The Alternate Energy Cookbook

I just love Delhi, even though I wasn't born here, I have spent the whole of my childhood here eating Mangoes under the giant shade bearing trees of the summer season and hiding under thick duvets to keep away the cold in the chill season.  Unfortunately, central heating never figured in the scheme of things in India so winters are pretty severe if you don't have the comfort of a razai.  When I was a  kid there were so many things one could to do here, from reading books at central government libraries to playing cricket in the fields that dot the urban landscape.  We just love our cricket here.  I grew up playing cricket and eating butter chicken, and drinking jaljeera or banta soda. Banta soda had a queer device for a cork, there was like a marble embedded in the bottle so to let the fizz out or drink it one had to pop the marble into the crevice at the top of the bottle.  All kinds of funny devices and makeshift arrangements lined our life.  Get up the in the morning and head to school to study and ofcourse to play cricket.  School had plenty of open spaces and lots and lots of turf to play.  But in the morning we played what was called "hand cricket" with one tip catch - OUT.  Hand cricket utilized a rubber ball and makeshift stumps in the form of errected stone slab.  Team size ranged from anywhere between five to the conventional eleven.  Come to think of it, I enjoyed handcricket so much that I was a star material slamming balls with my hand to all corners of the smaller fields.  Come afternoon we were ready for some real-life cricket in the large playing fields.  I was a star at this too, come to think of it, I just loved playing cricket, hitting the ball long over the boundaries for sixers and bowling those in-cutting seamers and banana out-swingers.  As a matter of fact captained my school team in the final year at school.  As afternoon would approach, we would head home in our buses, come back, sleep a bit and again off to the field in the blazing sun to play - CRICKET.  As I grew older I started exploring Delhi.  Not only the bylanes of my colony and adjoing areas but far flung catchments of Chandni Chowk and Karol Bagh, as also smelling the croisants of the high and mighty at The Oberois.  Ghungroos for the night and hopping to Sunny Singhs remixes, memories that are hard to die down.  Remember "The Boss" Springsteen came to Delhi and I went to the concert and loved it.  Bruce "the boss" Springsteen was the best thing that came to town.  It changed the whole landscape, from bars and drinking holes to discotheques start popping up everywhere.  And I remember I was in college when I saw Sushmita Sen, yes the same Miss Universe who wowed the world, walk out of Ghungroos and as she passed me she happened to look at me.  It was one of those casual glances but I was rooted.  "there is something about mary .. hmmm"

Though Chor Bizzare, based at Delhi Gate, Asaf Ali Road ,is a recent phenomenon, it is run by the same folks who run Indian Habitat Centre.  I remember visiting IHC for the first time when I was in college, those were heady days, hang around the parking, eat at American Diners, kingfishers and cocktails to uplift the spirit and as night descended or rather as the morning sun was about to come up head to National School of Drama for Chai and sutta.  It was awesome, even interacted with Naseeruddin Shah once at the chaiwallas shack.  Then there was the UPSC chaatwala near India Gate if you wanted something spicier and tangier in the evening before we hit IHC.  If you didn't like the spice, you could always head to the paranthawali gali in Chandni Chowk, close to the present Metro Station.  Some sumptious paranthas or as the phirangs would call it, Indian pancakes.  So what was so special about Parantha Walli Gali, well there are some 20 shops all serving and making paranthas.  It is the way that they make that they make paranthas that is unique, the mawa parantha and papad parantha served along with seethaful subzi is just awesome.

Over a period of time I have tended to enjoy Haldiram as well.  The one in Connaught Place serves good Indian food.  They have even managed to set up a pasta counter, thought the raj kachori is simply the best.  If you wanna have channa bhaturas then the best place to go to is Sweets Corner, Sundar Nagar. These guys really fluff up their bhaturas and the channa brings the Old world charm to the taste buds.  For South Indian I have always enjoyed Andhra Bhawan, the masala prawns and fried fish, ummmmmmm, can smell it even as I write.  The thali is a traditional Andhra dish out with rice, rasam, sambhar, sabjees and the works but its the side dishes that turn the meal wholesome.  By the fried mutton here is a must try.  Iqbal at Nizammudin Dargah is pretty good for kakori kebabs too.
And to top it all the coffee, forget the CCDs and Barista, go to the United Coffee Home in connaught place, man, the smell of freshly brewed coffee will have your nostrils up in ecstasy.  Its been a heady life here and I have loved every single minute here.
Yeh Dilli Meri Jaan, tabhi toh mera bharat mahan.