The Perfect Delhi Wintry Afternoon Munchie

Winter has finally set its foot in the city. Maybe it’s not yet the time to dig into the closet to look for woolens, but you still know it’s arrived when you see the mungphalli walas (peanut seller) everywhere.

So rather than smelling the hibiscus and the peonies , I’m smelling peanuts.

 Today I saw a portly middle aged Aunty purchasing mungphalis(peanuts) by the kilo. While the hapless seller was weighing the hot fresh oven roasted whole mungphalis , The 'Aunty' kept nibbling on the rest. Of course the nibbles were over and above her purchased loot. She must have eaten some 100 gms while the entire transaction took place. Yeah she took home the satisfaction for getting the value for money, and who cares for the free calories consumed. The hapless seller looked longingly for the next ‘noble’ customer.

Just another day in the daily Dilli life.

And winter has just set in.

 Winter in Delhi is definitely overrated. It’s a little naughty sneaky lover who keeps you waiting for days at end, and then suddenly he is there. Gives you enough reasons to celebrate and make merry. Choosing to vanish one day, leaving you pine in front of the calendar. Counting and Waiting.

I’m glad that he is back in town.

Perhaps I too can give some business to my local mungphalli seller, and be noble enough not to nibble the extras.

And I know, that whenever I go - the mungphalli wala will happily wrap it in the recycled goodness of yesterday's news. Love you Dilli ki Sardi (Delhi Winter ).

A journey into the heart of Chandni Chowk :: Parathewali Gali :: New Delhi

A visit to the Chandni Chowk is must to feel the pulse of Delhi , Walking through its narrow arteries on a summery Saturday noon – and you sense that siesta is the last thing on the minds of the busy traders. You stop here, you gaze at the goodies, and you give a stunned stare, hardly any onlookers. Perhaps most people have on the 'end of the day moolah earned blinders' and don't have that kind of time to bother. Perhaps Darwin’s theory of adaptation is at work here – where people become accustomed to being crowded by people, all over, all day. All said and done—its fun. A different experience.

We went there to participate in a friends wedding trousseau shopping, and the reward for all that hard work was of course food. Naturally, the last stop to our Chandni chowk sojourn had to be parathe wali gali. So much has already been written and talked about the ubiquitous parathas, and I can hardly do justice to the paeans. All I can say is the parathas are no-where near to the regular ones we are used to having. It’s a savoury sin, deep fried roundels of well rolled out kneaded flour , stuffed with your choice of stuffing. And Voila! What a choice they offer – from dry fruit stuffing the bitter karela they have it all. The serve the parathas with one curried vegetable and one dry vegetable, plus a sweet chutney. In case you can stomach more—order for a sweet lassi from the shop next door. The waiters will happily oblige you with lassi at your table. That day we ordered – matar + methi + paneer +alu + gobhi parathas all served with unlimited serving of the veggies, and for sweets we pre-purchased the famous Jalebi. What more can one ask for. We just digged in!

The Parathas were cooked right in front of us – the cooks displayed an amazing cookery feat which involved a combination of swiftness, care, clout, innovation, sincerity and many other things that we totally undermine when it comes to an age-old job of just cooking and serving …and we all agree, its much more than that.

Meal for two : 150 Rs