a indian culture/cuisine neophyte

[Akiko]

It's pretty much decided... after moving to London last year and beginning to dabble in the richness of Indian restaurants here and beginning to be interested in the culture (I can't believe I've previously missed out on this) my husband and I are probably going for a short trip to Delhi this April.

I'm a little intimidated, I know very very little about Delhi, the food, the people... i'd love any information you can send my way: websites, food recommendations, can I eat at stalls? how do I avoid food poisoning, shopping, sites... places for excellent chai, samosas, delicacies particular to delhi....

Thankyou!

[Monica Bhide]

How wonderful.. can I come!!! Mark Bittman did a really nice peice on Delhi a few months ago for the NY TImes.. it lays out some of the nice places to go in Delhi. Also if you search this forum there are tons of suggestions, a bit scattered I admit, but they are there. Be careful of eating off the street, if your tummy is not used to it, it is not a safe idea.

Delhi is so much fun... the food choices are great. There is also a really good book out by Reshmi Uday Singh on the best palces to eat in Delhi

i would really start with the Bittman piece, then look thru the forum here.

I look forward to hearing more .......................

[Akiko]

Thank you Monica!

I just found the article and am printing it out. For anyone else interested, here is the link to Mark Bittman's article.

mark bittman in new delhi

I look forward to other advice and experiences!

[mongo_jones]

like monica i wouldn't recommend eating street food in delhi (and most places in india) unless you have a cast iron stomach or have lived there for a while. if you do want to eat snacks etc. your best bet would be to go to bengali market (very near connaught place--any cab driver can take you there) and sample the wares of either nathu's sweets or bengali sweets across the way. the film-maker mira nair's brother just opened a high-end indian snackfood place in gurgaon. it opened a few days before i left so i can't vouch for it but it may be worth checking out. gurgaon is a long drive though (where will you be staying?)--about an hour in decent traffic. haldiram's has also opened a number of large indian fast-food outlets. these are supposed to be very good but somewhat overpriced.

i don't know if you're going to the south as well on this trip but if not a visit to the saravana bhavan on janpath (on the same side of janpath as the cottage emporium) is essential. for rs. 110 ($2.50) you can get the tamil nadu meal which features small portions of about 26 things! a picture of this thali will soon be up on my trip food pictures page.

there are some excellent premium restaurants in delhi as well and it would be remiss to not try them out. at the top of this list for north-western cuisine are bukhara and dum pukht at the maurya sheraton, and kandahar at the oberoi is pretty good too. also go to dilli haat (ask at your hotel and they'll point you in the right direction) and sample food from all the different indian states (though sometimes of variable authenticity: many of the northeastern state pavillions, for instance, serve momos not because momos are from the north-east but because delhi-ites think they are and love to eat them).

i've just returned from a trip home myself and you may want to look at the thread titled "report from delhi" for more info.

[mongo_jones]

Thank you Monica!

I just found the article and am printing it out. For anyone else interested, here is the link to Mark Bittman's article.

mark bittman in new delhi

I look forward to other advice and experiences!

okay, i read the bittman article. calling bukhara "basically a first-rate tandoori restaurant" is like calling the french laundry "basically a first-rate french restaurant". true the food there will not always be unfamiliar but it is the epitome of what the bulk of indian restaurants outside india strive to be. the dal bukhara is, in my opinion, the best restaurant dal in delhi. their tandoori gobi--a whole cauliflower head roasted in the tandoor--is also stunning, as are the kababs. to go to delhi to eat indian food and not eat at bukhara would be folly.

of the other restaurants he mentions, the spice route is completely over-rated. in any event, for a foreigner looking for non-standard indian food too much of their menu is taken up by south-east asian specialties. for much better, not to mention much cheaper, takes on south indian non-veg food try the coconut grove at the neighbouring janpath hotel (a very scary hotel, but the restaurant is good) or swaagath in the defence colony market. it is operated by the same people who own the vegetarian saagar across the way (until the coming of saravana bhavan it was considered the gold standard of veg. south indian in delhi--though vrindavan in g.k-1 was always better). try the crab butter-pepper-garlic at swaagath and whatever else you get, get neer dosas to go with it.

chor bizarre is okay; dum pukht is, of course, divine.

i have not eaten at masala art--the fact that none of my friends mentioned it as worth eating at may or may not be significant.

another classic delhi experience--though potentially a little intimidating at night for unaccompanied foreigners--are the "dhabas" at pandara road market; especially pindi and gulati's. classic mughlai-tandoori food in a raucous atmosphere. but there can be a lot of drunken hi-jinks in the parking lot at night (especially on the weekends)--there's been a fight or a loud argument 85% of the times i've been there. this is the aspect of delhi-culture that non-delhi-ites love to slam.

if you do want to be adventurous and wander old delhi, ask a rickshawallah to take you to parathewale gali--a bylane that specializes in a mind-boggling variety of parathas. karim's restaurant near the jama masjid is an old delhi landmark. ideally you'd structure a visit to the jama masjid and red fort around an early lunch at karim's and a jaunt through parathewale gali for high-tea.

for biryani, the now extensively-franchised deez biryanis features pretty good takes on almost all versions of the biryani.

i would also recommend trying some indian chinese. chopsticks at the asian games village is enjoying a renaissance of sorts and they have a fairly representative menu.

[Akiko]

Mongo,

I'm completely fascinated by what you are saying, and what makes it more interesting is that you are almost speaking in a foreign language for me! I can't wait to get to delhi and mispronounce all these things and get smiled at (at least I hope they'll smile and not get annoyed).

But at the moment, I'm finding the thought of Indian-Chinese especially intriguing. I know Japanese-Chinese (they particularly make a spicy prawn dish with the prawns still in the shell that I love) and Korean-Chinese (zha zhan myun, I butchered the spelling but its the noodles in the black sauce, and excellent orange beef or gampoongi at places like this) But can you describe Indian-Chinese for me?

[Monica Bhide]

I agree with mongo but please be careful when visiting some of the areas suggested.. Why -- because they are really crowded and if you dont know wheere you are going it can get very unpleasant. parathewali gali is in Chandi Chowk and that place is unbelieably crowded.. think Bangkok multiplied by 100. Go with someone like a tour guide if you really need to

Masala Art has been getting rave reviews from many of my friends and cousins. i would give it a thumbs up!

[mongo_jones]

Mongo,

I'm completely fascinated by what you are saying, and what makes it more interesting is that you are almost speaking in a foreign language for me! I can't wait to get to delhi and mispronounce all these things and get smiled at (at least I hope they'll smile and not get annoyed).

But at the moment, I'm finding the thought of Indian-Chinese especially intriguing. I know Japanese-Chinese (they particularly make a spicy prawn dish with the prawns still in the shell that I love) and Korean-Chinese (zha zhan myun, I butchered the spelling but its the noodles in the black sauce, and excellent orange beef or gampoongi at places like this) But can you describe Indian-Chinese for me?

indian chinese has a couple of incarnations. in calcutta there are still remnants of original indian-chinese: made by immigrants (and their descendants) from china who came to calcutta in the 19th century. however, this is increasingly difficult to find.

most indian chinese restaurants--as exemplified by chopsticks--serve a chinese cuisine that has been visibly altered by its encounter with the north-indian palate: lots of heavily sauced dishes; a lot of mutton dishes (but nothing like chinese-muslim cooking); and most crucially, a lot of vegetarian dishes that you won't find anywhere else in the world. as to whether all of this is "chinese" is a question for purists. certainly people who operate and eat at the high-end chinese restaurants in calcutta and delhi scoff at it, but i personally feel that eating at a place like the teahouse of the august moon at the taj palace (don't know if it is still around) is a waste of time since their own takes on "authentic" chinese food aren't as good as the chinese food i could eat in los angeles.

if you do go to chopsticks try their shredded-chilli lamb and their honey-chilli chicken.

[mongo_jones]

It's pretty much decided... after moving to London last year and beginning to dabble in the richness of Indian restaurants here and beginning to be interested in the culture (I can't believe I've previously missed out on this) my husband and I are probably going for a short trip to Delhi this April.

akiko,

i can't believe i missed this but by going to delhi in april (one of the better months to visit--before it gets unspeakably hot) you may hit, if you are lucky, the beginning of mango season. if this works out eat nothing else.

mongo

[Akiko]

OOOH, I love Mango. Is there a particular kind I should especially look for (some variety that I could get nowhere else?). Or dishes made with fresh mango in them?

YUM YUM YUM, I had no idea it was the beginning of mango season in India.

[mongo_jones]

I agree with mongo but please be careful when visiting some of the areas suggested.. Why -- because they are really crowded and if you dont know wheere you are going it can get very unpleasant. parathewali gali is in Chandi Chowk and that place is unbelieably crowded.. think Bangkok multiplied by 100. Go with someone like a tour guide if you really need to

just want to clarify:

there is nothing to fear in bengali market; the pandara road dhabas too are completely innocuous at lunch and even when fights break out in the parking lot at dinner they never involve non-combatants.

as for old delhi: there is a lot of unfounded fear of old delhi (sometimes for unpleasant reasons and prejudices i won't go into here). yes, chandni chowk is unbelievably crowded. but the spice and dry fruit markets there are an experience everyone should have once. to not go for fear of crowds etc. is to my mind to deny yourself a remarkable experience. as with most crowded places you need to know where your money is--keep purses, wallets and cameras in front of you at all times. but the only reason you'd need a guide is to take you to notable eateries or vendors. but the chances of your encountering anything scarier or more unpleasant than the sight of a skinned goat's head with the eyeballs still in it are low.

[mongo_jones]

OOOH, I love Mango. Is there a particular kind I should especially look for (some variety that I could get nowhere else?). Or dishes made with fresh mango in them?

YUM YUM YUM, I had no idea it was the beginning of mango season in India.

there are literally hundreds of varieties of mango in india. my favorites are the langda (this gives away my bengali roots) and the daseri. the latter is a small orange, juicy mango that is best eaten by ripping off the top with your teeth and then literally squeezing the pulp and juice into your mouth with your hands. the langda is a dark green-skinned mango that has a very complex, deep flavor. alas, you may be too early for either. depends on a variety of factors. some years you don't get to see some kinds of mangos at all.

as for dishes made with mangos, find a bengali family and get invited to their home. bengalis make a sweet and sour chutney (in india chutney signifies dessert rather than relish) with raw mangoes in a sugar based syrup that is unbelievably refreshing. especially when made with leftover roshogulla syrup. also aam-panna--a cold mango-syrup drink made with cumin etc. etc.

[BBhasin]

To our friend visiting Delhi and desirous of getting aquaited with some Indian street food I would reccoment HALDIRAM in Lajpat Nagar on the ring road.

Very clean, even using Bisleri ( mineral water) for their uncooked chutneys, pani poori etc.

My favorite is their RAj Kachori.

[Vikram]

There's a book called 'Flavours of Delhi' by a journalist named Charmaine O'Brien that's a pleasant enough introduction to eating in the city. Not everything may be up to date, but it'll give you broad guidelines to eating there. Personally, of course, I don't know why anyone goes to that awful city up north. Come and eat in Bombay instead!

Vikram

[Akiko]

(where will you be staying?)

I think we will be staying at the Hyatt Regency, my husband has some work that he will also be conducting over our five days in Delhi... so two of these days I will be exploring on my own. Chris is very camera happy so we'll probably be going to Agra and Jaiphur over the weekend so he can get his fill of those sites as well.

I'm going to print all this out and go over it with him on the weekend as we begin to plan.

Does anyone also have movies or books that might educate me culturally? I loved "A Suitable Boy" but was very troubled by "God of Small Things". Really enjoyed "Monsoon Wedding"... I think that is the extent of my cultural knowledge. I'm going to the book store today to pick up "Interpreter of Maladies" as well as look through their travel section on Delhi and see if I can find "flavours of Delhi".

[anil]

I think April is gonna be quite hot. Hyatt Regency used to have a fairly decent restaurant, I will double-check on that. Be careful of pickpockets. Avoid ice, un-bottled water.

[anil]

To our friend visiting Delhi and desirous of getting aquaited with some Indian street food I would reccoment HALDIRAM in Lajpat Nagar on the ring road.

Very clean, even using Bisleri ( mineral water) for their uncooked chutneys, pani poori etc.

My favorite is their RAj Kachori.

Haldiram has opened a mega-complex just outside Delhi off one of the highways (Dont know which ) This place is about like a suburban mall except it's Halidram only :)

[Monica Bhide]

To our friend visiting Delhi and desirous of getting aquaited with some Indian street food I would reccoment HALDIRAM in Lajpat Nagar on the ring road.

Very clean, even using Bisleri ( mineral water) for their uncooked chutneys, pani poori etc.

My favorite is their RAj Kachori.

Haldiram has opened a mega-complex just outside Delhi off one of the highways (Dont know which ) This place is about like a suburban mall except it's Halidram only :)

We went here and really enjoyed it. THe food was good and the complex is really nicely done..

[easyguru]

(where will you be staying?)

Does anyone also have movies or books that might educate me culturally? I loved "A Suitable Boy" but was very troubled by "God of Small Things". Really enjoyed "Monsoon Wedding"... I think that is the extent of my cultural knowledge. I'm going to the book store today to pick up "Interpreter of Maladies" as well as look through their travel section on Delhi and see if I can find "flavours of Delhi".

Books

India: A Million Mutinies Now, by V S Naipaul

and look at books by Gita Mehta.

[mongo_jones]

depending on who you talk to v.s naipaul is either the best or the worst person to read on india. i tend towards the latter group. he's the kind of writer who begins with a set of prejudices (though he denies it) and then, surprise, surprise, confirms them. unfortunately he is an amazing writer and has a brilliant brain and so comes off very persuasive. but this may be a topic for another forum.

if you want to read a nice collection of prose pieces on delhi pick up the new penguin collection of pieces about delhi--i think it is called "improbable city" and is edited by khushwant singh. lots of good writing on a range of topics.

there's also william dalrymple's "city of djinns" on the history of pre-independence delhi.

on the whole though i'm not sure you need to read books or watch movies before you visit india (do i need to read "pride and prejudice" or "bridget jones' diary" before visiting england?); just keep your eyes and ears open while you're there. and oh yes, very little can prepare the first world tourist for the fearsome experience of new delhi roads: think insane formula 1 drivers playing chicken. and jaipur may be even scarier.

[Akiko]

For me, books and movies always enhance my appreciation of a place and its culture. So no, you don't need to see or read Pride and Prejudice or Bridget Jones Diary before you come to England, but it might give you a better appreciation for the City of Bath or a the woman in the pub who asks you for a fag.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking to stereotype, I like to see through many views.

I think we'll be taking trips out to Agra and to Jaipur... anything I shouldn't miss?

Thankyou again, this thread has gotten me very excited.

[Monica Bhide]

The jewelry in Jaipur is really excellent. Try to go to some of the larger reputed stores and have a look. It is breathtakingly beautiful

My parents lived in Jaipur for a while and always talk about how hospitable the folks are there

I have not been there in years for a visit -- expect for an overnight last year when my flight to Delhi got diverted to Jaipur at 1:00 am due to fog!

What I remember of the city was ofcourse the legendary pink walls.

I would advise you to get a tour guide. THey will be able to show you all the highlights of the city

I too, like you, like to read a lot about a city when I go there. It does make it seem a bit more familiar and not so strange.

I went to Agra as a child but do remember the magnificent Taj. you will really enjoy it.

I am so envious

[Pan]

I haven't been to India since 1977, but I loved Fatehpur (with Sikri down below in the valley), and I also liked various sights in Delhi, including the Red Fort. Neither Fatehpur nor Delhi is very far from Agra.

[ludja]

Does anyone also have movies or books that might educate me culturally?  I loved "A Suitable Boy" but was very troubled by "God of Small Things".  Really enjoyed "Monsoon Wedding"... I think that is the extent of my cultural knowledge.  I'm going to the book store today to pick up "Interpreter of Maladies" as well as look through their travel section on Delhi and see if I can find "flavours of Delhi".

The movies of Satyajit Ray are incredibly beautiful and moving. I have deeply enjoyed all of them I've seen. They can be difficult to find in the US but it may be easier in England.

I don't know which movies may or may not be set in the area of Delhi, but the "Apu Trilogy" - "Pather Panchali" (1955), "Aparajito" (1957), and "The World of Apu" (1959)- is very good. (think it is set primarily in Kolkata (Calcutta). If he has movies set in Delhi, someone else may know.

On a food note, the movies show so many details of people's lives, that there are invariably many interesting scenes of food being prepared and eaten...

Edited January 19, 2004 by ludja (log)

[Akiko]

Amazingly enough, the time has almost come and I'm tremendously excited... I don't want to miss anything, but as I'm only there for a week, I'll have to make sure I pack in as much as I can.

I'm definitely going to go to Bukhara and Dum Pukht. Should I make reservations for these two places? Especially since I want to sit at the counter at Bukhara?

I'm also going to try to get to Masala Art, should I make a reservation here too?

And we will be going to Parthewale Gali, I love Paratha. Are there hundreds of varieties here? Any I should be looking out for?

And Mongo, I want to go to Chopsticks. Can you tell me the location for this? Or is it better for me to ask the concierge at the Imperial (we're staying there now).

Does anyone have a textile store/stand recommendation from me? I'm looking for sari type fabric (the irridescent, see through, deeply colored material embroidered with silver or gold thread) in unusual quantity. I want to make a few dining room table covers as well as hang two lengths over the front of shelving we have in the dining room... and maybe more material to make long cushions out of to put on the benches at said table. - I'll be in Jaiphur too, is it better to buy this kind of material here?

My trip will be so much richer for having had the advice of everyone who contributed to this thread, thank you so much.