I, as an entity come in variety of sizes, shapes, forms and cuisines. Some people just have me because they have to; I help them survive. Some like to play around with me and savor cooking me. They feel happy when their version of me,served to others’ platter is appreciated. A few just ask me to pose , so that I could fetch them a mass following on Instagram.
I hate this DSLR and i-Phone generation. These noobs don’t even chew me properly. They honestly don’t care whether I am cooked properly or how do I smell like. Their sole agenda is to leverage my looks to boost their ego of being hailed as a famous-foodie. They use me like a whore.Hate them. Especially the self-proclaimed ones. And a female up loader with a pretty face is an add on to the rant. At times, they do not make any sense but just because she is hot, people go bonkers.
“People who write Foodie in their bio on Tinder and Snapchat should be boycotted from this society with immediate effect.”
Foodie has become analogous to a Roadie. Every tom, dick and harry wants to be one. I mean,you don’t have to force yourself. It comes in naturally. On a flip side, there are a few good eaters of mine too. In fact, I adore the passionate ones.
There’s one more league too. The “paidayshi bhookhay” category. I love them the most. They are the people who can go to any extent to have the best version of me, who do not claim to be the connoisseurs of food.They have me because they simply love me.
On a brighter note, I did come across 3 such people. The hoggers came to relish the Delhi-6 version of me. Before we go into the knitty gritties of that romantic evening, let me just brief you about the three monkeys.
Mayank Singh – The Thakur ! Knows each and every inch of Delhi. Amrik Sukhdev is his second home. Extremely passionate about cars and can drive you crazy with his stories.
Someone who values friendship to the very core and keeps telling people how diverse the food in Delhi is. He is our free PR agent. Kudos to this soul.
Veenit Bhatyal – The mini dynamo from Jammu. Known for his deep quotes and tales from the valley, he carries the Punjabi accent with full flair. His love for barbeques and pahadi non veg dishes is no less than Bappi da’s love for gold !
Lalit Vijay – Someone who just relocated to Delhi, was lost in the nuances of the new job, new city and was skeptical about making new friends but all his theories were put to rest as the Santa-Banta duo decided to take him for a gourmet stroll in Dilli-6.
We are a very big food family spread across Bazaars and lanes in Delhi-6. There is a Gurudwara, close to which you would come across lip smacking chats and sweet shops. In the lanes surmounting Nayi Sadak, you would find Chhole Kulcha stalls, rabri on the rocks.
In the further by-lanes where a four wheeler can’t enter, you have streets named after a parantha and near Jama Masjid you’d come across soul-quenching non-veg cousin of mine. If you go further down, my another cousin – Milkie resides; where you would see a lot of paneer shops and old school dhabas like Kakke Di Hatti, an institution where naans are groped with ghee using an actual paint brush.
In short, I am the uniting force. I do not distinguish between any human. Plethora of people hailing from different origins come here to find salvation in the form of “me” and rarely I’ve disappointed anyone. For the matter of fact, these 3 dumb asses were a delight to be hosted.You should have been there to see the looks on their faces as they lingered me in absolute frenzy.
Here’s their trail map. In case you are new to the city just follow it step by step.
Hop 1: Located right outside the Chandni Chowk Metro station, is a small shop which has just two items on its menu – Aalo Tikki and Papdi Chat. Both are amazing. Within 100 Rupees, you can achieve gastronomical heights at Natraj. Their red imly chutney and thick curd is to die for.
Hop 2: Just beside hop-1 is a chatwala serving daulat ki chaat. It is basically milk froth served with Khoya.
Hop 3: Chhole Kulche and Rabri Falooda in the opposite lane next to Nayi Sadak. You could either take the electric rickshaw if you are really tired but that I guess happens when you are too full, later in the story. Not now ! So, better walk.
Hop 4: Another eatery with just two dishes on the menu- Jalebis and Samosa, hailed as The Old Famous Jalebi Wala. Those 500 Rs/kg thick sweeties can take you back to the Diwali pooja’s memory lanes where those bulky pieces of sugar are gulped with milk. Minus the long queue, it’s divine.
Hop 5: The most fairly used location in Bollywood movies – Paranthey Wali Gali. Mind it !
The paranthas aren’t too great, neither is the hygiene but it’s the emotions and vibe that draws thousands of people there every day. Brace yourself for this iconic junction in case you wish to have fried paranthas with a lot of chutneys and that authentic aalo sabzi by the side.You name a thing, they have a parantha stuffing for that. Be it jaggery or carrot. Moolis are a strict no in case you have a lot to eat in your head. Simple hygiene check!
Hop 6: Tucked inside the bylanes of Chandni Chowk is this Haveli Dharampura. Basically a house converted to a heritage hotel luring foreigners and desis with that royal and rustic touch of old school elements – hookah, kite flying, pigeon taming and the grand dining units.
Finally the last two gems – Karim’s and Al- Jawahar.
Hop-7: After visiting the Jama Masjid, head straight from Gate-1 to these legendary units. They need no introduction. The trio had Chicken Burrah and Mutton Shammi kebabs at Karim’s. At Al-Jawahar, it was Mutton Biryani and Changezi chicken. The last hop was an iconic point in their friendship. After that, there was no looking back.
I hope you liked my story. Every explorer brings in his/her perspective. Come, try me out. Trust me, at the end with a heavy heart and stomach you’d still crave for more.
lalitvijay7 