ULTA TANDOOR: AN AFGHAN FOOD WALK IN DELHI
The words ‘Delhi food’ call to mind juicy kebabs, parathas drenched in butter, and lots of chaat. But, in Bhogal in South Delhi, lies a slice of Afghanistan, with a rich culture of food that has enough similarities to entice the Indian palate, and enough differences to make it unique. These Afghans settled in Delhi in the late 1980s and early 1990s. While some returned after the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001, many chose to remain in their new home, leading to a permanent Afghan settlement, says Anubhav Sapra, founder of Delhi Food Walks.
“It’s a bazaar area, but one where most of the shop names are written in Afghani. The Afghan walk happens on request and most requests come from locals.”
The walk starts at tandoor shops known as nanwais, which make delicious Afghan breads. “Their tandoors also look different, more like pizza ovens, and the breads are stuck on the outer walls.” Among the most popular varieties is a sweet, crusty, khajuri nan shaped like a date. The next stop is at a shop selling bolani, a rectangular variant of our own alu paratha. You can also try the sambosa, a variant of the samosa that is square and filled with meat.” Sapra says the highlight of the tour is Afghanistan’s national dish, the Kabuli pilav (made with Basmati rice, carrots and dried fruit) and a dish called mantu, like momos but topped with chana and served with a very sour yoghurt.
The tour ends with a plate of sheer yakh, Afghani ice cream made with thickened buffalo milk and a saffron flavour. “No one can ever finish a plate by themselves.”
To Sapra, the best part of the walk is the ambience and the warmth of the Afghan people.