Am I alone in thinking of West Delhi as a gastronomic treasure trove? I’ll happily by-pass Chandni Chowk and its culinary offerings for a day of roaming the area that lies between Karol Bagh and Rajouri Garden. Here’s where you’ll find dhaba owners who are virtually unknown in all but the neighbouring localities. Take Sindhi Corner in Ramjas Road, off Deshbandhu Gupta Road. He is a cult figure in the immediate area, though he would be unknown further than 5 kilometres away.
Sindhi Corner is a sweet shop of the kind that the neighbourhood is crammed with: gulab jamuns, lassi, cold milk and a couple of snacks. While his paneer pakodas and samosas are above average, it is his rendition of aloo tikki that is a rage in the area. Heart shaped and made of coarsely mashed potatoes, there is a stuffing of dal, peas and a few coarsely pounded spices. Fried in a batter so thin that it is almost not there, the tikki is heart-warmingly crisp on the outside and buttery inside. It is served on a leaf-plate and swims in a pool of what must rate as the city’s best sauce. Saunth and mint may not sound like a marriage made in heaven, but you only have to taste it while standing on the pavement outside Sindhi Corner.
I hesitate to recommend Standard Barfee in Karol Bagh. In this day and age of packaging being the product, it is a challenge to squeeze into the shop, look around at what you want, push your way back to the counter, stand in line for a token, go back to the frying station, wait for your order, and then wait for some more time to find an empty seat. If there was a prize for rudeness, I’m not sure whether the staff would win it or the management. On the plus side, Standard Burfee is one of the few Punjabi halwais still in business. They have never relaxed their standards for a moment and still cook with pure ghee. By contrast, many competitors use refined oil topped with pure ghee for the smell. Not these guys however. Every old family in the area (and there are thousands) have to make the trek to Standard Barfee for their fix of pista burfi, gulab jamuns and the other sweets in their modest range.
Their paneer pakoda is the finest this side of heaven. The paneer is cut into generous chunks, in addition to being of a far higher quality than most places. Fried in pure ghee and served with a sauce (the only indifferent thing about it), it is worth the irritating wait. Standard’s chana bhatura is the Punjabi version of Delhi’s favourite snack. The chanas have not been darkened with tea leaves and have a thick gravy, unlike other, more dry versions. I’m not a fan of their bhatura, which is too tough and thick for my tastes. Get there in the mornings, and you can sample their pithi puri with chana.
Vital Stats
Sindhi Corner
53/27 Ramjas Road, Karol Bagh
Tel: 287269030
Open from 10 am to 9.30 pm
No credit cards accepted, no alcohol served
Standard Burfee
2750/21, Ajmal Khan Road, Karol Bagh
Tel: 28723930, 28726173
Open from 7.30 am to 10 pm
No credit cards accepted, no alcohol served
