Cheenai Hot Cafe

                                                                                                                  

Chennai Hot Café- Drink More!

By Anubhav Sapra

Address: E-143, Shop no.4, Kamla Nagar

Contact: 9212407758

Last Sunday, my dear friend Hillary who hails from Manipur, invited us for Easter Celebrations followed by a food fest at Emanuel Baptist Church, Civil Lines. More than being a part of the celebrations, I was excited about tasting the flavors at the North East Food Festival and so I readily accepted the invitation!

After participating in the Church service (songs and sermon) with my sister, we headed to the Lawns to savor the delightful food. We tried Singju (Manipuri salad), sandwiches, and a nicely made Cranberry juice mixed with soda and lime.

A lover of South Indian Cuisine, my sister accompanied me to the Easter Celebrations only on the condition that we visit Chennai Hot Café in Kamla Nagar soon after.  The café is managed by Vipul and Kamal, residents of Kamla Nagar. The duo started the café three years back to serve affordable South Indian food to the student community of Kamla Nagar.

It is deliberate move on the part of the restaurant to have a limited number of dishes so as to maintain the quality of their food. The absence of desserts in their menu was the only downside as I was expecting to savor some South Indian sweet dishes like Payasam and Kesari bath.

My sister and I had Rawa Dosa, Masala Dosa and Uthapam all of which were excellent in taste and are a ‘must try’.

They have an interesting drink, the Neer More (spiced buttermilk), which is a summer drink quite popular in Tamil Nadu and the rest of South India. A bit different from the regular Chaash available in Delhi, it has coriander leaves, curry leaves, chilli and asafoetida as its ingredients. It was quite refreshing and undoubtedly, it is going to be my favorite drink this summer. Amazing dosas and a refreshing Neer More, need I say more?

Salim Kababs(khan Market Wale)

Salim Kababs Khan Market Wale is owned by a gentleman Javed bhai.Javed bhai in 1996 used to sell chicken fry and fish fry in old delhi.His brother still own Al zahid nemat kada chain of restaurants in kasab pura,Sadar Bazar.

Everyone in Delhi recommend Khan Chacha for kababs, which in my opinion, is over rated. Both Khan Chacha and Salim’s Kabab corner used to be in Khan Market.However, in 2011, Salim promptly moved to the posh defence colony market.And the good news is that they are again going to open their new outlet in Khan Market in the last week of May. The address of Salim Kababs (khan Market Wale)is Shop 3,Defence Colony Market,Back Lane,New Delhi and the contact numbers are 011-65879989,9891519242,9990259785.

Javed eloquently argues that when you are hungry you can eat and praise any kind of food,but you can make the distinction between good and bad food only when your tummy is not empty. The eatery has few high tables where you can eat.One also have the option to enjoy the delicious kababs in quintessential Delhi style of eating in a car.I ordered for Mutton Kakori Kabab(Rs 130)and Chicken Afghani Roasted(Rs 160).Kakori kabab was soft and succulent and did melt in the mouth.The spices added were up to the mark.Usually, to soften the kababs,some acid is added to it. But,here they use pineapple fruit for the same. It’s a best place to eat Mutton kababs.

Chidambaram's New Madras Hotel

The other day, I was invited for a meeting at India Habitat Centre to plan an event to be held on 23^rd June. The meeting got delayed by an hour because no one including the person who called the meeting was on time. The best way a foodie can utilise the time is to explore the good eateries and food. I asked auto rickshaw driver to drop me at any place where I can have my brunch. He had a great foodie instinct and straightaway dropped me at Chidambaram’s New Madras Hotel, famous for South Indian Food.

The address is Chidambaram’s New Madras Hotel, Shop No.7,Khanna Market,Lodhi Road and phone numbers are 24611726,24617702,9312220478,9811301534.The restaurant is owned by C.Kumar and C.Raju.Chidambaram who started the restaurant is no more. It was opened up in 1930 to provide food to officers in British Government who were from South India.In 1950 they had moved to this new place in Khanna market.

We ordered 3 in 1 rava dosa(Rs.90) and a plate of dahi vada. It was served on a plate covered with banana leaves.The three portions of the dosa had three different fillings-paneer masala,potatoe masala and crushed coconut. The 3 in 1 rava dosa was crispy and well stuffed.Sambhar and coconut chutney was awesome.It was truly delectable.They first serve hot spicy rasam which one can sip to wait for the ordered food.The dahi vada was equally good.

The nice ambience, wide range of food and friendly staff make Chidambaram's New Madras Hotel Restaurant a place worth visiting!

Hotel Maaidah

Few weeks back one of my friends asked me try Changezi Chicken in Jama Masjid.I have been to Jama Masjid several times to eat at Karims,Aljawahar and kashmiri restaurant.I must admit here that,I am a bit of a changezi chicken and Mutton Nahari freak.Today,there was a cool breeze blowing with drizzles around the city,which provoked my foodie soul to explore the eatery referred by friend of mine.I headed towards Jama Masjid to look out for this restaurant to eat some mouth watering and nose watering non vegetarian food.

The name of the Restaurant is Hotel Maaidah,owned by M.Safwan, located in Choori Walan,Jama Masjid.

We ordered a plate of changezi chicken,mutton nahari and chicken kebab.Mutton nahari is served with toppings of coriander strips and green chillies and is awesome in taste.The meat is soft and did melt in mouth. Changezi was equally good and a quarter plate is more than enough for a person.Changezi and Khamiri rotis makes a perfect combination. The prices are reasonable-quarter plate changezi costs Rs 90 and Mutton Nahari Rs 80.

This sudden spell of rain brought relief from the scorching heat.This week on Sunday, SFD group would be visiting Ballimaran to a new restaurant-Kabul Zaiqa,to enjoy legendary Afghan delicacies.

Pancham Chole Kulche and Raaj pakode

Chole Kulche knows no class, no gender and no age discrimination. Everyone enjoys it! Next Sunday we have planned SFD’s first Burpp!!! in Azad market. I used to go there quite often with my friends, during my college days to eat changezi chicken, which is popularly known as baade ka changezi chicken.Iwas a bit disappointed to see the shutters down of my all time favourite eatery.

But the meat shop, which was there next to famous changezi chicken, informed me that the eatery has been shifted to Rohtak road.It has been rightly said that “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.With a gleam of hope I started walking to Rohtak Road. Enroute to East Park Road,Rohtak road, I explored the food available there. Rohtak road is right opposite to Filmistan cinema hall.

My foodie eyes and soul rested at Raaj Pakode wala. Praveen who sells the pakoda there, represents the third generation. The shop was started by Shri Durga Prasad before the partition. Raaj sells mix pakodas of different types-gobhi,aloo,palak,daal and bread.Pakodas are served with green chutney and were crispy. 250gms of pakoda costs Rs 30.Next to Raaj Pakoda is a tea shop of Sardar ji. Both of them had migrated from Pakistan.It was a perfect combination- pakoda,tea and stories of their grandparents who migrated from Pakistan.

Opposite side of the road is Pancham Chole Kulche wala. Purshottam

who sells the chole kulche there proudly says that the eatery is 175 years old, started by Pancham.The chole available on the streets of Delhi usually are simply mixed with onion and spices in a bowl and served to people. But Purshottam has a unique style of making it. He makes chole for each one on a small disposal plate, rightly mixing spices and lemon. Secondly, he adds sweet emli chutney- sauth to chole, which makes the chole sweet and sour.His spices are homemade and the taste is truly mouth watering.

After having delicious chole, I kept walking with my head down thinking that I am born to eat and finally reached the destination Changezi chicken, taste of mughal cuisine.

"Purani Dilli"

For a long time, I have been discussing with my friends about the mouth watering

food at Zakhir Nagar. Today, I satisfied my hungry soul after visiting

Zakhir Nagar.

I visited “Purani Dilli restaurant” with one of my German friend who is a great

foodie. He is studying medicine in Munich but loves oily and spicy food without caring

about his arteries. The best way to be at Zakhir Nagar is by rickshaw from Jamia

University or Maharani Bagh. The lanes of Zakhir Nagar are engulfed with famous

Non- vegetarian eateries.

Purani Dilli has entered into its sixth glorious year in serving mughlai food. The menu starts with “cooking is an art”......and we possess the instinctive art of cooking. Our delicious andmouth watering recipes will bring back the memories of “shahjahanabad”to you. Carefully prepared using original recipes and authentic spices, food at “Purani Dilli” Restaurant is an exquisite treat for a person of refined taste like you.

It indeed was delightful to taste the food of “Purani Dilli”.It was also a pleasant surprise to see the son of the owner of this restaurant , who studies in a school,gracefully eating chicken fry with rumali roti.

We asked for half plates of nahari,haleem and chicken achari. Haleem and Nahari were of Rs 135 each..Haleem was topped with green coriander leaves, crisp onion strips and ginger pieces. They served a plate full of crisp onion strips,ginger pieces,green chillies,lemon and masala, which you can add to Haleem according to your taste. The nahari and Haleem is truly delectable. The spices were up to the mark and one can digest it comfortably without causing harm to the stomach and intestines. Moreover, the meat served over there is soft and it melts in the mouth like anything.

We rounded up our meal with one of my favourite dessert (Kheer),which was again great in taste.

Food walk @ Kamla Nagar

College is the best time of your life. Whosoever had studied in north campus,must had visited kamla nagar to hang out with friends.The second food walk organised by street food of delhi was in Kamla Nagar.During my undergrad years,i used to be a devout follower of food available in north campus and kamla nagar.

The walk started from Kashyap pakodas.There are two kashyap pakoda wala in kamla nagar, both being equally good.Bread Pakoda is fried in pure ghee on tawa and served with green and red chutney.The taste is different from pakodas which are fried in kadhai filled with oil.Kashyap pakodas are crispy from outside and soft from inside.Each bread pakoda costs Rs 30.

Next on our food walk was Brijwasi sweets.I have been here before to eat delicious kadi chawal during the day time.The food available at brijwasi do not include onions and garlic.As we reached in the evening time,we tasted gujia,ras malai,kular rabri and badam milk.Milk was exceptionally good.

After having sweets,it was time to taste some chatpata snacks.We reached at Bombay bhel house and had delicious bhelpuri.One of our foodie friend recommended Manawahar in shakti nagar for puchka and hing kachori.Hing kachori was not good but puchka was really mouth watering.The water filled inside the puchka or golgappe in delhi is of pudina but here it was imli ka paani.

Finally, we thought of having some drink It was disappointing to see that Chacha shake which was quite popular during our college days have now entered in to the real estate business.Keventers,now named as shake square was the only choice left for us.I never liked keventers shake because they mix flavours in the milk.Lastly, we had chiku shake at malka ganj chowk.

Famous eateries where one could enjoy good food are:-Mini shop,chaat street,nine75,QDs,Bon Zai,momos point,vaishnav chaat,and bille di haati.