, sabzi, pulao and other avtars. And the third stellar appetizer of the day was a daliya ki tikki. Yes, there’s more to daliya than light/diet food.

Vegetable Biryani 

For the mains we sampled sookhi Urad dal, both black and yellow; the recipes of which come from the kitchen of the Nawab of Rampur. These were very simple preparations that were fluffy and flavourful. A robust Mughlai paneer preparation made in a yoghurt gravy had Skeeter hooked onto the curry. An earthy and dense preparation of Chana dal bharta (mashed lentils) was rich in texture and chopped green chillies complemented it well. Osama calls it desi hummus and well, why not?!

Sookhi Urad Dal 

Chana dal bharta 

The Jalalis 

All these were served with a rustic Khamiri Roti or yeasted flatbread and a mildly sweet Sheermal which is saffron-flavoured, leavened bread. Both are usually paired with greasy non-vegetarian curries in the bylanes of Old Delhi. There was Vegetarian Biryani too! It looked simple but was a pot of myriad flavours. The rice were aromatic as they soaked flavour from the whole spices and each vegetable lent a layer of its flavour to the dish.



After being overwhelmed by the appetizers and the mains, it was time to be besotted by dessert. Aloo ka Zarda, made with shredded potatoes, saffron and sugar was sampled for the first time. It was sprinkled with chironji. Skeeter was looking forward to this one but was underwhelmed by the taste. Maybe she needs to get used to the idea of having spuds for dessert? The Shahi Tukda, which was not liked by some on the table, made Skeeter quite happy. Those who didn’t like this version prefer crispy bread against the soft one which was served. The Gulathi, which was somewhat like a phirni, was the best dessert of the three. It is made by reducing milk in dry fruits and made a fitting end to a sumptuous feast.

Gulathi 

Aloo ka Zarda 

Shahi Tukda 

Deep fried delights from Old Delhi

The delayed onset of Delhi winters had Skeety huffing and puffing, till she got a call from a friend who wanted Skeety to take a few friends on an Old Delhi trip. Skeets only likes going to Old Delhi alone, so this was a first of its kind trip. It brought much needed cheer and we were soon walking past Red Fort and entering Old Delhi. Though Skeeter did not have much time to plan this one, but she tried to make the visitors take back with them some happy Delhi food memories.
At the first halt, we had bedmi puri and a spicy aloo sabzi with a tangy, crunchy instant carrot pickle, kachoris at the mouth of Kinari Bazaar. Old marwari delicacies, these. No onions and garlic are used in the preparation of food in marwari/Jain households and yet it is so appealing to the taste buds. We proceeded to have kesar pista milk (we Delhiites call it bottle wala doodh), which is boiled with nuts and saffron and then chilled and poured into the classic old (recycled) bottles. Moving on, we had some fabled "banta" or lemon soda from the very famous Ved Prakash lemon wale. The bottle here again is iconic. Skeets read a story about the banta bottle here and would love to share it with the readers and especially Anita (the mastermind of the trip), Nandini & Ajit, Manisha who were with Skeeter on the trip.

At the onset of winter, most residents of North India begin stocking on their favourite revris and gajjak. These are sesame seed and jaggery brittle preparations (some call them nut bars/energy bars) in various shapes, sizes and flavours that keep you going when the winters unleash their cruelty. They are healthy when had in small quantities per day and well, keep you warm and going. We get ones with peanut too! Some have rose petals thrown in and others have pistachio or cardamom and other spices. You get to choose your flavour but all of them have a distinct taste that keeps your craving another bite. Inside Kinari bazaar, there are two shops that stock gajjak from Meerut. We stopped and bought our share before proceeding to the famous paranthe wali gali. We met Khemchand, the Daulat ki Chat guy on our way and everyone loved it. Manisha who had "seen" it on on of her earlier visits, got to taste it as well! You can read more about it here

Ajit really was in the mood to sample some paranthas and none of the party wanted them, but we stood by him, and helped him polish off his paranthas. He got a little shock when the parantha people told him he cannot order a single parantha. He had to order minimum of two! He observed many a things there, one them being that they "actually use shuddh ghee" in Old Delhi. He was amazed to see large cannisters of shuddh ghee or clarified butter being poured out for use. Here's some more of his observation in his words, "Lot of the base items (paranthe, bedmi puri etc) by themselves were mild (little seasoning). But when you have them with the accompaniments, they're heavenly." He observed this as he got spicy aloo sabji and instant carrot pickle with bedmis. Also, with his deep fried, artery clogging paranthas, he got Aloo matar sabji, pumpkin or kaddu sabji, meethi chutney with slices of banana, khatti chutney, some more instant carrot pickle! His Sunday was definitely made! 

It was our turn now, as Ajit wiped his hands and we went across the road for Natraj Dahi bhalle and some HOT aloo tikkis. Skeeter feels the Natraj Dahi bhalle have lost their old glamour, taste and quality, nevertheless they were soft and appetizing.  The HOT aloo tikkis made Skeeter's Sunday. 

So while our stomachs were begging for mercy (no more food please), we went to Ballimaran to see the celebrated poet, Ghalib's haveli. On our way we stopped for some shakarkandi chaat (sweet potatoes tossed with a tangy masala and some lemon). What is a visit to Old Delhi in winters without sampling some of it. Nandini hit childhoood nostalgia on having it and told us how it was a common breakfast treat for her as a child and how we take such delicacies for granted and later, grow up to blog about them. Eh Nandini?! :-) On our way back we tried some Tiwari ke laddoo, some kulfi falooda and even packed some assorted savouries and Daulat ki Chaat for unaccompanying family members.

And last but not the least, thank you for what I call my baksheesh :D

Daulat ki Chaat

Ever heard people visiting Kinari Bazaar on a Sunday when all shops are closed for trade?
Well, Skeeter did just that on a not-so-happening Sunday a few moons ago.
And why is Skeeter telling that to you on Delhi Foodies' Zone?
Well, she unearthed a culinary treasure on the same Sunday and the pleasure will double by sharing the experience here :-)
Walking through Kinari Bazaar, eating golgappe from the street vendor, clicking unusually coloured doors, Skeety stumbled upon the Daulat ki Chaat vendor.
She went right past him, and a few moments of brainwork later it struck that this could be the elusive DC vendor!
Since Skeety had walked only a few steps ahead, she hurriedly made a U-turn and was relieved to see the DC vendor right there!
Lucky!
By asking the vendor it was confirmed that the stuff he was carrying was indeed the famed Daulat ki Chaat!
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Skeeter's excitement knew no bounds.
She promptly asked the vendor for a serving of DC and the fun began...
Our man Khemchand Adesh Kuamr was quite zapped at the number of questions that were put to him by Skeety.
Nonethless, he was sweet enough to answer all of them with a pleasant smile.
And before Skeety tells you about the conversation, here is something one should know. The 'chaat' that is being written about here is not the spicy aloo/papdi chat but it is a sweet, froth-like substance. Yes. Brows down please! Skeeter shall explain.
DC's is essentially made from air, dew drops, sugar and milk froth.
Due to the legendary notes attached to the recipe of this 'oh-to-die-for' delicacy, the preparation begins at night. Milk is kept outisde the homes during winter nights to let the dew drops set in. Early morning the dew-kissed milk is taken inside and whipped till it has a lot of froth over it (The more the dew, the more is the froth. So dew holds the key to this preparation). The froth is now transferred to a big vessel and sprinkled with bhoora or unrefined sugar, khoya and pista slivers. The final touch to the presentation is given by kesar and vark which is a thin edible silver sheet. And just before pouring it out to the customer in a leaf-bowl, some khurchan is added to it.
Our man puts the DC laden vessel atop a criss-crossed three-legged stool which is refers to as his 'khomcha' and sets off early morning to sell it at Kinari Bazaar which is exactly where Skeeter was graced by his otherwise-elusive presence.
You could look for him in Kinari Bazaar at Chandni Chowk or you may bump into him elsewhere if you are so destined. You might not always be graced by his presence as he makes and serves DC for weddings as well.

Skeety believes there are atleast 5 such vendors in Chandni Chowk area. Another DC vendor called Nandu has been spotted selling the stuff near Kuccha Pati Ram in Bazaar Sitaram.

If you have been unlucky enough to not have bumped into any of the DC vendors at Chandni Chowk and are adventurous enough, there are shops in Aminabad area of Lucknow where the Daulat ki Chaat is sold unde the name Malai Makhan.
And just before Skeeter was publishing this post, a chat with Deepak, fellow Delhi Foodie and friend who just returned from Lucknow tells that Malai Makhan is also called Nimish there...
Keep EATING :)
Location: On the large, in Kinar Bazaar and Bazaar Sitaram.
On Google Map for Kinari Bazaar
Price: Rs.10-15 for a plate of the heavenly stuff.

Lastly, Skeeter got featured in one of her favourite magazines: Time Out. Here's a dekko -

Dilli: City of Sins

Dilli's Delight,
It seems so, but isn't light,
Let the sweet tooth dig into a sinful bite,
It will set your taste buds tickling and tune them JUST right...

Chandni Chowk beckoned Skeeter yet again. This time it was for childhood love. Skeeter fondly remembers being driven by dad to the 'kone wali' shop (Corner shop) for 'Hot and Sweet' Jalebis, when she was a child. And when she grew up she was enlightened about the name of the shop. It is aptly named 'Old and Famous Jalebiwala'. Having a tradition of making and serving Jalebis running for over 100 years, what better name could the shop possibly have?
Even more fascinating and dramatic is the location of the shop, for it is located right at the beginning of the famous Dariba Kalan or the Silver Street. The location is also known as Dariba Nukkad (Dariba corner). The entire set-up is bound to make one high and nostalgic. Best dessert and best silver-jewellery shops. They also serve samosas but Skeeter has never cared to taste them because Jalebis RULE.

Kailash Jain the owner of the shop poses with a smile for Skeeter. He has been running the shop for the past 30 years and is Skeeter's 'Jalebi Uncle'.

For those readers who aren't aware of what Jalebis are, here's Skeeter throwing some light: An Indian dessert, it is made of crisp coils of dough, deep-fried, and thereafter dipped briefly in sugar syrup for the royal taste. Best had hot during winters. Skeeter does not like this explanation, nevertheless it is here for your benefit.
History: The recipe of Jalebis is widely claimed to have originated in the Indian city of Punjab, though they are consumed in Pakistan and Bangladesh as well.

Geography: Round and round and more... (like pretzels but not really so)

Maths: To be had hot PLUS to be had with dipped in boiled milk (for relief from congestion, so day the elderly and the wise), PLUS/MINUS Can be had with/without rabdi.

Skeeter's take: Go to the Old and Famous JalebiWala's shop. Eat it there when a fresh lot is made. Don't be greedy else you may burn your tongue.

Address:

1795, Dariba Corner , Chandni Chowk , Delhi- 110006

Damages: Rs.100 per half a kilogram.

LOW key, HIGH notes, MYSTICAL charm...

....revelations are certainly made of these.
It has been a couple of days since Skeety last went there. Gives her a high of sorts, and rejuvenates her. She is talking yet again about her beloved OLD area of Delhi. Bazaar Sitaram. Kuch Pati Ram. The name spells nostalgia and the place casts magic. Perfect ambience to get lost, to let the thoughts flow uninterruptedly, and if an experience can balsam Skeety then the visit here would be it.
Skeety takes you down the lane of her favourite Kulfiwala. LOW key because not everyone goes there. HIGH notes because the taste is as exotic as it could get. MYSTICAL charm arises when the ambience soaks you in (or vice versa) and transfers you to another era.
Skeety is talking about Kuremal Mohanlal Kulfiwale.
Skeety goes beyond Gelato only to demolish Kulfis at Kuremal. They come in traditional cone-shaped moulds (steel or plastic these days) and have flavours to die for. Kuremal's have an endless list of flavours like aam, panna, faalsa, fruit cream, cream, rabdi, anaar, strawberry, litchi, gulukand, kesar, et al. Creamy, frozen, flavourful delights these. Slurrrp...I recommend, aam, fruit cream and panna kulfis. Each very strongly.

Dhuli Chand's (another kulfiwala in Bazaar Sitaraam) is the mail competitor of Kuremal. Dhuli Chand's, it seems, serves better aam kulfis. But overall Kuremal's is terrific. They serve sugar-free kulfis as well. Dig in!

Address: Kuremal Mohanlal Kulfiwale#1165-66Kucha Pati Ram, Sitaram BazarDelhi - 110006
Directions: Get down at Chawri Bazaar Metro Station and ask anyone there to guide you. They'd happily do it. TRUST ME!