Indian Cuisine is as vast as its people. Every ethnic group has its own distinctive food style and preferences. India has gone through various invasions and colonial rule by Western countries, which has greatly influenced the food habits of Indians. Apart from the invasion, trade ties with these countries has also impacted Indian culinary. The rulers from West Asia were the first to land in the country, initially for trade and then to invade.Muslim influence can thus be found deeply rooted in Indian culture and cuisine. The Muslims brought their rich, aromatic food culture and therefore changed the country’s cooking style. The use of exotic spices, nuts and dried fruits, milk and cream contoured the structure of Indian food. Delhi has been the seat of Muslim rulers and has been majorly influenced by various dynasties ruling it. The lanes of of Old Delhi still ooze of those rich taste and smell.
The Karim(s) and Al Jawahar(s) have been the superstar of the Walled City taking away all the limelight from the other motley outlets serving equally good food. One needs to bypass the labyrinth bylanes of Purani Dilli to access these gems. And there are times when one doesn’t want to take the adventurous ride to the Walled City, but still wants to relish the kebabs, kormas and nihari.
This thought made young pharmacist Varun Veigas to take the food outside the walled city and he took over the rights of Al Karam brand from the owner Umez bhai. He opened the first outlet in Gurgaon late last year. The second outlet came up at Satya Niketan few months back. Varun has been chasing us for quite some to visit his outlet, but somehow we could not manage it.
Last Thursday we visited the Satya Niketan outlet. It is located opposite Sri Venkateshwara College in Satya Niketan. It’s a small 20 seater setting with rugged walls adorning beautiful food pictures from the Walled City. We started with Roasted Chicken.
Typical Purani Dilli style roasted chicken dunked in butter and topped with yoghurt, was a super start and for a moment I imagined myself in those lanes. Next was a Roasted Quail, well roasted and flavourful quail was a pleasant surprise as I had it after a decade. Gilafi Kebabs were next to our table.
A mutton delicacy, it was roasted well, but we found them a little dry from inside. But Varun cleared our doubts that little less fat has been used while preparation so that the kebab don’t crumble. Loaded with cream and dunked in butter Hakeemi Chicken Tikkawas so appetizing that Maneesh had to pull the plate away from me ;).
It was Mutton Burra which came next and took my mind away from Hakeemi Tikka. The succulent Mutton Burra was flavourful and well grilled. In main course, we had Mutton Nihari and Chicken Qorma with Khameeri Roti. Melt in mouth Nihari was well cooked and had that typical Old Dilli taste and flavor. Aromatic Chicken Qorma was another stellar of a dish.
There was another special dish which made us jump from our chairs in excitement – Keema Bhatura. I have never imagined bhatura filled with keema in my weirdest dreams. The keema filling was flavourful, had perfect spices and it added a different dimension to regular bhatura. We ended our special day with Phirni topped with coconut dust and nuts. It’s a typical way of Phirni served during a Muslim wedding.Serving typical Old Dilli food at a reasonable price is a challenge which Varun has readily accepted. With the help of Umez bhai and the khaansamas of Walled City in his kitchen, he is delivering an experience which one should not miss. And for us it was a soulful and divine experience. Varun plans to take this experience closer to the people and we wish him all the best.
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Quick Facts :
Purani Dilli's Al Karam Kebab House
Satyaniketan
Phone: +91 9818878226, +91 9810891490
Address: Satyaniketan Market , Opp Venky College
Meal for two - INR 800( No Alcohol)
