Deliciously Delhi

Ras, I also love desi food. My position is different than hamidm and mantolives.. they seem to hate desi food by default where as I love desi food as long as it is authentic and not Baluchi`s or Jackson Heights variety

Something that I always wanted to know. It may be a little “naughty” but do they make as good “kapporay” as they do in Karachi, in the Jama Masjid area?

What about brain masala or Gurday?

My cholesterol level has never gone down since those naughty nights in Karachi.

I doubt that nihari in Delhi is authentic. Considering that all cows have been sequestered in air-conditioned Cow Asharams around Delhi.

#63 Sridhar ``It is of course not as urbane as Bombay but it has its own charm``
Urbane as Mumbai? Actually Dactar saab Delhi is not the same hicksville as it was 20 years ago, especially in terms of arts and culture. It is a much more happening place than it used to be, plus sorry to inject a note of commercialism, but there is more money being pumped in here. In fact the next time you are in Delhi make a trip to the India Habitat Center`s arts gallery.

...........give me seekh kabab, tikka boti, fresh naan and karahi ghost from landikotal ............

.... and you can keep the rest .........

........ nihari is nothing but plain old baray gosht ka salan kicked up a notch with yet more shan masala and then drowned in a pao of desi ghee - the bong or mikh is nothing but sheer drama ............

...... and what the heck is so great about haleem .... what is it?...... motley grains and pulses with some garbage meat thrown in to brew a witchy concoction that has the texture of paste used to make kites (layvee)........... you can try to spruce up the insipid taste with ginger and hot green peppers, but it still pretty bad ........... and shan puts it all in one box for you ..........

............i never realized what was wrong with the 90 million biharis untill i had bihari kebab !......... cheap skirt meat drowned in six alarm spices that set your mouth on fire and explains the fire extinguishers in bihari toilets.............

......... there are folks who make a big deal about the fish from mozang or the hasanabdal ........ it really doesn`t matter that a fish hasn`t been seen in that little stream in hasanabdal since the late sixties, because regarldess of what it is, or where it comes from, it all tastes the same .......... battered in lahori fish masala (by shan, of course) it is deep fried untill it tastes like chicken .......... now compare it to medallions of lightly seared fatty tuna served with soy, wasabi and thinly sliced ginger - now, that is fish !........

....... rasam - nothing but dishwater mixed in with some spices and plain old dal .......... somthing you would serve to prisoners ......... dosa, idlee, vindaloo, - all same, same ....

......... a fish story ..... so this friend of mine, a horrible hindoo from some place down south who claims to be a yemini by descent, invites me over to his house for a kingfish fry and some 18 year old macallan ............ ``what the heck is kingfish``...... ``oh, it is a delicacy where i come from - it is a big fish ``..... ``how big?`` .......``ver very big``...... `` as big as tuna?``.........``how big is tuna?``...... ``bigger than smelt?``............ ``definitely !``............. in any case, i figure like all indians the guy has a fish story to tell but the macallan is too good to turn down ............ so we show up at his house and there they are - a bunch of indian code coolies in brand new white sneakers and their handlers in birkenstock loafers dancing around the deep frier in the garage, drinking red label and beer ........... and there is the fish - big steaks sitting in a tub soaking in what suspiciously looks like shan`s lahori fish masala ........... ``try try, it ees very very good``, a linux type says as he hands me an oily brown piece ..........``tastes like chicken, and stop shaking your head``, i want to say, but i don`t want to offend the host, who is a decent sort ............ a little later we sneak down to the basement while the janta is gorging on kingfish and guzzling budweiser .......... as we sit sipping the macallan and munching on pretzels, he says, `` i wish we had some kebabs, you know the ones with the big hole through them, that just melt in your mouth``........... ``and some lamb tikka, lamb, not goat with one piece of fat on each seekh``...........``and some fresh naan``................i rest my case - there are some good indians ...........

p.s. the karahi gosht from landi kotal is lamb (not phaydu with the tail, but the real sheep with the big fat chaki) cooked in a karahi with just salt and pepper and maybe a tomato or two .........no red pepper, no shan, no garam masala ...........

``#57 Yogiraj: I was waiting for your kind of reply quite a while ago.
That is one reason why I started off with the two rupee roti. But
do not put down the appreciation of food and compare it to lack of food.
To the hungry man, a cup of Dal is more precious and delicious than any rich man’s Caviar.``

Ras,


Thanks for the response.

When hungry you become angry or desparate. Seen that. Never faced it in my tummy. So
no. I am not putting you down. I am living proof of rich man`s caviar. Very unfortunate but true, trust me on this one.

Sirjee,

I am inviting you to a very small people`s party. Not 80 rupees coffee party. Very small Hindoo/Muslim, very small Indian/Pakistani party. Hunger (You put it down at two rupees) does not change a (Wo)men here. They will still share. What ever they have. I am inviting to you to that party when you come next time.

Come and visit Mumbai. The taste will of course horrible. And yes you will smell hing. Even some pakistani muslim here use it here.

I do not know what 5 start hotels in Mumbai will offer you now. Heck Google is there to find out. Don`t you think so? Else Chowk is always there. I do not know far too many non-veg,... what do you say deli... in Mumbai. I, now, know only very small joints. They are dirty, have no ambiance (none).

Have you ever eaten in such places ever?. I do now. very rarely. But I do. Come to a very different Mumbai, where real life lives.

If interested, I could send you a list. No URL, there is none. You could visit, verify, and then eat without me being involved.

Well.. Well..

You missed Salim Bhai`s variety of Kebabs ( especially Kakori ones).

Salim Bhai`s Corner is a very small joint at Khan Market (behind India Gate Delhi) where one has to eat street standing.

People stepping out of the neighbouring hi-fi joints are taken aback with the floating aroma of Salim Bhai`s roadside Kebabs...