What's cooking in Delhi?

Of all the businesses in Delhi, one which would never die out is that of food. The other competitor is the real estate of course. Food however is something the Delhites would never compromise with. The delicious victuals we find here have become a Part of Delhi’s rich culture.

I have often wondered what has Delhi got what we don’t find elsewhere? One of my random trips to the JNU took me to Mamu’s Dhaba. It’s a beautiful open air Dhaba in the midst of JNU’s beautiful environs. Mamu answered to my query in his typical poetic self. He in his extravagant Urdu (which I can’t recollect much of) said that any cuisine is a combination of subtle tastes. The flavours added are as varied as the climate and as exotic as the people of Delhi. Fragrant spices, pungent and warm spices are blended in different proportions for the dishes. Delhi being a melting pot has absorbed the best from every cuisine that came its way. The people here find an ease in indulging in food from their restless life.

From age-old eateries in the bylanes of the Walled City to glitzy, specialty restaurants in five-star hotels, Delhi is a moveable feast. It offers a choice of Indian and international cuisine's in different ambiences to suit varied budgets. Delhi's vendor stalls offer all sorts of food, ranging from deep-fried tikkis to fresh fruits chats. One just can’t say no to a tempting choice of Papri Chat, Gol-gappas, Raj Kachori, Kulfi Faluda etc which are on offer in the market. Furthermore, there is always a local restaurant where one can try the curries or thalis. The innumerable Chinese food outlets of the meals-on-wheels kind can gauge the popularity of this cuisine. Also, Delhi is synonymous with the omnipresent tandoor. Tandoori chicken, Chicken Tikka, Boti Kabab, tandoori roti all freshly drawn out from the tandoor, make the mouth go watering.

Delhi's restaurant landscape has always been changing since the time of Kareem’s and Moti Mahal. Numerous restaurants open up every month. Globalisation (thanks to Friedman and outsourcing) has led to the mushroom growth of Italian, Thai and International cuisine restaurants, much to the relief of the big diplomatic crowd. No wonder Delhi has also become the restaurant capital with foodies like us hovering all around.