Melting Pot of Delhis Cuisine

Salma Hussain
The city of Delhi is a giant melting pot of cuisine. The city has absorbed, over the
centuries, settlers, and visitors from across the globe. The emperors, the nobles, the
viceroys and the sahibs all provided generous patronage to the cuisine of Delhi and
contributed the cultivation of fine taste. Exploring the melting pot of the city can be a
fascinating and rewarding experience.
Today all the master cuisine of the world contributes to make what has to be one of the
most tantaliing cities for the taste but of food lovers. Here food has been tried tested and
modified for long. Here one sees fusion of food old and new and truly melting of many
cultures people and cuisines together. There is indeed a treasure trove of recipes right
from the time of Sultans of Delhi to end of great !ughal Empire.

"f all the communities living in Delhi the food has been highly influenced by the
!oghuls, #ayasth, $anias, $ritish and the %un&abis.
's early as()**$.+. Delhi was a settlement of !auryas and ,uptas who left behind a
whiffing flavor -flavor which did not stay long. of $uddhist cuisine, which got lost in the
strong flavors of Turko 'fghans who became Delhi/s reigning sultans from0'.D.12*3.
4ow the focus was non0vegetarian food. They were not a refined fraternity. Their
nomadic ancestors in the +entral 'sia steppes had be5ueathed them with well0developed
survival skills but few cultural nuances. There culinary expertise was limited to roasted
sheep and fermented ewe/s milk, but realiing their lack of refined culture they started
developing Delhi as a city of culture.
Though the table of 6utub 7ddin 'iybak, 8ltutumash and 9aia Sultan was highly
influence by their +entral 'sian Turkish cuisine, which consisted of dishes of meat with
noodles -even now noodles are popularly used in soup, pulao etc., lots of dairy products,
fresh fruits, and some vegetables available in and around Delhi like spinach, pumpkin,
egg plant etc.
:ith the passage of time the food of sultans improved and sophistication got set in
motion.
8t is said that the royal table of Sultan !ohd. Tughlu5 consisted of 2** dishes at times.
The public dinning was 1** times more and the royal kitchen fed 2*,*** people every
day. ;amous 8bn0$atuta has recorded details of ban5uets in the court of Sultan
,hiasuddin Tughlu5 at his new capital Tughala5abad. The food0included sharbats of rose
water, barley drink, roasted meat, almond halwa, sambusak filled with meat and dry
fruits, rice pulao with roasted chicken.
%oet 'mir #husrau further confirms the richness and variety of the food at the new
capital <ahanpnah, when he writes, =the royal feast included sharbate labgir, naan0e0
tanuri, samosas, pulao and halwas. They drank wine and ate tambul after dinner>. He also
described addition of two more varieties of bread 4aan0e0Tunuk -light bread. and 4aan0
e0Tanuri. -+hapattis cooked in tandurs. "ther delicacies mentioned by him are cooking of
sparrow and 5uail.
8t was in this scenario that $abur arrived in 1?23 from across the mountains, to launch
the !ughal Dynasty. :ith the arrival of the !ughals, the food scenario changed
drastically. $abur remained alien to 8ndian food and Humayun had no time to indulge in
such delicacies. However, 'kbar, who ruled the longest, contributed to the refinement of
8ndian gastronomy. ;ood items native to 8ndia began to be part of the royal repast, and
were enriched with nuts, raisins, spices, and ghee, these included dressed meats, varieties
of kababs different kinds of pulaos and halwas, new dishes were added and enriched the
cuisine of the land. 't this stage even regional cuisine appeared on the royal dastarkhwan,
poori, khandwi, badi, daal #achori, were some of the dishes added on 'kbar/s table,
signifying a real good blend of two cultures, which his reign was known for.
The !uslims brought their rich gastronomic history to 8ndia and this influence is now an
inextricable part of our food culture. 8n fact, !ughal cuisine is a fragrant blend of our
8ndo08slamic past and the ,anga0@amuni tehzeeb that characteries us. Hence, it contains
elements that are common to both the Hindus and the !uslims and reflects, essentially, a
fusion of cultures, the blend of common ingredients to create something new and
innovative. This history is interesting, both from an intellectual point of view as well as a
human one, to observe how our lives and our cuisine began to reflect and record the
changes that were seen in society. 8n these times, the importance of following the
development of how the dishes and food habits have changed over time is e5ually vital to
the study of society and its inhabitants.
:ith the transfer of seat of power from 'gra to Delhi0 the 1A
th
century
Shah&anabad became renowned throughout the world as the seat of ,rand !oghuls. 's
said earlier the !oghuls brought with them the influences from +entral 'sia, 'fghanistan
and %ersia. Thus the culture of Shah&ahanabad reflected the true and diverse spirit of
humanity in a blend of lifestyle. The glory and the grandeur got transferred to the new
capital.
The !oghul Empire was at its peak during the 1A
th
century. 'n extravagant style of
living that galvanied all of 8ndiaBs most ex5uisite crafts demanded the same from food.
The royal chefs were all trained with +entral 'sian, %ersian and 'fghan techni5ues. The
palace demanded that they excel in their art. Sambosas filled with mince meat and dry
fruits, meat with vegetable and fruits, %ulao, do piyaa and dumpukht lay out before
!oghul royalty, included various skewered and grilled or pan fried kababs. !ost of these
dishes have survived to this present day and are found in the by0 lanes of Delhi. The local
bawarchies created many more innovative varieties of kabab taking lead from the old
masters of royal kitchen. Thus shamsi kabab became patthar ka kabab and ordinary seekh
kabab became sophisticated kakori kabab, which ac5uired its glory in the courts of
'wadh. ' bland #horesh of 8ran was turned into 5orma and pulao was made into
mouthwatering biriyani. Till date Dilliwala are famous cooking meat with combination of
seasonal vegetable like aloo gosht, chu5ander gosht, ga&ar gosht, and karela gosht.

Shah&ahanabad/s society comprised a mingling of international as well as national strains
sheltering Diasporas from all over the world.
$y 1A)* 'D the city has absorbed various elements from neighboring regions and housed
not only the ruling elites but also a number of different communities such as #ayashtha,
$anias, %andits, <aats, craftsman, peasants, shopkeepers, poets, artists and mendicants.
The main communities who made themselves an integral part of Delhi areC %un&abis,
kashmiri pandits. #ayastha and banias. These communities living in Delhi brought in
their own culinary expertise but the cuisine of each separate stream is distinctive and
delicious
The #ashmiri %andits started migrating to Delhi during the time of Sikander $utshikan,
the seventh Sultan of #ashmir and by the beginning of 1D
th
+entury #ashmiri %andits
became a sieable community. They brought with them their own culinary habits, which
got absorbed in the melting pot of Delhi. Dishes like ,ushtaba, 9oghan &osh and 9ista
are well entrenched in Delhi/s culinary lexicon. Today cuisine of kashmiri pandits and
kash miri muslim is well rooted in Delhi and not only outlets selling #ashmiri food have
grown in number but shops selling #ashmiri spices and pickles are also seen in the main
market of the capital.
$anias were an integral part of the diversity of the population of Shaha&ahanabad and
contributed towards the economy of the region as moneylenders. they controlled all
commerce in !ughal period. Their food, strictly vegetarian without onion and garlic is
very much part of Delhi cuisine.This community added a great number of delightful
vegetarian cuisine to the melting pot of Delhi. Dishes without onion and garlic became a
part of Delhi cuisine. Their food was on the purity of ingredients and richness. $ania and
<ain food has a distinct flavor of !arwar and dishes such as daalbati churma, karhi
chawal, gate ki sabi are dishes worth a mention.
'nd while the !uslim, %andit and $ania cuisine is hugely celebrated0 adapted and
adopted by the rest of the city(e5ually significant is the #ayastha food, of what once
used to be a community concentrated to the confines of !all 9oad and civil lines of old
Delhi.
This community has always been known for their fondness for food and passion for
hospitality. They excel both in vegetarian as well as non0vegetarian food. Surprisingly
their women are shakahari but make meat dishes for their men folk. They show a marked
preference for red meat and prepare mouthwatering delicacies like 4argisi #ebab,
pasanda and sukha bhuna gosht. #ayasth food has survived in the elite families of Delhi.
Their breakfast of $edvi 'loo with &ilebi is now a popular breakfast of lay Sunday in old
delhi.some of their dishes like nagori halwa. '&wain arvi and masala kathal are
popular.dishes.
The walled city boasted of some of the best professionals in the field of medicine and in
early 2*
th
+entury 7nani medicine became a popular way of life. $ottles of colorful
sharbats, &ars of murabbas were added to the culture of Delhi. The tradition of making
Sharbat was carried on by the late Hakim 'bdul Hameed of Hamdard dawakhana and
9ooh afa his contribution to the world of sharbat has survived the passage of time.
Today Dabar has become a successful pioneer in reviving the traditional culture of
murabbas.
'mir #husrou have referred to the serving of sharbats in the royal ban5uets and the
written account of Delhi has a regular mentioned of sharbats made with rose pomegranate
orange, mango and lemon. Hakims made them aromatic by adding saffron, musk, kewra,
and essence of different flowers.Today the old practice of making sharbats and murabba
has been replaced by the modern technics and is available in attractive packings.
Dilli ke halwai(Delhi is a place to satisfy your sweet tooth also. 'll the communities
living here have made rich contributions in this field.
Delhi is as famous for its sweets as it is for its kebab, paratha and other delicacies. Eala
Sukhlal ,hantewala Shahi Halwaii, was as much a legend as ,humi #ebabie The oldest
mithai shop in the city is ,hantewala in +handni +howk which has been run by the same
family since 1AF*. They make the traditional sweets of Delhi 0habshi halwa, sohan halwa,
pinni, and all0time favourites like pista and ka&u lau and motichur laddoos. !uslims
gave sweets like firni, falooda and a variety of halwas, some of which have survived the
passage of time. 7nfortunately, some of the sweets like daulat ki chaat are hard to find
now.
During the period of !uhammed Shah 9angeela under the advice of Shahi Hakims Delhi
was recommended use of pungent spices to ward off the ill humors, thought to be
generated by the water of the canal flowing through +handni +howk. This thought
process gave rise to spiced cuisine of Delhi, which is prevalent even today. Exotic0eating
places adorned both sides of the canal. Experienced cooks created tongue0tickling
savories and soon chaat shop and kababchis appeared like mushrooms and did brisk
business, princes and nobles visited these vendors to give them patronage and encourage
the fineness of culinary art. Even after so many years this tongue tickling savories of
Delhi are popular and spread all over the walled city 'n amaing assortment of chaat like
Paani ke Batashe, Papri, Chaat Pakori,long chire, qalmi bade, matar ka samosa and
#achoris are readily available and made to the liking of the customer. "n the other hand a
varieties of kababs like ,humi kabab, #ale&i ,urde ki seekh, Shami kabab, bowls of
nahari, and cauldrons of arda and biriyani stop the passer by with their aroma.
Till $ahadur Shah Gafar the last !oghul Emperor, Delhi en&oyed its culinary delights but
in their twilight hours, the pi5uancy had evaporated from the power of the !oghuls in
Delhi. The kitchen fires smoldered and the smoke was stronger in the subas of 'vadh,
Deccan and 9ampur where they found the patronage of the 4awabs and the rulers. $y
now the melting pot of Delhi had absorbed in it the most exotic and delicious cuisine,
which adorned the royal table of $ahadur Shah Gafar. %atili ke kabab, $ater ka shorba,
$huna titar, Hiran ke kabab, kate masale ka salan - 8shtu. 5orma, $iriyani, !utan&an,
Safed ,a&ar ka Halwa, sem ke bee& ka salan are some of the dishes which are now
signature dishes of Delhi cuisine.

The nawabi court of Eucknow, the ra&as of the states in 9a&asthan and in many other parts
of 8ndia, deprived by the $ritish of their hold over the administration, laid aside their
swords turned to the more agreeable delights of the senses H the affluent 'vadhi,
Hyderabadi and 9a&asthani kitchens reaching new levels of creativity.

'fter the fall of the !ughal Empire the reins of Hindustan were in the hands of ,ora
Sahibs whose contribution to the development of food is of a different kind. Europeans in
8ndia, who were perfect aristocrats by now, had lavish tables, adorned with soup, a roast
fowl, curries, mutton pie, rice, cutlets, puddings, cakes, freshly churned butter and home
baked breads. However the 8ndian ambience could not be avoided and a number of dishes
came up between the English lady and her 8ndian cook, like This is the beginning of a
new cuisine, called 'nglo0 8ndian cuisine. Soups and salads, cutlets, curry, kedgeree,
deviled egg, cro5uettes, vegetable cooked lightly, chicken roast, fruits, pastries and
puddings appeared on the table. The birth of 'nglo 8ndian cuisine was indeed an
interesting fusion of food of two different cultures. There came flexibility and diversity in
the cuisine of Delhi. $esides wine, various beverages got introduced like gin, gimlet,
whisky and beer H sandwiches, cup0cakes and pastries, biscuits and scones made popular
tea snacks of $ritish officers in Delhi. 8ndian snacks like shami kabab, koftas 'loo pratha
were also added to the menu.
The $ritish gave 8ndia the concept of high tea. ,arden parties became status symbols
with elaborate refreshments, where 8ndian cooks presented his best on the table. $esides
sit down dinners, buffet system of eating became prevalent in Delhi and now has become
of a part of Delhi life.
8t is interesting to note that when the $ritish left, they not only took their food with them
but also took away the flavors of Delhi with them. 7nlike the previous rulers, the
culinary habits of the $ritish in 8ndia went with them. Today in $ritain chicken tikka,
somosa, tandoori chicken and curry are as popular as fish and chips.
$y the beginning of 2*
th
century ;rench Style cooking became vogue in Delhi. +ooks
remain 8ndian, who cooked on charcoal stove and !emsahib explained to him the ;rench
cooking in her own way. The menu was perfect ;rench but what appeared on the table
had little resemblance to its name.
:ith the partition of 8ndia yet another layer of culture and another kind of food got
introduced to the city0 Tandoori food. 4ow kababs and breads were cooked in hot clay
oven0 called Tandoor. 8n 'D 12**01?** when conditions in %un&ab were 5uite unstable,
,uru 4anak -'D 1I3F H1?)F., in an effort, to bring all people together started the
concept of langar, giving rise to San&ha +hulha. 'fter partition san&ha chulha became a
popular place for refugees of %un&ab to exchange daily news.
The ma&ority of refugees, who settled in Delhi, after partition, changed the culinary life of
the city. They loved hearty, flavorful and substantial food without artificial furs.
#undan Eal of !oti !ahal, the famous tandoori food restaurant at Daryagan& in Delhi,
started tandoori chicken, which is world famous even today. The Tandoor became a
popular substitute to grill. Soon tandoori 5uail, tandoor <hinga, tandoori fish and even
tandoori aaloo, and a variety of kababs including tikka kabab and seekh kabab were
cooked on tandoor and small tandoori &oints became popular eating places of a common
man. :ith the setting up of the san&ha chulha, the community kitchen became the
center of gossip and a source of freshly baked roti and naan. !any of the displaced
people after the partition of 8ndia, unable to take up their former occupations began a
fresh life in Delhi by opening up small eating0places and started selling inexpensive food
over which they had mastery like chhola bhatura. Soon chole bhature became a popular
snack of Delhi and even today has not lost its popularity.
:ith their growing economic success they began to dominate the food life of the city.
Their preference for chicken over mutton saw Delhi become a city of poultry fanciers.
Their passion for dairy product paneer in particular saw a variety of dishes being
introduced to Delhi. !atar paneer, saag paneer, paneer makhni, not only gained
popularity in the capital of 8ndia but became popular throughout the world.
$esides tandoori cuisine yet another culture sprang called Dhaba culture. Small eating0
places called dhaba adorned the sidewalk.
:here rich creamy dal, curried chicken, matar paneer, aloo chhole, baigan bharta,
siling paratha or tandoori roti were standard menu. This lip smacking, simple fresh
food is served amidst loads of butter.
:ith the downfall of 4awabs and 9a&as, talu5adars and Gamindar the fine art of culinary
suffered a great deal and almost died. ' new soul was infused in it by the five star hotels
of 8ndia who are not only reviving the old art for the gourmet lovers, but also propagating
it all over the world by holding fre5uent festivals.
Today in the bylanes of walled city some of the old $awarchis, #ababchis and
+haatwalas do exist to remind one of the cuisines of yester years the narrow winding
streets of walled city hold many secrets known to only long time residents or are lost in
the pages of history. Street food of these by0lanes is classless yet clasy, inexpensive yet
priceless, earthy yet heavenly.
The much talked about %aratnhewali gali has very few to claim the hereditary business.
,ulab ki lassi and sirkiwale $ade !iyan/s #heer with smoky flavor is again a reminder
of good old days. $ade !iyan/s shop is 12? years old and the flavor remains the same.
These are the reminders of the composite culture of Delhi known as ,anga <amni
Teheeb of Dilli. . The aroma of $iryani and Garda, the favourite dishes of Dilliwalas are
seen all over and does not permit a passerby to move further without eating a plate full.
The freshly baked array of breads is daling, $a5akhani, Sheermaal, kulcha, 9oomali,
#hamiri, ,hee ki 9oti, 9awe ke %rathe and besan ki masalewali roti, a favorite of
$ahadur Shah Gafar.
The past is disappearing rapidly and without a trace making way for new flavors fusion
and ideas.
The city is now introduced to western trends of food. The idea is not necessarily to
service an existing palate but to present something new and add to the melting pot. This is
also way to reach a new segment of customers. !ore and more 8ndians today are global
citien who embrace global trends. There is a ma&or culinary revolution going on in the
capital with provides ample food for thought. <apanese food has taken a lead and Sushi
+ounters are found in each an every market. +ontinental, Thai Spanish, and 8talian
cuisine is what the younger generation demands. Today momo is sold side0by0side
samosa and pia is baked in tadoor with paneer and chicken topping.
Delhi is leading the way for the rest of the country showing what cool and chic
contemporary cuisine is all about. Delhi continues to live up to its integrative nature and
Delhi/s taste buds are blooming and melting pot is bubbling.