Cuisines have come and gone, but Old Delhi has always been a foodie’s paradise. From the enticing aroma of succulent kebabs and steaming hot biryanis, to the popular Daulat ki chaat, nothing compares to the flavours from the streets of Old Delhi.
And if you still haven’t tasted delicacies from the narrow gallis of Delhi 6, walk into Crowne Plaza Today, Okhla where “Delhi 6” food festival is on.
“Old Delhi’s street food is distinct from the rest of the city. It has recipes that have been handed down from generations and have retained their integral flavour,” says Chef Ramit Wasson, executive chef, Crowne Plaza.
Much before Delhi’s tastebuds shifted to salads and pizzas, it was the Paranthe Wali Gali ke Paranthe, Sheikh ki Biryani aur korma, Karim ka Nihari aur Sheermal that were a huge hit among food lovers. And the chefs from Old Delhi are proud to have retained the same flavour over the years.
Says Sharma chaatwala from Old Delhi, “Street food vendors in Old Delhi serve it the way it has always been done over the years. Till date we refuse to use onion and garlic, despite the trend.”
What’s more exciting is the fact that the recipes come to you from chefs who have been in the business for many years. Sanjay Kumar from Dilli Ka Dil Daulat Ki Chaat says, “Our family is involved in the making of Daulat ki chaat during winters. It is the early morning dew which brings the velvety lightness to the chaat.”
For the regulars at Old Delhi, it’s the spices, flavour, cooking technique and presentation that lends street food its distinct taste. “Golgappas in Old Delhi come with potatoes, saunth (dried ginger) chutney, tamarind and mint chutney, quite unlike the usual golgappas with the potato, mint and a tamarind concoction,” says Poonam, a regular at Old Delhi.
Haziful kakori kebab
Ingredients
200 gm minced mutton (fine)
1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tbsp raw papaya paste
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 cloves
1 black cardamom
1/8 tsp powdered cinnamon
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/8 mace powder
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
1 cup brown onion paste
1 tbsp ghee
1/4 tbsp roasted chana powder
Method:
In a bowl, mix all the ingredients from the mutton to onion paste and marinate for three hours. Grind mutton with marinade into smooth and thick paste. Knead the above mixture well and add powdered chana, cover and refrigerate for 30-40 minutes.
Shape the mixture into kebabs. Place the kebabs on seekh to grill until it turns brown. Brush with ghee and cook for another two minutes. Garnish with chaat masala, onions rings and lemon wedges. Serve with the green chutney.
The festival is on till Feb 6