Chal yaar Rajinder chalte hain!

If you are into Mughlai food, love your tikkas and kababs, and are based in or near South Delhi, then it is impossible that you haven't heard of or visited Rajinder da Dhaba at least once in your lifetime.

I was introduced to this place by my dad who was a big fan of their Butter Chicken and Dal Makhani. Currently this eatery is based at DDA Market, Safdarjung Enclave. Around 20-25 years ago, this Dhaba was located across the road at the Red Light just next to the same market. Then it was a proper dhaba as you can see in the picture below:

Over the years, as the business grew, the owners shifted the eatery to the main market giving it a shape of a proper restaurant while retaining the old name and the food quality.

Coming to the food, their signature dishes are Butter Chicken, Dal Makhani and Tandoori Chicken. It can be argued that if you ignore the ambience, then these dishes offered by them can give any restaurant in the country a run for their money as they are still prepared using the same age old recipes, spices and flavors without compromising on quality or cooking time (very critical).

Apart from these, off late, the dhaba has gained a significant customer base amongst the youngsters and young professionals by offering take away items over the counter like Chicken Tikka, Galauti Kabab, Chicken Satay, Tandoori Chicken, Mutton Burra, Mutton Seekh Kabab etc. Each of these succulent items are to die for.

As the Blog title suggests, this is a common line nowadays amongst the youngsters based in South Delhi while deciding a hang out place over the weekend or after office hours as whenever you visit this place, you will always find groups of boys and girls standing at the parking lot next to the restaurant's take away counter enjoying their favorite dishes offered by this wonderful eatery.

So, chal yaar Rajinder chalte hain!

Biryani: The Royal Dish

Meaning and Origin

Biryani is a rice based dish made with highly seasoned rice and meat, fish, or vegetables.

'Biryani' is derived from the Persian word 'Birian'. In Farsi, Birian means 'Fried before Cooking'.

In the olden days, rice was fried (without washing) in Ghee (Clarified butter). It did two things: 1. It gave the rice a nutty flavor 2. It burned the outside starch layer gelatinizing it. After the rice was stir-fried, it was boiled in water with spices till half cooked.

Though the exact origin of Biryani is uncertain, multiple sources and research papers indicate that it's origins lie in either Iran or India but no conclusive evidence for the same is available.

There is a theory about the Mughals having brought biryani to India, but another theory claims that the dish was known in the South Asia before Babur came to India. The 16th century Mughal text Ain-i-Akbari makes no distinction between biryanis and pulao. It states that the word "biryani" is of older usage in India.A similar theory - that biryani came to India with Timur's invasion - also appears to be incorrect, because there is no record of biryani having existed in his native land during that period.

Ingredients

Historically, the most common varieties of rice used for preparation of biryani were the long-grain brown rice (in North India) and Zeera Samba rice (in South India). Today, the basmati rice is the most common variety. In Bangladesh, puffed rice is also used.

The spices and condiments used in biryani may include, but are not limited to, ghee (clarified butter), nutmeg, mace, pepper, cloves,cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, coriander, mint leaves, ginger, onions, and garlic. The premium varieties include saffron.

The main ingredient that accompanies the spices is the meat, chicken and mutton are the most commonly used meat for cooking a biryani, special versions may include pork, beef, fish, or prawn. The dish may be served with dahi chutney or Raita, korma, curry, a sour dish of aubergine (brinjal), boiled egg, and salad.

Different types of Biryani by Region or Culture:

Hyderabadi Biryani



Lucknowi or Dum-Pukht Biryani



Sindhi Biryani



Bombay Biryani



Kolkata Biryani



Kalyani Biryani



Palakkad Rawther Biryani



Bohri Biryani



Bhatkali Biryani



Beary Biryani

Thalassery Biryani



Vaniyambadi Biryani

Memoni Biryani



Dindigul Biryani

Trip to Ladakh- Local Food!

Maggie!!!

Thukpa (Noodle soup with lots of veggies!)

Momos!

Presenting KK: The Masterchef!

Following are the snapshots of some of the selected Delicacies straight out of my kitchen. 

Feedback please!

Seekh Kabab Lababdar

Goan Fish Curry

Masala Prawn Biryani

Shakshouka: Tunisian Breakfast Dish

Butter Garlic Lobsters

Will share the recipes soon!

JNU.. Nostalgia.. Memories.. Food!

Whenever I think of College days and Friends, some of my best memories of those days are associated with JNU.

Me and my buddies used to hang around a lot at JNU during the evenings and boy those were the days! We had so many things to chat about- Girls, movies, sports, girls, politics, career, girls... The list goes on and on. JNU is a place which is always so vibrant and picturesque, that you are always in high spirits. So we used to sit or go for long walks within the campus. Ah the time used to fly!

An integral part of our intellectual conversations (bull*%$#) used to be the food options available at different eating joints within the campus. The first preference always used to be the beautifully located Ganga Dhaba as it was situated right near the main entry gate of the campus.

The food options available there were very simple and perfectly used to compliment the atmosphere around the place (trees, greenery, students, chatter). Hot tea, bread rolls, muffins, omelette, egg paranthas and aloo paranthas. Delicately spiced, cheaply priced and prepared in hygienic conditions. Awesome times!

Another great place at JNU was Teflas Cafeteria where we used to have dinner. It is the place where all the JNU hostelers used to have their meals and mini celebrations like a birthday treat etc. The menu here boasted of North Indian, Indo- Chinese and Mughlai items at unbelievably cheap prices.

 
Our regular order used to be Dal Makhani, Kadhai Paneer and Tandoori roti which used to be very delicious and easy on stomach. I have tasted Mughlai items on the menu as well and they taste equally good.

The reason I have written this post about my foodie experience at JNU is not actually the food which I have had at these places. Its about the experience- company of my favorite people, long conversations, walks, campus atmosphere and most importantly, the memories. Sometimes you remember the times and the people with whom you have shared the food, more than the food itself.

P.S: I have used the verb "was" multiple times in this post while talking about Ganga Dhaba and Teflas. It is because Ganga Dhaba has recently shut shop and I haven't gone to Teflas since last 6-7 years so its more or less a part of my memory now. Hope my friends read this post and in the near future we plan a visit to Teflas to re-live those times once again. 

Rain.. Tea.. Pakodas!!

In the early nineties, when I was just a school kid, one day my father came home with a package in his hand. It was raining outside and the weather was just ideal for enjoying hot pakodas. 

A whiff, an aroma of pakodas filled the lobby as soon as he entered the house. Though I, like all the kids, was and am the biggest fan of my mom's cooking, I realized that it was different. It was a fragrance which carried a texture which simply cannot be achieved from home cooking. And it smelled super delicious!

My father saw the curiosity on my face and said, "I've got the best pakodas in the world for you today". And trust me, it's been more than 20 years, and I am yet to come across better tasting pakodas than the ones which my dad brought from Khandani Pakode Wala shop that day! I've been a huge fan ever since.

This more than 50 years old shop is situated at Narojini Nagar in New Delhi right at the corner of the left turn which you take from the Ring Road while driving towards Sarojini Nagar. And I can bet on anything if you can find this place deserted during the working hours any day year- round as you will always find this shop thronged with people lining up to get their hands on the delicious pakodas.

The shop offers a wide variety of pakodas. Usual ones like paneer, onion, bread, aloo tikki and the unusual ones like Soyabean, baingan, sweet corn, karela masala and kamal kakdi! 

The pakodas are prepared in hygienic conditions and are cheaply priced. The recipes are a secret and are passed from generation to generation. 

My personal favorites are Kamal kakdi, pyaaz, mirchi and palak methi pyaaz. Pakodas are delicately spiced and not heavy on stomach. All the pakodas taste different and there is a dedicated recipe for each type of pakoda with different fillings and spices. 

The most special thing offered by this shop is the superb mint and onion chutney to go with the pakodas which is really out of this world. Tangy and spicy, this chutney is kind of a trademark of this shop.

So next time it rains and you feel like having mouthwatering pakodas and a hot cup of tea, you know now where to head to!

Awesome Dhabas at Qutub Institutional Area, New Delhi

It didn't take me long to decide upon the first foodie adda to be covered in my blog as it is the first place which comes into my mind whenever I have a very strong urge to dig into sumptuous paranthas with lots of butter and hot cup of tea.

I have been visiting the Dhabas at Qutub Institutional Area since last 10 years and I swear to god, the place hasn't changed a bit- whether it's the food or the overall atmosphere of the place (Thank god!).

Since all the Dhabas are located opposite to the management institutes like IIFT, IIPM etc., the crowd here is always vibrant, young and happening consisting of college students and residents of nearby localities in South Delhi.

Now let's come to the main point- FOOD. Surprisingly for a 'Dhaba', the menu at each of these joints boasts of cuisines varying from North Indian to Mughlai to Chinese. But my personal opinion/suggestion is that when you visit this place, you should give a skip to all the 'exquisite' items on the menu and jump straight to the Parantha section as the paranthas here are to die for.

The list boasts of variety of Paranthas like Aloo, Aloo Pyaaz, Gobhi, Paneer, Keema etc. I have tried most of them and I must say that their preparation is really good. Paranthas are always served fresh, hot, crispy and super delicious here. My personal favorites are Aloo Pyaaz and Keema. Don't forget to order Butter and Tea to go with the Paranthas as that'll make your meal 'complete' in the true gastronomic sense. 

Also what makes the experience great is the supplementary items served with the food like pudina mint chutney, pickles and red chilly chutney (my favorite). All these items are always fresh and a must have to add a 'spice' to your experience of eating out here.

The food is reasonably priced and though earlier in this post I had suggested to skip the other items on the menu, let me clarify that all the items on the menu taste good and their taste or quality was not the reason for the same. It's just that some places are meant for some things. Hope my fellow foodies will understand :)

Though these Dhabas are open year- round, the best time to visit this place is in the monsoon season or the winter season as during the summers, the weather will spoil your experience of eating out here. During the winter season, the cool weather and fog to go with the greenery, literally makes this place look like heaven on earth.

Closing time: 11.30 PM.

Whom to go with: Friends.

Keep checking this space out for more Foodie Addas!