Delhiwale: Gurugram, beyond the litter—part II
Gurugram citizens are taking action against garbage in their city, organizing clean-up efforts and enjoying local street food amidst the litter problem.
Like most cities in our country, the Millennium City of Gurugram too is compromised with piles of garbage. Unlike most cities in our country, the good Gurugramwale are now refusing to accept the status quo, raising their voices to assert the basic right of a reasonably clean environment. Recently, some of the citizens in the “futuristic” parts of the city showed up on the roadsides to themselves pick up the garbage.
The congested old parts of Gurugram also face the same problem. That said, purana Gurugram fares better in terms of litter, compared to the congested old quarters of other cities, including the touristy Old Delhi. As pointed out in this space just days ago, parts of old Gurugram resemble the Walled City of Delhi in terms of architecture, and also in the context of cuisine. While we’d first focused on its architecture, the series’s concluding part suggests tips for a food walk. The recommendations are some of the area’s time-tested classics, and have naturally been dwelled in greater detail in the past. They should be considered a starting point to experience a place super-rich in the art of authentic street cuisine.
The two photos show the jaljeera pot of vendor Rajkumar, who stands at the mouth of Sadar Bazar, near the post office building; and a chair for customer at Raja Tea Stall, near the Jama Masjid.
{{/usCountry}}The two photos show the jaljeera pot of vendor Rajkumar, who stands at the mouth of Sadar Bazar, near the post office building; and a chair for customer at Raja Tea Stall, near the Jama Masjid.
{{/usCountry}}The only kebab stall outside Sadar Bazar’s only Jama Masjid serves only two types: seekh and boti. Nobody, anyway, cares for more varieties. Served hot off iron skillets, the kebabs are smoky and tasty. Smoke hisses out dramatically as you dig into the kebab. The other joy of these kebabs has nothing to do with taste. It comes from the stall’s regular patrons, who, each day, congregate by the stall, and gossip over the meaty snacks, in addition to a hukkah that belongs to the kebab stall.
{{/usCountry}}The only kebab stall outside Sadar Bazar’s only Jama Masjid serves only two types: seekh and boti. Nobody, anyway, cares for more varieties. Served hot off iron skillets, the kebabs are smoky and tasty. Smoke hisses out dramatically as you dig into the kebab. The other joy of these kebabs has nothing to do with taste. It comes from the stall’s regular patrons, who, each day, congregate by the stall, and gossip over the meaty snacks, in addition to a hukkah that belongs to the kebab stall.
{{/usCountry}}Parked near the picturesque Muneem Street, this street-trolley sells flavoured candies, palate-cleansing suparis, plus a wide range of sauf (namkeen souf, mixed sauf, barik sauf, etc!). The highlight is a collection of bullet-sized churan digestives with playful names like fruit goli, Imli laddu, chalu candy, khatta goli, and harad goli.
Outside the Apna Bazar market complex, a matar kulcha cart offers four kinds of kulchas—plain, masala, long (so called because the kulcha is… well, long), and paneer. The matar can be “very spicy, middle spicy or no spice”—depending on your partialities.
Vendor Krishen’s mobile cart serves lachha tikki in Sadar Bazar. This is a normal potato tikki, in the sense that it is a fried patty of aloo. But whereas a normal tikki tends to be crammed with namkeen or a fistful of chhole, lachha tikki is stuffed with more of the same aloo, but in a different shape, called lachha, which is potato’s grated shavings. Consequently, the dish is double crisp.
