Monica Bhide

thanks for the kind words -- i had to pick and choose.. more to come on this tale soon

Mine too YUM

Thanks for taking the time Paula.. I really appreciate it

I think they were insulted because they want to earn a living by giving us a ride in their auto rickshaw and my asking them questions on where they eat seemed irrelevant to them I always hope that when people read my pieces, they see a reality and not some fiction that never happens thanks for looking at the piece.. I value your feedback and comments

And you can read all about this in Rahul's new book out this fall Indigo

Lalaji was on vacation -- canyou believe it! I do have pics of the kachories being fried.. let me see if I can find them and yes -- they generously sprinkled the khatta masala ( tangy spice powder) on the dish .. this place has been around for over 50 years and its amazing how they churn out the same thing each day. Since Lalaji ( who by the way uses the most foul language I have ever heard) was not around, we were allowed to peek in all the utensils and even got a tour of the back of the kitchen..

Akiko -- I want to eat at Zaika -- maybe my next visit to London you will guide me as to where to eat there! I am sure you will fall in love with Delhi. If you get a chance, visit Mumbai as well.. food and people are both fab

I was told because of the size of the jalebis that they were actually JALEBAS -- dont know if they were humoring me or if its true. The funniest thing happened here.. a lot of young folk surrounded me and insisted that I should forget the food and take their pics. I did and they paid for my jalebas. Man.. THEY WERE GOOD --- dripping with sugar, hot out of the kadai (cast iron pan) and just melted in my mouth My medicine.. repeated chants of "I can do this, nothing will happen" -- the power of positive thinking .. Funny thing is I was fine, it was my Delhi bred, Delhi born, Delhi raised cousin who got an upset tummy!!!!

Thanks for the kind words. You must have had a ball with the French documentary people. Would you please please please tell us about your experiences in a new thread... any memories you can share would be welcome I really tried to stay away from the known and standard places (like parathewali gali -- which I know is good) -- this really was an attempt to see what the common man eats. Delhi has so much more to offer than kebabs and parathas and I hope that I have atleast scratched the surface of this multifaceted city

Thanks so much. It was just such a joy to be able to do this. I had my young son with me so eating out at "diverse" (ahem) places in the day was out of the question.. but once he was in bed.. I was free to do what I wanted.. that is why we chose to do this at night!

He is still recovering He did alright and is excited to do it again. Delhi is so huge, we merely scratched the surface -- i know Anda means egg Yes -- I would love to do it in other places.. what an adventure that would be.... Ellen Shapiro are you reading this

I did not grow up in Delhi. I left India when I was about 6 years old. We did visit parathewali gali and I have tons of pics from that -- for another piece I did not see any anda paratha guys -- sounds yummy though I will take you up on your offer.. next time around.. send me to more such places.. We really had a ball doing this... we were sort of wandering around and eating what came our way. I did not go to any particular area The guys who served us our meal were Bengali's -- such sweet chaps.

Gerhard -- the pics, the food -- everything looks irresistable.. you upto having me over there .. i cannot resist The first light picture is so soothing. .. it is cold and snowy here .. what a sight for sore eyes that is

Episure -- my friend.. yes you are right!

That guy was amazing... working at the speed of light doing quite a few kilograms of onions in just a few hours

Come with me as I take you into the heart of Delhi in the midnight hours. Join me From Dusk 'Til Dawn in a delightful city that never ceases to amaze +++ Be sure to check The Daily Gullet home page daily for new articles (most every weekday), hot topics, site announcements, and more.

Welcome and what a start with such an informative post! I look forward to your posts!

Okay its official -- I am awake, I showered and I dont look like something the cat dragged in (i know that is debatable even I feel normal) No fever yet I am doing the hot tea thing. Rasam helps somedays, but right now the pepper is irritating my throat Also doing the halls and hot water thing thanks all this has been very helpful and yes.. the sympathy counts towards 200% of my feeling better

Ok this is it -- I want my mom! Sad, she is so far away.. over 3000 miles

well -- fever is down. taste has gone to hell. campbells chicken noodle soup is what i had for lunch yuck.. this feels so pathetic been drinking a lot of fluids.. even plain water tastes awful sorry to whine

this sounds so good. I am going to try it now

Thanks guys -- i feel so low. Rochelle.. come cook for me. Even getting a soda seems like a chore

Amazing stuff Gsquared. i really liked the pics. You are awesome!

I feel awful. Bad case of the flu... any ideas on what to eat drink to feel at least halfway human

Tomatoes, when they are used to prepare a gravy or curry sauce, are to be cooked down until they completely "break down" (for lack of a better term!). Have pieces of floating tomatoes generally signifies that the cook was in a rush and did not completely cook the dish. I grew up with instructions to cook down the tomatoes until the oil separate from the tomato mixture signifying that the tomatoes were cooked Our very knowledgeable crew here in the India forum has had some interesting discussions on how much a spice mixture (made with onions and tomatoes) should be cooked and there are (ofcourse) conflicting views. This one is mine