“My father started this restaurant in 1988. I joined him four years later. Now, my son will complete his graduation and join me by June 2018.” The pride in Ajay Pasari’s voice is unmistakable. But, he says, what makes him prouder is the fact that he has seen three generations of customers visit the restaurant that bears his name.
Ajay’s Delhiwala Sweet Home, usually corrupted to Dilliwala by Coimbatoreans, is a familiar landmark on Sastri Road in Ram Nagar, Coimbatore, and completed 30 years this week. Ask for directions in the area and chances are that Delhiwala will show up somewhere. Yet, the restaurant’s beginning was sheer happenstance. SN Pasari, Ajay’s father, was on his way to Bengaluru to set up a restaurant. On the way, he stopped at Coimbatore to see some friends and, struck by the lack of good North Indian food in the city, decided to start his eatery here.
Testing tastes
On January 14, 1988, he opened Ajay’s Delhiwala with just 40 dishes on the menu. “It was all simple stuff, ghar ka khana ,” says Ajay, as he shows me the invite to the opening. He gently smoothens out the creases and wrinkles in the yellowing card; the simple gesture redolent with love and pride for his workplace. Today, the restaurant boasts over 200 dishes, apart from sweets and savouries. “She introduced many new dishes,” says Ajay, pointing to his wife Archana, who smiles placidly. They are justifiably proud of their dahi kebabs and paneer jaipuri . “Whatever we introduce first goes through a testing process at home,” says Archana. “We also make trips to Delhi and Mumbai to see what’s new there.”
Pasari Senior is a constant presence in spirit, even if he is not bodily present. Ajay says his work ethic was derived from his father. “Good food just like home, reasonable prices and welcoming service are our mottos,” he declares. “We don’t use any artificial preservatives or colours, and only use shuddh desi ghee .” I wonder how he manages to keep his prices reasonable despite the rising prices. “We adjust,” he says. “My father would say, ‘Feed people as you would feed guests at home. The money will take care of itself.’ And I have followed that till today.” Until recently, he had to bring his spices from other cities, but now, some of it is available locally. “But I still get my hing (asafoetida) and red chillies from the North,” he beams. “My raw material has to be the best.”
Mouth-watering menu
It is true that there is something inviting about the food. People are willing to brave long queues at lunch and dinner time. While one person swears by the parathas and pickle, another cannot do without the dal fry. My personal favourite is the paneer chole , in which the soft cottage cheese takes the edge off the spicy chickpea gravy. A friend opts for the khichdi every time we eat there, which is quite often. At tea time, there is a scramble for chaat , samosas and kachoris . It’s often a tough choice between the mattar kachori with its stuffing of green peas and the dal kachori . Despite all my resolutions to avoid sugar, I cannot resist their juicy jalebis or the rabri . And we wind up eating more than what is good for us.
“Nonsense,” scoffs Ajay when I tell him that. “Good food is never harmful.” Both Archana and he take a personal interest in the kitchen. As we speak, Archana is keeping a sharp eye on the various groups working around us. One is shelling a mountain of green peas; another is peeling potatoes; while a third is scrubbing the tables and the floor. The restaurant is not very big; it can seat around 60 people at most. “We do plan to expand,” says Ajay. “But I have to ensure that the quality remains unchanged. So the changes will be slow and steady.”
Given that a meal for two rarely goes over ₹250, Delhiwala is popular with college students as well. “They come from a distance of over 10 kilometres,” says Ajay, “which means that they are bypassing so many other eateries that are closer to them. How can I let them go back dissatisfied or unhappy? My father firmly believed that the customer must leave this place not just with a full stomach but also with a happy heart. I try to ensure that.” It certainly seems that Ajay’s faith in ‘papa knows best’ is justified.
This weekly column takes a peek into the histories of some of the country’s most iconic restaurants
