New Delhi:
In the midst of a crazy rush of people, with the Red Fort looming large in the distance and vats sizzling with sundry treats, there is little to beat the flavours of a festival. Chandni Chowk promises a party pretty much any time of the year, but during Diwali things get really interesting.
It's festive, it's frantic and it's full of ghee-laden goodness. Try the grease laden kachoris, the puris specific to Chandni Chowk, the bermis or just head for everyone's favourite spot, Parathe Wali Galli. Here they serve the 'parathas' as they have been doing for over a hundred years deep fried and delicious.
"This was started by my forefathers in 1872. And there were 16 shops here. Now three or four shops are left here and these are our recipes," said a shop-owner at the famous Parathe Wali Galli.
Try them with 'aloo', with green chilli, with of all things 'papad', or match the mood with a 'rabri' filled one. And after that perhaps cool down with a glass of 'lassi', or the 'dahi bhalla' at Nataraj, an institution that has just two items on offer -- the 'chutney'-laden 'dahi'-based dish or a plate of perfectly-prepared 'aloo tikkis'.
Only trouble is, however festive the flavours are, have more than an entire one and you can pretty much count on being written-off of all the festivities that may follow; since you won't be awake long enough to partake of them.
Everyone talks about how Delhi is associated with flavours like 'tandoori' chicken, butter chicken, but for me it is this. A perfect plate of perfectly fried 'aloo tikki' served in sublime 'chutney'. There is not a city that does it better than Delhi when it does it right.
And then perhaps move on to something a little less savoury?
There's pretty much nothing you can't hope to find here in Chandni Chowk. So some of you are probably wondering why it's taken me so long to find the sweet. After all, what is Diwali without the 'mithai' that accompanies it which I can only say that there is a time and a place for everything. Happily enough, though I have found both the time and the place.
Ghantawala offers many treats, but perhaps one more famous than others?
"We are famous because we are the only shop to sell 'sohan halwa'. No one can make 'sohan halwa' the way we do," says a proud Ghantawala employee.
A look at the amount of oil in the 'sohan halwa' and you realise this was made for the Maharajas. This is so decadent that no normal person should eat this on a regular basis.
There is a lot more to choose from and since this is hardly the season to hold back, here is what might be the perfect way to end the day -- 'Jalebi walas' serving them golden fried, ghee-laden and heavy on the crunch for decades now.
We say this Diwali forget the crackers, instead ring in the celebrations, it's with the sparkle of sweets and the crunch of something good.
It's festive, it's frantic and it's full of ghee-laden goodness. Try the grease laden kachoris, the puris specific to Chandni Chowk, the bermis or just head for everyone's favourite spot, Parathe Wali Galli. Here they serve the 'parathas' as they have been doing for over a hundred years deep fried and delicious.
"This was started by my forefathers in 1872. And there were 16 shops here. Now three or four shops are left here and these are our recipes," said a shop-owner at the famous Parathe Wali Galli.
Try them with 'aloo', with green chilli, with of all things 'papad', or match the mood with a 'rabri' filled one. And after that perhaps cool down with a glass of 'lassi', or the 'dahi bhalla' at Nataraj, an institution that has just two items on offer -- the 'chutney'-laden 'dahi'-based dish or a plate of perfectly-prepared 'aloo tikkis'.
Only trouble is, however festive the flavours are, have more than an entire one and you can pretty much count on being written-off of all the festivities that may follow; since you won't be awake long enough to partake of them.
Everyone talks about how Delhi is associated with flavours like 'tandoori' chicken, butter chicken, but for me it is this. A perfect plate of perfectly fried 'aloo tikki' served in sublime 'chutney'. There is not a city that does it better than Delhi when it does it right.
And then perhaps move on to something a little less savoury?
There's pretty much nothing you can't hope to find here in Chandni Chowk. So some of you are probably wondering why it's taken me so long to find the sweet. After all, what is Diwali without the 'mithai' that accompanies it which I can only say that there is a time and a place for everything. Happily enough, though I have found both the time and the place.
Ghantawala offers many treats, but perhaps one more famous than others?
"We are famous because we are the only shop to sell 'sohan halwa'. No one can make 'sohan halwa' the way we do," says a proud Ghantawala employee.
A look at the amount of oil in the 'sohan halwa' and you realise this was made for the Maharajas. This is so decadent that no normal person should eat this on a regular basis.
There is a lot more to choose from and since this is hardly the season to hold back, here is what might be the perfect way to end the day -- 'Jalebi walas' serving them golden fried, ghee-laden and heavy on the crunch for decades now.
We say this Diwali forget the crackers, instead ring in the celebrations, it's with the sparkle of sweets and the crunch of something good.
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