Life in the cobbled streets of Old Delhi was a parade of culinary delights, from mathi halwa to meltingly tender meat
Memory is a strange thing; it thrills you and it traps you within its confines. As the world languishes in the grip of the pandemic, I often turn to memories of flavours and food from a childhood in the walled city of Shahjahanabad, now called. Old Delhi, to comfort and nourish me.
While the imposing walls and minarets of the Jama Masjid are memorable, what really endures is the recollection of the food that was sold in small halwai shops and street carts, and the kindness of the people there.
Life in the walled city was a treat for all ages, and our food habits intermixed to create what we often refer to as the Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb — a cultural melting pot that’s now in decline. Every day was a feast, and empathy and sharing were just as abundant as the food….