Few restaurants can claim to be as old as a country and serve a dish even older than the country’s Constitution. Pindi in Pandara Market is one such eatery that finds a place in the living archives of the capital’s gastronomic history.
Its origins lie, of course, in the famed food streets of Rawalpindi, in present-day Pakistan. From there, in the violent wake of the Partition, came Kasturi Lal Wadhwa, then barely 20 years old, to Delhi. Having witnessed, but fortunately escaped, the worst of the hatred that ripped the country apart, the young man — who had in Pindi tried his hand at routine jobs — decided to turn to his interest in food for succour and income. Setting up a cart on the India Gate lawns, he sold Pindi chana and kulcha for an anna or two. “He was passionate about feeding people,” says his grandson Anuj Wadhwa, one of the two third-generation Pindi restaurant scions.
That quality of intuitive hospitality connected with people and the Pindi cart won word-of-mouth publicity, the only kind possible at the time. With a young wife and five siblings to look after, Kasturi Lal would make the best of a match at Feroz Shah Kotla — he would park his cart at India Gate, dash off to the cricket grounds to sell his chana-kulcha when the match began, then sprint back to cook the next batch, and go back just in time for the last over and the hungry homeward-bound crowds.
Humble beginnings
In 1954, he was allotted a shop in Pandara Market as part of Partition compensations and Kasturi Lal set up Pindi there. At that point, there were only vegetable and grocery shops in the market square, and his was the only food place, that was just a counter. The menu soon expanded to include butter chicken, dal makhani and tandoori chicken, still the favourites of customers here. About five years later, similar eateries sprouted up in the market, and the feisty Kasturi Lal favoured competition, which he thought would encourage footfalls. Pindi’s popularity soared, and its food was much talked about by IAS officers and aspiring Civil Services candidates who frequented the UPSC offices close-by. And all this thanks to the authentic flavours of what Kasturi Lal dished out. So closely bound was his life with Pindi, that Kasturi Lal would take little Anuj in his car to the Govindpuri sabzi mandi (vegetable market) and to the chickenwallah before dropping him at school near the restaurant every morning.
Refurnishing a legacy
Today, a routine Sunday sees the restaurant filled to capacity, and buzzing with lunchtime conversations by local families and tourists alike, the latter here on the recommendation of friends, guides, or TripAdvisor, on which the restaurant is rated 4 out of 5. The unassuming Yashpal Wadhwa, second generation at Pindi along with his brother Vinod Kumar Wadhwa, is usually there, greeting customers himself at the welcome desk. When he began, the restaurant was a mere 10-seater, and he recalls that in 1991, two sections were added to expand the restaurant to its present capacity of 95-100. “During those years,” shares Anuj, “the décor was enhanced and the kitchen was modernised as well.” A cubed shelf of candles at the entrance, just the right number of decorative mirrors, a brick-textured wall and mild-coloured leather sofas give this compact place a light-on-the-eye look.
The mutton sheekh with its signature boiled-egg snowman is top on the orders, along with their acclaimed melt-in-the-mouth butter naan . Pindi chana is not far behind on the list. The service staff, known for their flawless, un-pushy service, is often seen making suggestions to clients. “The second-home feel has been bequeathed down the generations,” says Anuj. “Not only is the staff like a close-knit family, but the customers too are often those who have been coming here for three generations.”
Palate secrets
The cross-generational warmth is a reflection of the owners themselves. Anuj’s father Yashpal, his uncle Vinod Kumar and his cousin Pulkit are all managing directors and partners in Pindi. The masalas that have underpinned the authentic, ‘back home’ taste of Pindi — the garam masala , chana masala and the chaat masala , to name a few — are trade secrets and hold a place of pride in the family legacy. Anuj, who studied Hotel and Tourism Management and is incubating the newly-opened Bengaluru branch of Pindi, says, “I was always very clear that I wanted to enter the same field. It was in my blood.”
The present generation has added a few items to the menu, such as chicken bharta and galouti kebabs , after testing them on a trial menu. Now, they also do full-time catering.
Decades later, what stays firmly in place is the original prestige of Pindi — bursting with native flavours, seasoned impeccably with genuine ingredients and served with 70 years of undying love.
- Ingredients
- Chickpeas: 1 cup
- Oil: 2 tablespoons
- Onion: Finely chopped, 1 large
- Green chilli: 1 large or 2 small, finely chopped
- Ginger paste: 1 tablespoon
- Red chilli powder: 1 tablespoon (according to taste)
- Cumin seeds: 1 tablespoon
- Pomegranate seeds: 1 tablespoon
- Coriander powder: 1 tablespoon
- Chana masala: 1 1/2 tablespoons
- Dried mango powder: 1 teaspoon
- Tomato puree: 2-3 tablespoons
- Garam masala powder 1 teaspoon
- Salt to taste
- Method
- Soak the chick peas overnight in water. Drain the chickpeas and transfer into a pressure cooker. Add 6-8 cups water, salt to taste and pressure-cook for 6-8 whistles. Reduce heat and simmer till chickpeas are soft and completely cooked. But make sure the chickpeas don’t split.
- Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, finely chopped garlic and dried pomegranate seeds and sauté till the cumin seeds are browned. Add onion and sauté till it is well browned.
- Add finely chopped green chilli and ginger paste. Transfer the chick peas to the pan and mix well. Add red chilli powder, coriander powder, chana masala and dried mango powder, and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add tomato puree and salt. Add garam masala powder. Cover and cook. Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves and onion rings.