By Suvendu Banerjee New Delhi, Feb 10 (IANS) The walled city of Delhi, founded in 1639 as Shahjahanabad, was a hotbed of culinary treasures. And the Dilli 6 food festival, currently on at Hotel Crowne Plaza, is an annual event promising all of that with the comforts and hygiene of a star hotel.
Be it the fried fare of Paranthe Wali Gali, Jahangiri mutton korma of Karim's or Prem's matar-chhola kulcha, the two-week festival at Edesia restaurant has over 100 dishes on offer.
"Yes, the delicacies are back again in the heart of South Delhi. They have originated from the narrow galis (bylanes) of what is now called Dilli 6," says a Barun Jolly, the general manager of Crowne Plaza, located at Okhla in the south.
The hotel has also tried to bring the usual scenes of old Delli inside the restaurant.
As a tea-vendor goes around serving "garam chai" in earthernware, the background music takes you back several decades with songs like "Mere Samne Wali Khidki Mein" from the film "Padosan".
Executive chef Ramit Wason and director of food and beverage Puneet Saigal have brought together these creations at the hotel with the help of some of the best chefs who have incorporated the authentic flavors of Purani Dilli.
The golgappas have five different options to be dunked into -- like kanji vada, black carrot shorbet, asafoetida, sweet and sour. It is a great starter with the papdi chaat from Sharma Chatt Bhandar and Aggarwal ki aloo and kadhi pakora for vegetarians.
On entering the restaurant one is welcomed with a kanji drink and a tour of the buffet spread for lunch or dinner. The decor re-creates the atmosphere of old Delhi, what with hanging electric wires, film posters and kites, making the food more appetising.
The Muslim-Mughlai cuisine from the kitckens of emperors who ruled Delhi is also well represented. The nihari and sheermal from Karim's and Sheikh ki biryani and korma are great favourites, apart from halim.
The hand-carts with large bags of flour, torn kites as they appear after a battle and the pigeons - which that part of town is famous for -- are all captivating, to add, if you may say, a definite spice of authenticity to the dishes, all under one roof.
Do not forget the desserts. Daulat ki Chaat, best described as the fluffiest souffle one can savour, Ghantewala's sohan halwa, Giani's rabri falooda and century-old Chaina Ram's Karachi halwa are must-haves.
All this great food can really leave you rather bloated and breathless. But don't worry, the hotel also has something in store for the over-fed. A traditional masseur is at hand to stretch your limbs and comfort you with a head massage to catch those forty winks!
(Suvendu Banerjee is president and chief executive of Business Images, a public relations and management consultancy. He can be reached at suvendu@businessimages.info)
Be it the fried fare of Paranthe Wali Gali, Jahangiri mutton korma of Karim's or Prem's matar-chhola kulcha, the two-week festival at Edesia restaurant has over 100 dishes on offer.
"Yes, the delicacies are back again in the heart of South Delhi. They have originated from the narrow galis (bylanes) of what is now called Dilli 6," says a Barun Jolly, the general manager of Crowne Plaza, located at Okhla in the south.
The hotel has also tried to bring the usual scenes of old Delli inside the restaurant.
As a tea-vendor goes around serving "garam chai" in earthernware, the background music takes you back several decades with songs like "Mere Samne Wali Khidki Mein" from the film "Padosan".
Executive chef Ramit Wason and director of food and beverage Puneet Saigal have brought together these creations at the hotel with the help of some of the best chefs who have incorporated the authentic flavors of Purani Dilli.
The golgappas have five different options to be dunked into -- like kanji vada, black carrot shorbet, asafoetida, sweet and sour. It is a great starter with the papdi chaat from Sharma Chatt Bhandar and Aggarwal ki aloo and kadhi pakora for vegetarians.
On entering the restaurant one is welcomed with a kanji drink and a tour of the buffet spread for lunch or dinner. The decor re-creates the atmosphere of old Delhi, what with hanging electric wires, film posters and kites, making the food more appetising.
The Muslim-Mughlai cuisine from the kitckens of emperors who ruled Delhi is also well represented. The nihari and sheermal from Karim's and Sheikh ki biryani and korma are great favourites, apart from halim.
The hand-carts with large bags of flour, torn kites as they appear after a battle and the pigeons - which that part of town is famous for -- are all captivating, to add, if you may say, a definite spice of authenticity to the dishes, all under one roof.
Do not forget the desserts. Daulat ki Chaat, best described as the fluffiest souffle one can savour, Ghantewala's sohan halwa, Giani's rabri falooda and century-old Chaina Ram's Karachi halwa are must-haves.
All this great food can really leave you rather bloated and breathless. But don't worry, the hotel also has something in store for the over-fed. A traditional masseur is at hand to stretch your limbs and comfort you with a head massage to catch those forty winks!
(Suvendu Banerjee is president and chief executive of Business Images, a public relations and management consultancy. He can be reached at suvendu@businessimages.info)
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