Eating Out in Delhi...watch for more updates

Food glorious Food….thus the song from Oliver captures our relationship with food. Recently food has been subjected to more than its fair share of publicity and coverage. Yes social media is chock a block full of food articles, write ups, cookery shows, recipes, what is coming as a revelation is that Delhites seem to be favouring eating out more than anyother activity. I am serious…really… at the recent Dastkar exhibition at Kisan Haat, I was told by a participant that most visitors come straight and visit shops which are opposite the food court and then go straight for the food. Stomach satiated, it is back to their homes. Even a cursory shopping activity is not undertaken.

Similarly at the Swiss Embassy Christmas Market, the food section was crowded to the hilt in comparison the shopping at the various stalls was slightly lower. I will not say business was bad but the food stalls did thriving business.

What further adds to the Delhi palette is its easy adaptability. Be it Chinese, Italian, Thai, Lebanese, Middle East, French…it is simply absorbed in. And I am not making any remark on the adapting the food for the Indian palette be it the ginger garlic tadka with pasta.. So dining joints, restaurant, take away and what not thrives…

Delhi is a huge melting pot of influences which is amply reflected in its cuisine. Today, the melting pot assimilates national, international cuisine, some cuisine “adapted” to Indian taste well – Chinese a huge example in this direction. Delhi offers innumerable places to eat, each having its own traditional offering. The food palette includes almost all kinds of food from India and a delectable spread of International Cuisines. Traditional Indian food is classified apart from geographical bearings as per caste, religion. The nuances are plenty as also the range of spices, condiments and vegetables, fruits, cereals, meat, rice …that is added.

The Capital’s foodaddiction includes the classy Chandni Chowk fare – the Delhi Bania style of cooking in pure ghee without the use of onions, garlic, the Mughal style of kababs, biryani, the Punjabi touch of Pindi chole, Rajma chawal…Regional cuisine can be tasted from spicy Andhra Fare, Namma Tamil sapadu (Karol Bagh, Lodhi Road..), Malayali fare of puttu…Gujarati, Rajasthani snacks and thalis, Parsi, Iranian, Anglo-Indian fare…..Yes, it is food lover’s paradise. No pun intended, a friend’s husband on a visit to Delhi from Kerala, asked in all innocence “don’t people cook at homes, the food stalls are always so very crowded”!!!

This section tries and captures some of the best to be indulged in Delhi. No, this is neither a “eating out of the street” kind of a vengeance section neither “oh how can they eat street food – with emphasis only on chic upmarket cuisine” atitude. But in turn it is a slave to the taste buds, yes anything that tastes good, is different, has you ruminating about its glory during the day and pursuing it salivating in your dreams. Being a vegetarian, an eggetarian to be precise, the non-veg food section might not be justifiable but I shall make amends with recommendations from die hard “only non-veg” friends!

Happy Eating (Munching, Lunching, Snacking……..) Hopefully, we will also do individual stories or a little round up of the eating joints we love and frequent, post New Year…(Fingers crossed that this Resolution will be kept!!!)

Antidote to Delhi’s winter – Halwa, halwa and halwa..at Sheeren Bhawan

The original article appeared in The Hindu Read the unedited version here.... Warming the body with winter halwas An old Chandni Chowk halwai had once told me, “dilli ka halwa to halwa soan hai” – meaning Sohan halwa is “the” halwa of Delhi. It is and Ghantewalan’s Sohan halwa is legendary. In the same breath that made by Chaina Ram is also saluted. Of course, Chaina Ram’s is more known for its Karachi halwa. Now these halwas are well known, as also the range of suji, wheat, moong dal halwas. However, come winter months and all eyes turn to the rich flavoursome gajar ka halwa. It is the bylanes of Jama Masjid (Chitli Kabr) and Chandni Chowk which stand out for this winter delicacy. It is while trying to track this in the Jama Masjid that the lesser known more flavourful Safed Gajar halwa came to light. Along with this several other winter offerings – Habshi, Gondh, Aloe Vera (geekwar) also came out. One of the oldest establishments selling Safed Gajar Halwa is Sheeren Bhawan. Tracking my way down the road, opposite Gate No. 1 of Jama Masjid is tantalising with rich offerings from Bakeries, Sheermal makers, Shahi tukda sellers and more. What touches one is the large heartedness of the sweet makers who happily offer their wares to sample before you even wish to purchase and do not bat an eyelid when you do not buy anything. Such refinement is rare in today’s Delhi. Shiraz, one of the sixth generation running the nearly 100 year old Sheeren Bhawan says, “it is actually sunehari gajar and it is sunehari gajar ka halwa.” The white carrot which I get to see looks more like the humble radish in colour though in shape like the red one. The taste though is entirely different. It does not have the inherent sweetness of the red carrot. It tastes like a carrot without sweetness with a neutral taste. Shiraz explains the genesis of white carrots saying, “the reason sunehari gajar is used is that it can be processed beautifully. We are the only ones who make it here. Some have started it recently. The traditional red variety mashes when cooked. Also it has a sweetness which is imparted to the halwa. White carrot on the other hand absorbs the flavours of milk, sugar, ghee, khoya and dry fruits and is more on the dry side and can be processed well.” Sheeren Bhawan has been making this for over 60 years, a recipe introduced by their grandfather Shri.Tajuddin. The white carrots grown in Uttar Pradesh make their way to Delhi and are more expensive than red carrots. Red carrots typically cost Rs. 10 to Rs. 15 a kilo while this can range between Rs. 55 to Rs. 65. Also the season for this short, sunehari gajar halwa makes its presence mid December and lasts typically till end February. The establishment starts its winter saga with typical lal or red gajar halwa and ends the season with the red gajar halwa. The cooking begins at 4 am in the morning and takes around 1 to 2 hours like the traditional gajar halwas before it can reach the shop shelf. It is kept in a huge cauldron with a burner underneath to serve it warm. The black carrot which is used for making Kanji is made into a halwa in Benares, I am told. Then Shiraz opens up on the other hot favourite in their shop, the Habshi halwa (the name reeks with racial connotations). The typical black colour of the halwa reveals Shiraz is got because of the addition of spices to the halwa. He explains, “we use about 70 spices which make up the masala. These are ground and added to the milk along with samnak (sprouted wheat which is dried and ground finely) and the milk is brought down to granulated form. It is further processed and cooled. The process easily takes 10 – 12 hours.” It is however the list of spices which after much cajoling Shiraz reveals in bits, the cloves leads the pack with elaichi, nutmeg, cinnamon, javitri…several other herbs like shatvari. Though 70 spices is still far off… The ground masalas give warmth to the body and is considered ideal for winters. This recipe was concocted by Shiraz’s grandfather who had a special interest in cooking. Several others also sell Habshi halwa, each establishment has its own recipe. The bylanes of Ballimaran have legendary places to pick up this. The Aloe Vera halwa story is interesting as it has been around eons before Aloe vera has become a very sought after plant with many benefits. Shiraz says, “farmers from Rajasthan would come and sell it to us for Rs. 5 a kilo as there were no takers and we were bulk buyers. Now the factories for processing it to other cosmetics etc buy it and we have become smaller buyers.” Shiraz rips the halwa to show me the aloe vera gel which has gone to make the halwa. The process is tedious, the leaves of aloe are scrapped and the gel is collected. This is boiled in water and reduce to form a gum or resin like substance. This is added to milk, samnak and allowed to cook, when it starts to reduce, sugar is added and then left to process for a few more hours. After which it is cooled and cut into pieces. Aloe vera is a coolant, so to make it fit for winter months, it is again spiced up. Spices are trade secrets! The balancing draws out the goodness of aloe vera and the warmth for winters is provided by the spices. Siraz adds, “we make a special geekwar halwa using saffron and other costly ingredients. This is made between 25th or so of December to 26th or so of January. It sells at Rs. 2000/- a kilo. It is ideal for cold climates, a lot of NRI population demands it and uses it throughout harsh winters overseas.” Both these halwas can be kept for a month or so. Aloe vera is available at various joints also. Edible Gondh comes from the sap of Acacia trees, available as a crystal, it has thickening, emulsifying, thickening properties. It is fried and adorns the halwa. It gives warmth to the body and hence is plenty of demand during winter months. Gondh is processed with milk, samnak wheat, sugar, edible gum to come up with a gondh ka halwa. It is grainy and rich to taste. It is the aloe vera halwa and habshi halwa which stand out. The blend of spices in Habshi halwa is unusual, it is rare that one can see spices used so strongly in sweets. Shiraz explains, “we add all good ingredients that are good for the body and give it in a sweet form. People consume it as a sweet but it does wonders to their body.” I am a huge fan of gajar ka halwa, this spread somehow has made me keep the red gajar halwa in the back burner for some time!

An eatery to step in at Delhi's Daryaganj - Moti Mahal

This article appeared in The Hindu

A palatial offering - The Hindu

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Where Butter Chicken and Dal Makhni originated – Moti Mahal Daryaganj

Think of a Punjabi staple which is a byword in North Indian dish roster and the answer usually is Butter Chicken, Tandoori Chicken and Dal Makhni. It is a menu chart which no restaurant is complete. These staple were, introduced to Delhi and the world through this restaurant - Moti Mahal Restaurant at Daryaganj.  The man credited with the creation, Kundan Lal Gujral.  From what one can glean from written records, was that he ran a small dhaba in Peshawar in 1920s. He came to Delhi post partition and started a food business and the Moti Mahal restaurant happened in 1947. The cuisine history reads thus, to produce a lighter version of the heavy korma, chicken was grilled in the Tandoor. The tandoor was used for making bread but not for meat. This resulted in tandoori chicken.  It was to find a solution for the leftover tandoor chicken that the butter chicken happened. To soften the chicken, it was marinated in yogurt and cooked, to the addition of makhni gravy - tomatoes, cream et all. Dal makhni was invented at Moti Mahal to find a vegetarian equivalent. Whole urad was used in the same makhni gravy, thus the unforgettable Dal Makhni was created. Thus, the repertoire found a permanent place in the North Indian cuisine lexicon. Of course, the spices used then were minimal and less elaborate.

The restaurant is not difficult to find, being located at the main road in Daryaganj. It is calmer and away from the hustle bustle of the main Daryaganj Road. However, there are signs of decrepit. Inside the décor is typical of the 70s/ 80s restaurant, with huge floral decorations, pink ceilings with decorations. The entrance though is nice with lots of green. The outdoor dining area is there, where Qawalis used to be held. A battery of Award hangs from the wall along with a photo of Gordon Ramsey who came here to learn how to make Tandoori Chicken.

The current owner Vinod Chadha says, “What I bought was the rental rights to this place from Kundal Lal Gujral in 1991 and what was there of the establishment. It was a khandar - ruin. During its hey days from 1947 to 1980s it was the toast of connoisseurs of food. It was the only establishment which served Tandoori chicken, Dal Makhni and Butter Chicken and people flocked. There was Ashoka Hotel, Gaylord and Moti Mahal. ” There are several reports of every President, Prime Minister, Film Stars having eaten here. Chadha says, “the food here was excellent, there are no two ways to it. I have myself eaten here several times and the food was just great. I do not know much about the origins as I was not there and it will not be right for me to speak about it.”

After Chadha took over, he bought the place from the owners, re-built and revamped it – air conditioning was installed and the menu revamped. So I query was the secret recipe of Butter Chicken, Tandoori Chicken and Dal Makhni given to you by Kundan Lal? Chadha says, “it was not needed as by then these items were being made everywhere. Restaurateurs had deciphered the signature dishes and replication had begun. I am veteran of the hotel industry, with degrees in Hotel Management and have travelled across the globe – all on 100% scholarships. I had worked in the Middle East, then at the Taj and finally for over 21 years at Gaylord Restaurant, Connaught Place. I knew how these dishes were made. I actually made it better, we improvised, today we cater to customers from across the globe. We have no branches anywhere.” The Dal Makhni is tasty, though slightly tangy and spicy for my taste buds but wonder of wonders it does not leave a heavy feeling in its aftermath.It is rich and creamy but not in the heavy greasy category. The masala used is special and Chadha does not reveal the secret of the Dal Makhni what he does say is “it is a mixture of whole urad, chana dal and rajma and is cooked in milk.” It is probably that which makes it so creamy and thick without the grease factor which one observes in other places. He adds, “I can assure, my food will not make anyone feel sick or having over eaten. It is light on the palette.” Curd is used instead of ghee to make the dishes lighter.

The place has its connoisseurs – Dabbas or boxes were sent out to Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, actor Akshay Kumar got his dose of Butter Chicken and Chicken Tikka.

The menu is skewed towards non-vegetarian fare – 60% and the rest vegetarian. Chinese cuisine has been introduced to pamper the taste buds of children accompanying parents. The joint has 30 different ways to prepare chicken and a similar number of meat. They make close to 2 – 3 kgs of dal; 50 – 60 kgs of chicken – on daily basis . Marinating for dishes takes around 8 hours, 3 – 4 hours for some  Chadha says, “we want to develop it further and were waiting for the heritage line to be completed before starting.”

Indian Coffee House - Connaught Place, Delhi - nostalgia and value for money

This article appeared in The Hindu Serving a legacy - The Hindu

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Indian Coffee House – Delhi – India’s first home grown chain of coffee house turns 60

Today, CCD, Costa Coffee, Starbucks and other such franchise outlets are the order of the day. Long time before these became “in” and fashionable, a chain of home grown coffee shop established itself as one run by the common man for the common man. Though there was nothing common about it as it was patronised by the literally who’s who of Delhi be it politicians, journalists, economists, thinkers, activists (perhaps they considered themselves as common then!)  Run purely on a cooperative basis, it established itself as a joint for excellent coffee and snacks. The outlets served no lunch, breakfast routine but served tiffin or snacks the same item throughout the day. There was excellent South Indian coffee with a couple of variations, idli, dosa, vada, sandwiches, toast….The word spread and it soon became a popular adda for anyone and everyone. The hallmark of cooperative movement, there were no workers or managers, everyone worked shoulder to shoulder. The year was 1957 and the date was October 27th. The place, 10 U B Bunglow Road, Jawahar Nagar.  Following its success, a branch was opened at Janpath in 1964. Soon it was allotted space by NDMC at the Central Portion where Palika Bazar stands today. Here it really soared given the ideal location.  

In Delhi, the Indian Coffee Houses tasted success and started operating canteens all over Delhi in various Government offices. It also opened branches across North India, now there are around 10 outlets in the North. The canteen was frequented by Raj Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia amongst others.  There are stories of how in the early 70s before Emergency, a van from Indira Gandhi’s residence would come to pick up idli, vada, sambhar and coffee for visitors and functions regularly. Then for a rupee, one could get vadas, idli and coffee to boot!

This was demolished during the Emergency. The Indian Coffee House was also operating at Mohan Singh Place since 1969. When the Connaught Place outlet was demolished without advance notice, it was forced to shift the entire operation to its current place, Mohan Singh Place. Most regulars swear after that it could never regain its erstwhile glory. A little sign on the outside of Mohan Singh Place proclaims, Indian Coffee House.

Mohan Singh Place is known for its excellent economical denim jeans made within few hours. The Indian Coffee House is located at the top floor of the building with a lift. The space is clean quite nice almost like a canteen.

So what started this cooperative chain of coffee houses?  One can go back to the heady days of cooperative movement when this venture was thought of as a measure for retrenched workers to find employment. As Narayanan Kutty, an old member of the Indian Coffee Workers Cooperative  says, “In the year 1957, the Coffee Board decided to close down its propaganda department  and close down its Coffee Houses. The late Com.A.K.Gopalan, leader of the Coffee Board Labour Union and late Smt.Subhadra Joshi, M.P, the late Pt.Jawaharlal Nehru, the then Prime Minister of India,  all of them advised the retrenched employees of the Coffee Board to form their own  co-operative societies.   The retrenched employees welcomed this idea and form their own cooperative societies known as Indian Coffee Workers Cooperative Society Ltd. The first was formed in Delhi.”

P D Pradeep, Manager, who has grown from the ranks says, “anyone who joins the establishment as a worker has to go through the rank and file starting with lowest. This ensures no one is a boss but everyone is a worker. So when there is a shortage of hands, it is not uncommon to see Managers chip in shoulder to shoulder.” The liveried bearers remind one of Railway dining halls.. Pradeep says, “everything is made fresh. We do not buy off the shelf masals but make everything from scratch.” The coffee powder is procured from the neighbouring India Coffee Board. In other parts though, the chain procures beans from Wattal, in Wayanad. This is roasted and powdered in house for use. Filter coffee decoction is brewed in a huge steel coffee filter. For sambar, the spices are roasted and ground and no sambar powder is used. Coconut chutney is made using fresh grated coconut with roasted chana dal, ginger, green chilli. As I speak to Pradeep, there is sense of pride of being a part of such a cooperative spirited venture. This is a sense I have got from people who were and have worked in establishments run on a cooperative basis.

Pradeep tells me the interesting formula worked out by the establishment, “1 kilo of rice and 250 gms urad dal without husk gives 35 dosas. Similarly 1 kg of potato with 1/2 kg onion gives masala for 18 dosas, 1 kilo rice and ½ kg urad dal makes 50 idlis and 1 kilo of urad dal gives around 50 – 55 vadas.” Any variation, the cook is taken to task. The reason if it is more, it means quantity is wasted, if lower then the customer is short charged.” Amul butter is used for butter dosa and Amul cheese for the sandwich. The prices are still common man like.   

The Indian Coffee House reflects another era where unity of people under cooperative banner to build business and the country was paramount. They are still relevant in today’s world where Amul gives the best of MNCs a run for their money. A little more effort, a little more care, more vision…the Indian Coffee House could be pioneering coffee chains not only in India but even abroad!

Delhi's Adda - Triveni Terrace Café – where the who’s who rubbed shoulders with nobody – sans any attitude.

This article was published in the Hindu 

A brush with kadhi-chawal: the history behind Delhi's Triveni Terrace ...

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Usually design defines a space, at times a persona or personality shapes the space, in a rare combination the design, persona and space come together to create a beautiful confluence. Triveni Kala Sangam can be called one such space. The brainchild of Sundari K Shridharani, her struggle as an artist made her dream of a space where artists could display their work, perform for an audience and teach their craft. The feisty lady embarked on her journey to fulfil this dream. So charmed was Joseph Allen Stein with her panache and perseverance that he designed the place free. He gave the brick and mortar shape to her idea. The place still runs on the same ethos. The Auditorium and Gallery is rented out to artists at very modest prices, the classrooms where 12 disciplines of performing arts are taught is given free to the Gurus. This translates into moderate prices for the students. The open space, the calm environment is soothing. All of this was planned consciously and executed intentionally. What was unplanned but happened naturally and became a very popular hub was the Triveni Terrace Café. So popular did it become that Mrs. Shridharani, much to her consternation, would discover that after giving a tour of the place to visiting journalists explaining her objectives, they would feature the Café prominently. This would infuriate her more than anything else. Despite this popularity, it is to Triveni’s credit that they have not milked it or promoted it to their advantage. It was and still is a place where people can eat good food at very reasonable prices, simply soak in the environment and enjoy themselves. True to its culture, no customer is nudged to leave or disturbed if he wishes to stay. This still holds. The Café with its competitive pricing also made art more accessible. Anyone walking into the Café would also wander and see the artist’s work on display. Art, music and dance was not elitist but plebeian for everyone.

The Café started because the Institution when it began in 1963, needed some form of refreshment. A little cart vendor offered tea / coffee initially. Then Mrs. Puran Acharya, who was also close to the art fraternity offered to run the canteen. She started the famous snack concept of pakoras, cutlet, chai and coffee. A couple of years down the line, by mid 60s she started offering lunch as well. Lunch was the traditional Punjabi fare of hearty paranthas, kababs, palak paneer, kadhi chawal… The alu paranthas and kababs soon developed cult status and today are a part of the “heritage menu”. The Terrace Café simply grew in popularity, it was the place to hang out like a adda for all artists. It was frequented by Hussain, Kishen Khanna, Vivan Sundaram, Pandit Ravi Shankar, ambassadors and Stein himself. With no other option to hang out excepting The Indian coffee house, all of who’s who descended there. A symbol of discretion, the Terrace Café has never displayed any photo of any celebrity eating there. For them everyone was and is equal. This system continued and then in the 80s it was taken over by Mrs  Kamala Ranjit Rai. Of which in the later years Mrs. Minna worked on the menu introducing her carrot cakes which were very popular. The menu was the same with some twists. The afternoon lunch and a range of snacks in the afternoon and in true canteen style closed in the evening with no dinner. In 2012, Mrs Shridharani passed away, later Mrs. Rai’s family also wanted to move on with their business and not concentrate on the canteen. The hunt began to give out the space to some similar thinking group to run the Canteen. Finally The Melting Pot Food Company who run the Lota Café at the Crafts Museum and Roots Café in Gurgaon were approached. “The Lota People” as they are referred to started operating the same. The Terrace Café is housed at the far end of the Institution. It is an unpretentious, non-air conditioned, with few seating indoors and an open patio providing for more seating in a Terrace like environment overlooking the open air theatre..

The new team not only energised and invigorated the place but made it more contemporary, attracting the younger generation as well. Udit Maheshwari, Chef- Manager at Terrace Café says, “we modernised the kitchen, which was more of a home kitchen. The Café is open for breakfast and lunch. We introduced dinner – from 6 to 9 and now are open on Sundays.” The food is delicious, portions substantial and affordable that patrons eat 4 – 5 times a week.  Udit elaborates, “we have kept the heritage menu and have added some new ones. We fine tuned the original menu of paranthas and kababs.There is mint flavoured nimbu paani, parval kababs, pumpkin kababs, thate idli topped with ghee roasted chicken which is a huge hit. The Kashmiri Tarami - mini Wazwan vegetarian served only for dinner as thali includes dum aloo, yellow paneer, khatte meethe baigan, mooli and akhrot chutney, lotus stem crisps with rice . Ragi bread sandwich is a new addition and very popular.” All my cajoling for the recipe for the vegetarian kabab only elicits the princely gem from Udit that, “the pumpkin kababs are made with ripe pumpkins and chilka moong while it is mattar and parval in parval kababs”.  The dessert section includes a cake topped with aam papad and served with raw mango chutney, the beetroot halwa and gur kheer are popular. Traditional Indian ingredients and recipes have been recreated with a modern twist.  It has managed to hold its quintessential aura which still spreads by word of mouth publicity. One that sees the old and the young enjoy in comfortable silence.  

Delving into Delhi's bakeries - Dil Kush at Chitli Qabar, sampling the bakeries of Chandni Chowk

 (This article appeared in the Hindu titled 
 Dil Khush at Chitli Qabar - The Hindu Read the unedited version here...)

When one speaks of  bakeries it is places like Goa, Bangalore, Pondicherry… which come to mind. Delhi on the other hand has always been a Mughal bastion with insatiable appetite for Mughalai food followed by evergreen Punjabi cuisine. Bakeries in this Mughal area seem far fetched, till I finally made a trip to Chandni Chowk to sample the goodies. Technically not Chandni Chowk but a tiny area called Chitli Qabar within it. The place is accessible by a turn next to the Golcha cinema on Darya Ganj. A rickshaw is the best bet to get to Chitli Qabar chowk. The path opens out at the other end near Gate Number 1 of Jama Masjid. The market is called Matia Mahal market. Despite the tiny bylanes, jostling crowds there is a certain genteel pace to the place, burkha clad women chip in promptly with suggestions and tips including what to savour, seeking directions is met with an avuncular reply akin to giving directions in a village. There are no count to the bakeries and as one proceeds into the bylanes more bakeries pop up.

The most interesting part of the bakeries is that all of them open early in morning and close around midnight everyday - approximately 7 am in the morning and closing at around 11 pm. The baking operations begin around 5:30 am or 6 am. The market comes alive in the evening around 5 pm onwards. And by closing time, everything baked for the day is sold out. So every item is made fresh daily. During the Holy month of Ramzan, the bakeries are open literally 24 hour a day. There are plenty of bakeries, Diamond, Golden, Asgar, Champion…

One of the most famous of bakeries is Diamond Bakery which has been around for over 100 years, while Asgar Bakery 70 odd years. Rusk Paya is one of the most popular rusk made.. The making of rusk paya is a process in itself taking almost 24 hours on wood fired ovens. It is made of suji or rava and special ingredients. It is interesting to see the workers carefully line the plates of paya with wood briquettes. The paya is first baked, cut and then baked again. So perfect it can safely last a few months. What makes the paya special is that instead of yeast a special masala made of 51 or so ingredient is added. The masala is made everyday, it works like yeast. Baking in the bakeries is done on wood fired ovens, diesel and electric ovens.

The best month to visit is of course during Ramzan when everything that the shops make is on offer. During the other days a lot of these delicacies are not available. Almost all the shops offer rusks or Rusk paya, gol rusk, cake rusk, suji rusk, fruit rusk, Tabarak roti, Sheermaal, Nankathai… Md. Anis explains Tabarak roti and its link with the religious routine from Ajmer adding, it is distributed at the Dargahs just like halwa is distributed during religious fasts. What is made for distribution is a larger sized version of what is available everyday.  The daily Tabarak roti is round almost like the roti or chappatis, 4 inches in diameter. It is made from rava has a very slight sweet taste to it, not really overpowering. It is the addition of saunf or fennel seeds which gives it a unique crisp flavour. It is an ideal accompaniment to a cup of coffee or tea, not too sweet but tasty and filling.  Sheermaal, bun like is made everyday. During Ramzan out comes the butter jam sheermaal, there is dry fruits sheermaal, cherry sheermaal, sheermaal parantha.

In biscuits, it is the nankhatai which takes prime place. Both the besan or gram flour and those with flour, suji are also made. An interesting variant is chocolate nankhatai. The nankhatai is topped with a nice crunchy layer of chocolate. No, and the chocolate does not melt even in the hottest season. A lot of these delights are available everyday at Golden Bakery and during Ramzan they simply add more delights. Apart from the usual jeera biscuits, the ajwain biscuits do well. There is macaroons, muffins, Md. Aqil of Golden Bakery says, “our speciality is Dil Kush and Coconut Parantha. Both have their origins in Bangalore and were introduced by us here recently. Every Ramzan we try to offer something new which people like.” So coconut jam paranthas, Dil Khush with dry fruits are delicious variants available only during this season. It is Dil Khush, which is one of the most interesting of products. Made from maida, sugar and ghee, it is stuffed with khoya and cheeries. The outer layer is nice and crisp and when one bites into it, there is a nice delicious khoya flowing into the mouth. It was possibly christened Dil Khush since it makes one feel happy. Coconut parantha is again a huge bun like baked delicacy shaped like a parantha filled with coconut. There is coconut butter biscuits which simply melt in the mouth. During Ramzan, there is milk bread, fruit bread, cakes, dry fruit bread, dry fruit cake, dry fruit parantha…

Aqil says, “we have about 30 – 35 items. All of which are made during the month of Ramzan. Dil Khush and Coconut Paranthas are our special items. No one makes them here. Otherwise the rest are regular fare which every bakery makes.”  Regular or not it is mouth watering and tempting to say the least.  

Do visit and enjoy yourself in the wonderful world of baked products.