Delhi’s Belly | Circular route
Like so much else in Chandni Chowk, Gali Paranthe Walithe subject of a new filmtoo has changed
The best sight in Delhi is of a heaped tray of mashed potato, chopped cauliflower, grated radish, shelled peas, scrambled paneer (cottage cheese); the best music, desighee sizzling in a blackened 20kg iron wok; the best taste, a flaky paratha fattened with khoya and accompanied with aloo mattar, seetaphal ki subzi, kele ki saunth, methi ki chutney, aam ka achaar and fiery-hot green chillies.
And the best address in town is: Gali Paranthe Wali.
You might disagree with this assertion, but the fame this street in Old Delhi’s Chandni Chowk enjoys is indisputable. Now it lends its name to a Hindi movie that released this week. To be sure, Paranthe Wali Gali is no food porn; its makers call it a romantic comedy. “The entire film was shot in Old Delhi," says director Sachin Gupta. “We have six-seven scenes set in the parathagali."
The L-shaped lane starts from Chandni Chowk’s main avenue and ends in Kinari Bazaar—you can walk through it in 5 minutes flat. Blame its daytime chaos on the four paratha shacks.
“Once we had a dozen parathe-wallas here," says the elderly Rajkumar Sharma, the street’s walking-talking Wikipedia whose ancestor Gaya Prasad Donariya established the street’s paratha empire in the second half of the 19th century, moving here from his village near Morena in present-day Madhya Pradesh. The former farmer’s single establishment expanded down the generations; the individually owned eateries we see today trace their links to the same founder—some clan members also trade in mithais (sweets). Sharma rules Rabri Bhandar, a shop with just enough space to fit in his protruding belly. Sitting behind metal trays filled with milk cake, rabri and other dairy-based desserts, he throws a sympathetic glance at a bunch of wide-eyed customers standing outside a packed paratha shop.
Not everyone comes here a second time—a blogger at www.foodenthusiastsofdelhi.com describes the garbage-strewn Gali Paranthe Wali as a “tourist trap. It’s a black spot on Dilli ke parathe. The parathas that they make are nothing like parathas are supposed to be or are in our homes or anywhere else."
On being asked about the changes seen in the lane, Sharma says, “The paratha’s size has become smaller."
Chandni Chowk’s incredible filth hasn’t dented its reputation as our city’s heritage gourmet destination. While some celebrated landmarks are said to have seen their best days, others continue to be approved by many of us—of course, there’s no consensus. Sundra, who visits the bazaar at least thrice each month for his business, is a faithful pilgrim to the area’s epicurean shrines. Closing his eyes, he folds his arms on his well-nourished belly and says, “The urad dal bhalle in Natraj ke bhalle used to be as smooth as a girl’s cheeks. But not all is lost. Kanwarji’s dal-moth is still the best, and when you pop in their green piste ki burfi (nowadays available only on order), you sense as if hundreds of pistachio nuts are exploding in your mouth. So sad that the sons lack their father’s warmth…."
Hearing Sundra talk of Chandni Chowk’s eateries and dishes is like reading that famous chapter in Iliad in which Homer catalogues the ships and warriors of the Achaean army.
This is not the first time Gali Paranthe Wali is being featured in a film. It was recreated in 2009 for Chandni Chowk to China, a box-office turkey whose lead actor Akshay Kumar had a childhood home here. Indeed, every eatery has its own wall of fame with framed portraits of film stars, ex-maharajas and prime ministers eating parathas.
Sundra recommends that when you happen to be in Gali Paranthe Wali, you must try his most beloved dish on that street—and it is not a paratha. “Be sure to stop by any of the tiny mithai shops there," he says. “Ignore the halwas and burfis, and just ask for a plate of rabri. It’s the best in Delhi."
Is director Gupta aware of the lane’s milky secret? If yes, we might consider parting with our hard-earned cash to watch his magnum opus, money some of us may have gladly traded for that hot, finger-licking khoya paratha.
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