Delhi eats at home
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Contents |
Getting an electric stove and oven
Getting a gas connection
Kitchenware and where to get it
There are good kitchenware shops in Khan Market, Yusaf Sarai and in INA market. For normal kitchenware like saucepans, non-stick ware, woks, cutlery, and so on most "bartan ki dukaans" or shops for kitchen utensils are in practically every market. If you want slightly more traditional or European style things. The following are a couple of options.
- Shyam Di Hatti in Khan Market
- Crockery Emporium in Khan Market
- FCML
Sourcing ingredients to cook at home
Nearly every block or colony in Delhi has a local store or market, that sells a huge array of everyday goods. Don't worry if you can't spot what you're looking for, just ask the shop owner whether he has the stuff you want. He'll in all probability send one of his helpers up a rickety ladder to bring down something from a really dark hole in the ceiling. By and large these shops deliver groceries to the house as well of course free of charge. It would though be nice of you to tip the sweaty guy who comes to deliver the stuff.
Residential neighbourhoods have their vendors who come every morning with their carts to sell you fruits and veggies. These are a highly irritating breed if you're a late sleeper. They ring the doorbell like it's going out of style soon. They keep their fingers glued to the poor doorbell for about 5 minutes continuously just in case you're stone deaf. I hate them, I really do. But I have no idea what I'd do without them. I get a news update from them, local gossip about how such and such lady is such a kanjoos etc I'm not even going to bother translating this. It's blasphemous.
- Ahuja Vegetable Store in INA Market. Phone- 24644116
This chap is a little more pricey than the others around. but I have never known him to ever sell me second rate veggies or fruit. He has also recently hooked me onto freshly made silken tofu (I think there's a woman in Defence Colony who makes it at home). Apart from amazingly exotic fruits like Persimmon, Babacos, Mangosteen, Rambutans, Thai Lichee and Mangoes, he also stocks fresh herbs and mushrooms. Ahuja has button/white chestnut, chanterelle, oyster, shitake, enokitaki, matsutake, truffles white and black, morels paddy and straw etc. If you're cooking a Chinese, Korean European meal his veggies will always please.
- Pindi Fruit Mart Defence Colony Market. Phone- 41552530, 24333593
I have frequently thought that Pindi was in the mistaken belief that he was a goldsmith. His prices reflect his aspirations, though he is utterly charming, an ole fixture and always has excellent quality veggies and fruit. It is only when the thought of battling traffic, parking and then walking through INA market to meet Ahuja (above) pulls me into absolute despondency that I contemplate entering his web. By the way, he also sells flowers. Does anyone know the price of gold these days?
- Gogia's Main road 280 INA Market. Phone- 24624809, 24624929, 24629944, 24644618
This guy stocks everything and I mean everything from pastas, zillions of oils, vinegars, fruit/veggies (though I wouldnt actually buy those from him), sauces, jams, syrups, pickles, mushrooms, cheese, herbs, food additives, noodles, meat products (canned) etc. I spend quality time staring at his shelves in a state of complete indecision.
- French Farms synonymous with Roger Langbour. Bilaspur, Only home delivery. Phone- 9810166196, 9810314186
Fabulous Organic Veggies like lettuce, baby carrots, broccoli, chinese broccoli, red radish, fennel, baby turnip. He also delivers basil, tarragon, oregano, garlic chives, parsley, dill, marjoram and sage. These are all super fresh but he actually became famous in Delhi because of his organic meat products. His meat products include, chicken, free range chicken, japanese quail, guinea fowl, turkey, muscovy duck and brilliant pork. Come winter, he never seems to have enough pigs for Delhi ham appetite.
- Pigpo at 9 Jor Bagh Market. Phone- 24611723, 24626930
Fresh Pork products. Chops, fillets, ham, bacon, sausages, frankfurters, salami, kebabs. They are a lot cheaper than steak house and I find that they are also a lot better.
- Steak House in Jor Bagh Market. Phone- 24611008, 24611129, 24658034, 24658037. (Even stray cats know where the Steak House is)
This was absolute heaven in the days of the license raj. The days when one couldnt get a damned thing in Delhi, steak house was a godsend. They still are mind you. I love the store and nearly always feel awfully nostalgic about a lost Delhi when I enter it. This was where we could get marmite and marmalade when no one in Delhi knew what a wine bottle looked like and Wrigley chewing gum was haute cuisine. You will get just about everything here except fruits and veggies. They still have the best selection of cheeses (which you can taste endlessly).
- Flanders Dairy They are the only people in town to make fresh goat cheese and it is absolutely fabulous. Check out their website for their other products. They are in both Gurgaon and in Khanna Market behind the Habitat Centre.
- Korean and Japanese Food @ Palkit Impex. 12-13, DDA Market, LSC, Maidan Garhi, New Delhi 110062. Phone- 9350530875, 29956143, 9818448620
This shop has a variety of noodles, somen, udon, soba, chasoba etc. Sauces and seasonings like Kikkoman cooking sauce, different soy sauces, teriyaki yamasass, soyabean pastes, shir miso, inaka miso, zillions of mushrooms even nameko wet and kanpyo dried gourd. There are a huge variety of flours, sea weed, vinegars, meat products and seasoning mixes.
- Yamato- ya. The Japanese food store @ B-6/9, Local Commerical Complex, Safdarjung Enclave. Phone - 41650164
- Kanu's Delivery Service. Kanu Somany is one of the many in town packaging her organic veggies and delivering them to your doorstep. She stocks delicious greens like arugula, sorrel, purslane, mache, tatsoi, parsel, and pre-mixed salads. She composts her own manure! Email her at kanu_somany@yahoo.com for a produce list or to place an order.
- Dubden Green. Started by Jayshree and Ganesh Eashwar to stock organic goodies from around town and the rest of the country. If you visit on Thursday and Friday, you get fresh fruits and veggies from Uttaranchal. 4A, Shahpur Jat, Near Siri Fort Auditorium. Phone- 32905310, 9810131343
- Navdanya This is a tiny treasure trove of the city's best organic or natural produce.
- Whole Foods was started by Ishi Khosla, a clinical nutritionist @ Capital Trust House, 47 Community Centre, New Friends Colony Market. Phone- 29221200, 26820701
- Dr. Soorya Kaur, the best raw food in town.
Fish
If you're a non Bengali and are not sure about how to pick your fish, don't ever make the mistake of buying it from Chittaranjan Park. That's the Bengali colony in South Delhi. You will be gypped and no question about it. Really, it's not about being a foreigner and buying stuff and someone taking you for a ride. I don't speak Bengali, am not a Bengali and I will most definitely get gypped in CR Park. It's also terribly frightening for a first timer to walk into Main market CR and everyone around you has probably done their PHds in the fishy bizz at the ripe old age of 2 months.
If you're that keen on buying from the Bong bazaar then go with a bong (short for Bengali). Otherwise, stick to safer options like INA Market where you can beat the living daylights out of Munshi (the fish and seafood guy) if he sells you bad fish. He is usually drunk, but he has on occasion given me some awesome recipes. He also delivers to the house. DON'T ever use this option, you need to see the fish, don't let it come to you. There are four other chaps at the back of INA Market who also sell this smelly stuff. Munshi also has this amazing habit of figuring people out. He now knows that I shall buckle under if a trout is suddenly thrust under my nose. He will in all probability say, "the truck is unloading, the fish has come straight from the hills. Totally phreshh, mydumb. Take it, take it and make lemon butter phishh".
The other option is Gujarat Fisheries as well as National Fisheries of India in Yusaf Sarai. These two shops are bang next to each other. What is available changes seasonally and also on a daily basis.
Some of the common fish available is Bekti (Bhetki), Pomfret, Mackerel (Surmai), Morrul (Very much like Sole), Rohu, Hilsa (expensive and seasonal), Prawns (Jhinga is now available now year round), Shrimps, Bombay Duck, Sea and River Sole..
Dairy Products
Most Delhiites buy their milk from the numerous Mother Dairy or Delhi Milk Scheme (DMS Booths) around the city. Carry your own pail and milk the cow. Well as children we always thought there was a cow behind the counter (it's strange the way Indian parents bring up their children) Milk is bought by paying at the counter for a specified amount and then taking your stainless steel milk pail over to the designated dispensing machine. You place your pail on the tiled recess and push the button and the ingenious cow knows exactly how much to give you. Everyone buys fresh milk daily from the cow booths. Of course if you're not settled in yet you can go buy some Nestle milk (ghastly stuff) from the local grocer. Everyone usually makes fresh curd or yoghurt every single day. So milk is always bought for that raita or just plain dahi (curd). You can buy Nestle and Amul Dahi in the market as well. I would suggest Amul, at least it's going to an Indian organisation rather than the humongous agro-bizz Nestle.
Indian Cheese
Paneer or the Indian Cottage Cheese can also be bought at a dairy or the local grocer. The best one I've found till date is Gopala Dairy in Amar Colony Market in Lajpat Nagar. Otherwise make it at home, always tastes better and you can use the water left over in your cooking. India doesn't really have the climate to produce the hardened, matured European type cheeses. The traditional Indian Cheeses are from Sikkim, usually goat or yak cheese. Yak Cheese????? You really have to be a sucker for punishment to eat this stuff.
