from left to right Falsey ka Sherbet, Bondada Sherbet,,Bondada Sherbet,Kairee ka Panha,Thandai,Shikanji,
Quick FactsWhere: Dilli 32, Kempenski Ambience Hotel, Shahdra, New DelhiWhen: Till June 30thTimings: 7 PM to 11:45 PMPhone: 011 49088888Pricing: INR 400/- for Kulfis and INR 350/- for Sherbets
With the onset of summers, we look out for things to keep ourselves cool. We fill our homes with various squashes, carbonated beverages, powdered concentrates etc. or rush to get ice-creams & kulfis.
Sherbet is made from fruit juices or extracts of flowers or herbs, combined with sugar and water to form thick syrup that can be thinned at the time of consumption with water. The first account of sherbets is found in the book called Zakhireye Khwarazmshahi, which is a Persian medical encyclopedia, written by royal Islamic physician Ismail Gorgani in the 12th century. It became one of the most important beverages in Muslim culture and is possibly the oldest soft drink in the world. Sherbets were brought to India by the Mughal emperor Babur. There is an anecdote that he used to send his men to get the ice from the Himalayas so that he can enjoy cool sherbets. There is similar story of Kulfi, a frozen dessert made by mixing sweetened milk and fruit & nuts. Kulfi was also originated in the Mughal era. The association of both Sherbet & Kulfi with Delhi goes back to the Mughal era. And there can be a befitting choice to have a festival focusing on these two iconic things. Dilli 32, a North Indian cuisine restaurant at Kempenski Ambience Hotel is currently running Sherbets & Kulfi Promotion all this month. We visited Dilli 32 last week to relish some of the iconic kulfis & sherbets. Here is the account of our indulgence:
clock wise marwari kulfi, aam kulfi, parsi dairy kulfi, badami kulfi and paan kulfi
Marwari Kulfi: Made with condensed milk and stuffed with mango, chikoo, pomengranates and nuts. We loved it for its rich texture.Paan Kulfi: Flavoured with betel leaf, rose and stuffed with nuts. It was the best paan kulfi I have ever had. It had the rich texture and nice flavor of milk & paan.Parsi Dairy Kulfi: Inspired from the iconic Parsi Dairy Farm in Mumbai, it was light and aromatic.Aam Kulfi: Done with condensed milk stuffed with mango bits & dry fruits. It was supremely tasty and very different from the regular ones.Badami Kulfi: Stuffed with almonds and flavored with cardamom. It had a nice creamy texture with bits of almonds adding contrasting taste.Falsey ka Sherbet: Made with mix of berries. We loved it for its unique taste of falsa.Kairee ka Panha: Ubiquitous summer drink made with raw mango. It was the one of best one among all the drinks we tried. You have to taste it to believe it.Bondada Sherbet: A Manglorean drink made with tender coconut flesh, coconut water and spiked with lemon juice & basil seed. It was a one interesting drink – healthy & delightful.Shikanji: Another regular summer cooler - simple, flavourful & refreshingThandai: A typical UP style thandai which transported us of our old days. It is something that no Haldirams & Bikanervalas can replicate. The only thing missing in it was a bhang(cannabis leaves)
