[Shilpaks]

Found this article when i was searching for soemthing else
I have tried the daulat ki chaat, but must try the other stuff sometime

(http://www.businesst...tcorner01.shtml)

Moon in Chandni Chowk
Rashmi Uday Singh takes food connoisseurs and novices alike through the narrow but illustrious streets of the much-acclaimed Chandni Chowk to get the real taste of Delhi
Come join me on a walk back in time. Let’s get a taste of the previous centuries as we zigzag our way through the gallis of Old Delhi's historic Chandni Chowk. Should you have the time and the inclination then you must give your tastebuds a treat. Today I take you into the vegetarian treasure-trove.
Mouthwatering food overflows into the streets (and I am not talking about the hackneyed “parathewalle galli”), aromas and flavours infuse the crammed gallies, which you have to share with the cows and cycles and rickshaws. And to think that Chandni Chowk was named because a stream flowed through the middle of the area and the silvery moonlight on it gave it this name! Shahjehan's romantic soul must surely be in distress to see the traffic overrun place today, but his gourmet spirit must be smiling!
Guiding me through this delicious journey is Gunjan Goela. Hailing from an illustrious old Delhi family (pioneering horologues) she knows the streets like the back of her hand.
First, I recommend you do what Pandit Nehru and Lal Bahadur Shastri did - stop at the Old famous Jalebiwalla and kickstart your journey with plump, sweet jalebis, made in pure ghee (what else?). Enjoy the mutter ke samose too. Tucked into the wall of the Fatehpuri mosque is the 125-year old Chaina Ram and these are the best aloo cholley and puris I have had in my life. Piping hot, layered with flavour, the aloo and cholley are topped off with a chutney. Cooked in pure ghee (again!). Harish Gidwani's great grandfather's name was Chaina Ram and till today his fabulous recipes are drawing throngs of crowds.
We stop by for some luscious, thick lassi (made in an antique brass contraption) at the 100-year old Makhan Lal Tikka Ram. He sells milk in large glasses, but I can't stand milk and so move on. Gunjan regales me with stories and folklore and I can't make up my mind whether the food is more delicious or the stories. You must end with the rabdi falooda of Giani Icecream and the dreamlike ‘Daulat ki chaat’ made with milk froth and sweetened, on a moonlit night. Yeh hai Chandni Chowk meri jaan!



Chandni chowk
• Old famous Jalebiwala, Shop no 1795. Dariba corner, Chandni Chowk
• Chaina Ram, 6499, Fatehpuri Chowk
• Makhan Lal Tika Ram, 1259-60 Bara Bazar, Kashmere Gate
• Mahalaxmi Mishtan Bhandar, 659 Church Mission Road, Fatehpuri

Edited by Shilpaks, 07 February 2007 - 04:23 PM.

[jyotirmoy]

hey Shilpa what about Ghantewalla????

[Shilpaks]

im not familiar with much of this area jyotida, u have to add to this list

[priya]

Wow Shipa, it sounds as though you had a truly mouth-watering experience. I'll bet you'll be going back pretty soon too.

A delightful write-up and very picturesque!!  Thanks for sharing.

Now, let me see what I have in the fridge

[Phantom]

Just next to giani's falooda shop, there's small dhaba. You need to eat the stuffed naan's over there to believe the taste. Incredible !!

Chaina Ram is famous for its "sev-badam"  and "sohan halwa" sweets. In diwali his whole family comes there to help in selling. The sale is so much that they put all the money in huge plastic bags and once they are full, they pour the money in the back room where the ladies of the family, start counting.... phew..!!

There's another sweet shop nearby.. i am forgetting the name, where you get absolutely fantastic raj kachouri's.. its near the gurudwara sheeshganj.

IMHO, the paranthe wali gali is just living on its fame. The taste is not that great and the variety also is missing.
This whole old delhi area is famous for the food, need to explore it more

[jyotirmoy]

The Ghantewala Sweet Shop, an 18th century sweet shop dominates the landscape. It is said that the recipes remain unchanged today, the flavour that once made the emperor's elephant stop outside the shop and ring its bell (Ghantewala : Bell ringer).  Try the fabulous Shohan Halwa

[cyberhippie]

Great thread, I think I'll start at Parathi Walli for breakfast then move on, ending the evening at Karims!!

He he what a wonderful day!!

[jyotirmoy]

Before heading to Karim's a quick trip to the booze shop opposite the fountain... hire a rickshaw... a few quick ones in the rickshaw.... and then Karim's here I come !!!!

[Shilpaks]

lol we must make a picnic out of this some weekend, watsay jyotida??
IT meetup would be a day long event thro the streets of old delhi !!!!

Edited by Shilpaks, 08 February 2007 - 10:04 AM.

[jyotirmoy]

Oh yes Shilpa why not? Before the winter ends perhaps?

[Shilpaks]

yup maybe once Ira gets into town i can get her also and we all can go binging, oh tht sounds like music to my ears hehehe

[jyotirmoy]

And spoil her !!!!!

[Phantom]

Oh Yeah, I forgot to mention the two biggies
KAREEM's and MOTI MAHAL.
Both are said to be around for more than a century and their families used to be the chefs of the mughal emperors.... !!!

[jyotirmoy]

Phantom,
Unfortunately Moti Mahal has fallen from grace. Karim's popularity is growing exponentially !!!

[Shilpaks]

jyotirmoy, on Feb 8 2007, 10:41 AM, said:

And spoil her !!!!!

ohooo jyotida im not spoiling her , but whts a stay in delhi if u dont walk thro the streets of old delhi and taste some of the delectable cuisine it has to offer

[jyotirmoy]

Shilpa you must have read in the papers today about SC prohibiting cooking food on pavements. Only sealed & packed food can be sold. Imagine a bread pakora in a plastic pack!!! If implemented the wonderful street foods of Delhi will disappear. Where shall we go after a late night show if the paratha wallas of Mool chand & Yusuf Sarai go away?

[Phantom]

jyotirmoy, on Feb 8 2007, 03:05 PM, said:

Phantom,
Unfortunately Moti Mahal has fallen from grace. Karim's popularity is growing exponentially !!!

Last time i tried the branch of moti mahal in punjabi bagh, and it was not that bad.. i dont know what happened to the chandni chowk branch. There's another one in atta market in Noida. Is it Kareem's or Moti Mahal ?? The food was quite nice over there as well.

[jyotirmoy]

There is a branch of Karim's at Sect.18 market in Noida. What you are refering to is Moti Mahal Deluxe. It is another chain I think.

[Shilpaks]

jyotirmoy, on Feb 8 2007, 03:26 PM, said:

Shilpa you must have read in the papers today about SC prohibiting cooking food on pavements. Only sealed & packed food can be sold. Imagine a bread pakora in a plastic pack!!! If implemented the wonderful street foods of Delhi will disappear. Where shall we go after a late night show if the paratha wallas of Mool chand & Yusuf Sarai go away?

ok ppls considering that a ruling from the courts ruined my last trip to ranthambore, i am not gonna allow them to ruin this one too, im going this saturday!!!!
calling all the gyaanis to please add any more sugestions u mite have to make this gastronomical pilgrimage a roaring success

[Phantom]

jyotirmoy, on Feb 8 2007, 03:32 PM, said:

There is a branch of Karim's at Sect.18 market in Noida. What you are refering to is Moti Mahal Deluxe. It is another chain I think.

Yeah it was kareem's. I had one chicken dish whose curry was made of sweet banana chutney. Do you have any clue whats the name of that dish ?? It was delicious.