CUISINE
The Cuisine of Old Delhi O
l d D e l h i , p rev i o u s l y k n ow n as Shahjahanabad, a world in itself, as visualized by the greatest builder of the Mughal empire Emperor Shahjahan, is thriving place that has acquired much of what has percolated down the centuries from its origin. From the emperors and the commoners of medieval times, to the urban elite to the slum poor of Delhi, there is one thing that unites them-‘Food’. The variety found out here is, mind – boggling. The food of old Delhi can be basically divided into two; the food of the Hindus and the food of the Muslims.
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The food of the Hindus has been influenced by, one the traditional food of the old Hindu families of the area the Bania’s (or Kayastha’s) and the second influence is that of the Punjabis after partition. Another influence is that of the Jain food. The food of the traditional Hindu families is rarely available outside the four walls of the Hindu homes. This food is basically vegetarian, but nowadays, in most cases, that is not so. Recently Chandni Chowk has been given a facelift. Now one just cannot drive through this area. This has been done
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to revive the old glory of the area and inviting old lovers who stopped visiting due to heavy traffic and highly polluted environment.
Punjabi Sways The Punjabi influence can be seen mainly in the area of Chandni Chowk where the Punjabis have a Gurudwara by the name Sheesh Ganj Gurudwara. Not only this area alone, because of its popularity this cuisine has now spread throughout Old Delhi. And why only Punjabi food; from early in the morning to late in the evening universally popular dishes like Masala Dosa, Uttapams and Chowmein, which were never a part of Old Delhi cuisine, are now readily available in every nook and corner, especially in the areas of Chandni Chowk and Fatehpuri (near Old Delhi railway station). The Punjabis brought with them, layered parathas, griddled breads with stuffings from grated radish to pomegranate seeds; sarson da saag which is to be eaten with makki di roti and washed down with enormous glasses of buttermilk; black eyed beans (lobia) and red kidney beans (rajmah) and the dhaba which serves cheap and delicious food and the universal favorite – Chana bhatura.
Oct-Nov ’21
