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A time to snack

It strikes now that I am a man of all seasons. And by that I mean I go looking for kachoris in all seasons. It is a nice enough occupation when the weather is crispy cold, and not that bad when new shoots take birth, and old leaves fall. In this weather, though, it is quite another thing. The monsoon has done a vanishing act ever since the Met department declared that the rains had come to Delhi.

There is no breeze, I see no dark clouds in the sky, and, as I write, the rain is as elusive as the proverbial Eid ka chand. If it is raining by the time you read this, you will know that my kachoris have weaved their magic.

On a hot and sultry day last week, I took the Metro to Chandni Chowk. I had hoped to parcel out a part of my work to my faithful comrade-in-arms, Raj, who had promised to go look up a tikkawallah in West Delhi for me. But Raj couldn’t make it — I suspect it was weather, though he came up with a very complicated excuse about being busy through the day. So I had no choice but to move northwards. The journey on the Metro was fine, of course, but once I got out, it was like being put through a wringer. But I braved the elements, and went looking for Pawan Kachoriwallah in Haveli Haider Quli.

If you are walking down Chandni Chowk from Red Fort, this lane is the one before the Fatehpuri mosque. Enter the lane and you will find Adarsh Bhojanalaya in front of you. I had a quick meal there of an aloo and phool-gobhi ki sabzi, arhar dal, moong dal ki pakori ki sabzi, raita, a gulab jamun, a parantha, a plain tawa roti and a missi roti – and paid Rs.70 for the entire thali. After that delicious meal, I hopped across to Pawan’s, who is located on the right of Adarsh. It’s an old shop which has been around for three generations.

The kachori-makers also sell poori sabzi, chholey-bhaturey, samosas, lassi and curds. One plate of two kachoris with potato curry is for Rs.8. I bought several plates, and then trudged my way back towards the Metro station. Ten minutes later, I was back in central Delhi. Pawan’s kachoris are crispy. I had thought the humid weather would turn them into a soggy mass, but they were nicely crunchy when I bit into them. The filling – of dal peethi – was tasty, and not the least bit hot. The potato curry was great, for the potatoes had been mashed into the curry, and had been topped with a tart methi ki chutney.

Despite the weather, I enjoyed the kachoris and the sabzi. If I had eaten it at Pawan’s, I would have followed it with a cold glass of lassi. That would have been the perfect end to a meal. I suppose somewhat like me, a kachori belongs to all seasons. You love it when it rains; and you love it when the monsoon clouds play hooky. No, you can’t go wrong with it.

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