The weather acted like a wet blanket — sorry, make that a sultry blanket — but I couldn’t but walk through Old Delhi last week to get a feeling of Ramzan. I do that every year, but usually, during this season, the sky is cloudy and the evenings are pleasant. This week was different. When I went to Jama Masjid, there was not a spot of rain, nary a sign of a breeze. But I wasn’t bothered: I wanted to taste some of the street food of Purani Dilli that I had not eaten for a while – and was missing sorely!
Old Delhi springs into life every evening during Ramzan. The sight never fails to move me. The neighbourhood is quiet and peaceful all day, and then, after the evening prayers, it suddenly changes. The lights that line the lanes come on, people spill out into the streets for their evening meal, and there is wonderful sense of camaraderie and sharing.
I was with a friend from Mumbai. We started our journey with a stop at Ashok Chaat Bhandar at Chawri Bazar. We asked for a plate of chaat, and it came with everything that you’d want to eat – healthy portions of papri, kalmi vadey, roasted potatoes and pakori – topped with slivers of kachaloo and doused with curd and red and green chutneys. The big plate of mixed chaat is for Rs.70. And needless to say, it is excellent.
From Chawri we went towards Lal Kuan. First we stopped at Bade Mian’s for some kheer. This kheer is the most delicious kheer you’ll ever get in the city. It’s rich for it is cooked overnight on a wood fire. The colour is a lovely brown, and it tastes almost like smoked kheer. When I first went to Bade Mian’s little shop many years ago, a bowl of kheer came for Rs.5 or so. Now the shop has been extended – there is even some place for people to sit comfortably and eat. And a bowl costs Rs.30.
Our next stop was to have been at Moinuddin’s corner at the mouth of Galli Qasimjan. But Moinuddin, whose seekh kababs are to die for, wasn’t there. We were disappointed and started walking down towards Jama Masjid. And that was when we bumped into Fazlurbhai.
Fazlurbhai, who owns Rehmatullah Hotel near Karim’s, had just broken his fast. Always generous and genial, he was happy to see us and ushered us into his house. And then our feast began.
First he served us some quail, which had been cooked with spices and masalas, and was the perfect start to the meal that was to follow. Next we were served some delectable aloo-gosht which had been cooked at home. Then came the chicken biryani from his hotel — the biryani was mildly flavoured and great to eat, with its succulent little pieces of chicken. The next course consisted of home-cooked shammi kababs, which were again outstanding. And then he sent a helper to get some shahi tukra from a man who sits outside his hotel along with a huge paraat with the most delightful shahi tukra — bread pieces in syrup topped with rabri and candied fruits.
We returned from our Old Delhi sojourn, happy and full. My friend from Mumbai was most impressed by the hospitality of Old Delhi. And I found the food as scrumptious as always — and the people as warm as ever.
(Rahul Verma is a seasoned street food connoisseur)
