I just love
October…the soft chill in the air, festivity, colors, sparkle, joy, excitement,
shopping and my favorite…food! Delhites need an excuse to satiate their taste
buds with the yummiest treats the city has to offer. Since I am not much into
fasting, navratras for me are nine days of sheer gastronomical paradise. I get
to savor the best of vrat (hindi word for fasting) and non vrat food. From the
bhog at Durga Puja pandals to the specially designed navratra thalis at
restaurants, it’s my yearly ritual to have them all.
One event I really
look forward to every year is the baadaa at Sitaram Bazaar, Old Delhi. Sitaram
bazaar is Old Delhi’s chaat capital and when they come up with something
special, it’s a must have. I first went there 4 years ago and since then there
has been no looking back.
Baadaa is a
midnight food festival (mela) organized during navratras and goes on till Dussehra. Nine
days of festivities, late night melas and lot of joy. Sitaram Bazar, during the
day is swarming with people. However, for the baadaa, shops close early and makeshift
food counters are setup.
The moment I
stepped out of the Chawri Bazzar, the glitter, lights and the aroma of delhi’s delicacies
surrounded me. Wow! I couldn’t wait to get started!
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Chawri Bazar Metro Station
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In front of Sitaram Bazar
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The lights!
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Making our way
through the crowded lane and the umpteen rickshaws, we first reached New Ashoka
sweets. An otherwise famous shop of Sitaram Bazaar, they serve special
delicaies for navratras. All shops serve 100% vegetarian food and most will
also dole out dishes you can have while fasting. In fact, I was surprised to
see every second counter serving vegetarian seekh kebabs. The shop was crowded as if it was serving food
for free. The 20 min wait for my order was a torture as I could see (and worse,
smell the amazing aroma) the delicacies people enjoyed and my mouth watered and
watered. But the wait was worth it. Kebabs made of cottage cheese, served in
spicy gravy, served with onion lacchha (salad) and rumaali rotis, made to perfection.
I was amazed how, despite the mad rush, the order taker made no mistakes in
delivery while the rumali roti guy dished out roti after roti within minutes.
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People waiting for their order
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Veg Kathi kebabs
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The rumali roti expert
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Rumali Roti
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Veg Kathi Kebab with Rumali roti & onion lachha
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Next in line was
aloo paneer tikki…flattened balls of potato and cottage cheese, spiced up and
shallow fried till crispy. Tikkis have to be cooked on the right flame for the right time else the result gets messed up. Maybe thats why, people didnt seem that patient to wait and the stall was relatively less crowded. But patience pays.The guy served the tikkis with generous helpings of
tamarind and mint chutney and … My mouth still waters as I write. Crispy, hot, spiced up, with dash of chutneys, I loved the tikkis.
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Aloo tikki and chaat
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I had heard so
much about Kanji vadas from my mother in law, so the moment I spotted the cart
selling them; I was after my hubby to try them out. Kanji vadas are pakodas
(fritters) served soaked in spicy water (kanji) and is a must try whenever u
come to Delhi. The pakodas could have been softer and fresh but the spicy water made up up for them.
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Kanji vada
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Once a week, I
have a date with Chhole Kulchey, but the ones I had here were very different
than the others. In a hurry, the guy, just sprinkled lots of masala on the
chholey and sprinkled lemon juice without bothering to mix it up. But, voila,
what a treat it was! Every bite a super spicy affair! My eyes were watery (tears
of gastronomical joy!) and I was loving it.
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Chhole Kulche
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I also tried the
moong dal chilla, pancakes made of moong dal, stuffed with coriander, cottage
cheese and served with chutney. Didn’t find much difference between them and
the usual stuff I get to eat at every second wedding.
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Moong dal chilla
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People waiting for their chilla
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Right next to the
chilla counter stood Om prakash Kulfi waala. The ice creams at Sitaram Bazzar
are prepared in unique manually operated ice cream makers in front of your
eyes, from real fruits, no added flavors. You won’t get this stuff anywhere
else. A must try. I tried the mango and pomegranate ice cream and they just
melted in my mouth! One of the best ice creams I ever had.
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Kulfi cart
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Manual ice cream machine
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Mango ice cream
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Pomegranate ice cream
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I was about to
leave when I spotted this cart with nankhatai. At Rs 20 for 100g, I got the
freshest, warmest and softest nankhatais that only Old delhi can offer. I
quickly gobbled few and got some packed for my tid bit treats at home.
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Nankhatais
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It was time to
leave. The crowd was growing every minute and I was told this would be so till
1-2 at night. The liveliness was infectious and I didn’t want to leave. I
filled the aroma one last time and hurried to grab the metro…
Some more pics from the fest...
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Balloon seller
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Masks popular with kids during Dussehra
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Masks, bow and arrows
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Servers in traditional attire
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Rickshaw carrying water jugs back from shops
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Chuski shop
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The joy of eating
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Outside New Delhi Railway Station
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such gorgeous looking food.. and I realize how much I miss these street food raids..
ReplyDeleteYa...street food is a foodie's delight!
ReplyDeleteThanks
Very interesting pictures and my mouth is already watering! Wish even i could visit such a bazaar:)(i need those pakodas^_^)
ReplyDeletea mouth watering blog----slurp
ReplyDeletea mouthwatering blog ----slurp
ReplyDeleteOk now the pics urge me for some Dilli Visiting..Nice pics Shaivi.
ReplyDeleteI am so inspired to visit their once...wow..mouth watering foods! and more fresh than what served in big hotels.
ReplyDeleteektakhetan.blogspot.in
want to visit
ReplyDeleteMouthwatering pictures . Although I am struggling to keep my weight intact your post read by me in the morning has broken my barriers . Today I am going to eat .
ReplyDeleteTravel India
looks yummy!
ReplyDeleteIt is such a lively scene at midnight.And the stalls accompanied by your description!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!No wonder you hogged.I envy you Shaivi for being there.
ReplyDeleteI have been going to chawri bazaar for the food for so long and I dint know about this festival..glad i bumped into your post....now I am waiting for October :)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.myunfinishedlife.com