Life Without Alu?: Allahabad - The City of Good Food

In my article on Lassi and Namkeens of Loknath, I have mainly focused on one particular place – Chowk and its specialties – Lassi (yogurt based drink) and Namkeen (savory snacks). However, these weren’t the only things I enjoyed during my home trip. Allahabad has dozens of good restaurants and food items and if you are planning to visit this amazing historical and cultural city, I should give you a list of all the good food I enjoyed, so that whenever you are there, you make the most of your trip. Remember good food completes the experience of a great trip. So here are a few yummy dishes which I enjoyed with my family.

My parents gave me a surprise treat at the Grand Continental Hotel in Civil Lines and this photo features Goat Biryani. Biryani is a main course dish and is often served with a yogurt raita. It mainly consists of rice and meat but its preparation is an art in itself. I will just give you a summary as in our home Debarshi is the master chef of Biryani. I have seen him preparing rice and meat separately and mind it they are cooked Al Dante. This step is very important as they are then layered alternatively and slow cooked for some time. The result, delicious perfectly cooked meat and fluffy rice grains. Biryani is always prepared with Basmati rice which is a long grained and flavorful rice.

Now I have to tell you, there are different versions of Biryani all over India but I like the Awadhi version of Biryani which is prepared in Allahabad. Also it will be interesting to point here that in India you can also find vegetarian versions of all the dishes. So if you are a vegetarian yay for you! there are tons of options to choose from and believe me I am only starting.

If you are in Allahabad, you must have some Chaat. Chaat is basically street food though nowadays it is not only prepared by the street vendors but is also served in several restaurants and even in weddings as appetizers. During my last three years in the U.S I have had Chaats in quite a few Indian Chaat cafes of Atlanta, San Jose and San Francisco. However, is it possible for a chatori (a person who loves to eat Chaat) like me to go to her home town and not have some delicious Chaat? Amidst my jet lag and stomach upsets whenever I was well I used to go out with my sister and enjoy some tasty Chaat from the local vendors. This photo features Karela (these are crispy chips prepared with a dough of all purpose flour and served with yogurt, Matar, onions and spices), Alu Tikiya (mashed potato mixed with spices and sometimes filled with paneer or lentils and shallow fried, they are served with Matar, chutney and onions), tomato for preparing Tamatar (another dish prepared by sautéing tomato pieces with cumin seeds and the Alu Tikiya dish. The tomato is cooked and mashed in the dish and spices like cumin powder are added, this is then garnished with some yogurt and cilantro) and one thing which is missing from this photo is my all time favorite – Phulki (these are like small deep fried puffed breads and these are served either with Jeera Jal or with Chutney Matar).

Photo features: Phulki with sweet and tangy chutneys and at Atlanta’s Chaat Café, its served with sprouted grains and mashed potatoes.

Hmm... lots of new sides and they all sound so tasty, right? let me tell you what all these yummy sides are:

Chutney – prepared by grinding Cilantro, Green Chilies and some spices with a little water. Also sometimes there is a version of sweet chutney served with the Chaats and it is prepared by boiling Tamarind and Jaggery. The mixture is then strained and used as chutney. The sweetness of Jaggery cuts the tartness of tamarind creating a yummy combination of flavors.

Matar – these are dried Peas. Yes, the regular green sweet peas are dried and used for this dish. You can find these in the Indian stores. Matar is prepared by boiling the dried peas with a pinch of baking soda, turmeric and salt.

Jeera Jal – Jeera means Cumin and Jal means water. This cool beverage is prepared by mixing cold or normal water with Cumin Powder, Black and White Salts, Tamarind or Lemon Water with a little Mint paste. This is a cool refreshing beverage and is often served as a summer drink in India.

Jaggery – This is cane raw sugar. In India many sweet and savory dishes are prepared using Jaggery instead of sugar. Its always available in the shape of a block and is golden brown or dark brown in color. Its considered to have health benefits as it helps in digestion. Growing up I have seen my grand ma and parents consume Jaggery on a regular basis. It is eaten like dessert (last course) often with a bowl of milk.

Now let’s move on to another of my favorite snacks – Samosa. This is a deep fried pastry filled with spicy potato and sometimes peas. Samosas have their own versions in every state of India but its unique triangular cone like shape remains more or less the same. Although nowadays we get many versions of Samosas (filled with meat, paneer or lentils) my favorite is the traditional one where the filling is made of fried mashed potatoes and spices. I love the Samosas of Allahabad as they have the perfect crust and filling ratio. Because of their small size they are super crispy. The crust holds the filling perfectly and it doesn’t crumble with the first bite. Samosa is the most popular street food during rainy season. I have enjoyed many such Chai (Tea) Samosa party with my friends. Its an ecstatic feeling to watch the rain pour down while gossiping and eating a hot crunchy snack. Samosa is usually served with the green Dhania (Cilantro) chutney although sometimes it is also served with a tart Tamarind Cilantro Green Chili chutney.

This is another good restaurant where I went with my sister and parents. This is not a super expensive place but the food is great. The name of the restaurant is Dilli Galiyara and the best part is, it is inside a mall with a movie theater which was obviously a convenient option for me. I often used to go to the mall to do some shopping and having delicious Indian food always makes me happy. This photo features Paneer Tikka and Chicken Chow Mien. Chow Mein is a pasta based dish. The pasta is fried on a medium- high heat with the vegetables and chicken. It is then flavored with soy and red and green chili sauces. As you can see, we have plenty of vegetables in the chow mein like Carrots, Cabbage and Bell Peppers. Chinese cuisine in India has been developed to suit the taste and flavor pallets of Indians. Its called the Indian Chinese cuisine because its an adaptation of the Chinese cuisine and believe me it tastes totally different than the Chinese foods we enjoy in the U.S. In India, Chinese dishes have a huge variety of vegetarian options as well like Paneer Manchurian, Chili Paneer or Schezwan Paneer to name a few.

Now let me tell you about Paneer Tikka. Paneer is fresh cheese and as I have written in my previous articles is very different from Tofu. Prepared with curdled milk, Paneer should be handled with care and consumed fresh. Paneer tikka is a Tandoori dish which means it is prepared in a clay oven. This creates a smoky fragrance in the dish and brings a charred look. Paneer Tikka is usually served as an appetizer with a mint chutney. It is a widely popular dish served in parties and weddings.

And while you are in Dilli Galiyara, don’t forget to order the Sundae from them. It’s the perfect way to end a delicious meal. For those who don’t know, Sundae is an ice cream dessert decorated with a syrup and toppings like nuts, fruits or whipped cream.

Now let’s move on to serious desserts. This photo features Cakes from one of the most popular bakeries of Allahabad – Paradise. This is my go-to place for any delicious dessert. You can see that the cakes have been specially labelled as “Egg Cake” and that is because many cakes are also prepared eggless for the vegan (vegetarian) population. The sweet treats are endless and I for one get absolute mesmerized with all the options. Some of the cakes in these shelves are: Fruit Trifle, Black Forest and Chocolate Fantasy.

I think it will be correct to say that Indian pastries bear a remarkable similarity with French pastries. We realized this when we went to the Amelie’s French Bakery and Café in Charlotte, North Carolina. They had the exact soft pastries topped with whipped cream, chocolates and fruits. Indian pastries are actually very different than the American muffins and pies and you should definitely give it a try. So let’s see what’s on these shelves, I see Black Forest, Pineapple Exotic, Éclairs, Exotic Truffle and Mango Toon pastries.

You can also find all sorts of breads and cookies in this bakery. Burgers, Sandwiches, Pizza and my favorite – Patties. Patties are prepared by filling a dough parcel with cooked vegetables or meat. The filling is pre cooked with spices and the parcel is then baked crisp. The flaky crispy dough tastes very much like a croissant.

I was so happy to go to this old bakery with my sister and Debarshi. We shared a couple of sweet and savory dishes and went back home happily.

There are a lot of places in Allahabad with tons of great food and I hope you will enjoy these yummy dishes whenever you are in my hometown.

Remember “People who love to eat are always The Best PEOPLE”.

Recommended Reading: