Jaffrabad Food Tour
We visited Jafrabad in the auspicious month of Ramzan. It was flooded with the muslim worshippers walking and talking food in every corner and alley! The energy of being in Jafrabad was so relevant and special because everyone was out there for one cause. It is lively till 4 am in the morning.
Because Jafrabad is not so hyped and definitely unexplored, we would want to take you there. Let’s go on a food trail!
Haji Iqbal Sheermal Vale- The man here specializes in NanKhatai, an Indian shortbread cookie which is made from refined flour, semolina, chickpea flour, butter and sugar. It is not an overly sweet cookie and looks like a smooth clay when put in the tandoor to get baked.
Because they are hot from the oven, they are very soft and crumbly in texture and melt in the mouth almost instantly. The garnishing of melon seeds on them, adds to the already rich taste they have!
Nawab Bhai Kebab Vale- “Itne umda kabab maine Delhi mein bahut kam hi jagah pe khaayein hain” (Only a few places have such amazing kebabs in Delhi) said the founder of Delhi Food Walks, Mr. Anubhav Sapra.
Be it the spices, green chillies, garlic or onions, everything has blended in so well that it's almost indescribable! It is like a greasy, moist clay. A seekh kebab is basically ground meat marinated in a mixture of spices, moulded on a skewer and cooked over a charcoal fire. It looks like a pipe.
Afaq Zaika Chicken- Butter Chicken Tikka here is a must try! Grilled chicken pieces are tossed in a rich gravy made with curd, copious amounts of butter and minimal spices like Chaat Masala.
If there is butter and chicken, it has to be good, but the minimal amount of spices shows the confidence in the recipe this shop has been using for 10-12 years now! In the World full of spices, be a minimal, a minimal like Afaq Chicken.
Islam Milk Store- They serve the most refreshing drink, which is, Roofazha! It is a crimson, molten crystal looking concentrate which is poured in buffalo milk and served. More sugar is added to it and everything is so proportionate in the thick milk that it distinguishes itself from how it is usually made everywhere.
Even the quality of milk is inspected before approving it for usage. So, in short there is a lot of dedication. And, these are not served in glasses but in big plastic mugs. It is around 1 litre in quantity.
Fun Fact- The place is also known as Bheem Milk Shop. The name was kept after a character in the Hindu Epic, Mahabharat. The owner, Islammudin's younger brother resembled the character’s physique (very tall and strong), so, the younger kids started calling him that. Thus, the name. There are many instances of cultures blending in India and we are proud of that!
Cool Point- They are popular for their Shahi Tukda. It is a fried bread, soaked in sugar syrup, and garnished with cream, rabri, cherries and chopped dry fruits. It is very crispy, rich yet tender in texture. The bread is cooked and crumbled into pieces and it's just ON ANOTHER LEVEL! Even if you look at it once, you would want to try it badly!
It is served with a scoop of mango ice-cream and you really will regret not trying it. Most sweets are amazing but only a few are heavenly. Meet Cool Point’s Shahi Tukda to experience the latter.
Our food experience was undeniably very meat rich. And, with the desserts and a lot of other things that we ate from certain other stalls in Jafrabad, we swear to lord, we haven’t ever felt so full. It’s just that everything was so tempting and nice.
To watch us in our crazy element, exploring the bustling streets of Jafrabad, watch the video below:
