It has been over a year since the pandemic has started and restricted our movement. Things that we took for granted earlier came to a halt and we adapted to the new normal. Wear masks, sanitize, and be safe is the new normal in today’s world. Gearing up, I set out to try some of the best food in Zakir Nagar located in southeast Delhi.
The one thing that I missed during this whole pandemic was street food. Being a foodie, I love trying out new places, new tastes. But as we all know safety first. Finally, a year after, when things started opening up, I took my chances.
Zakir Nagar is located in Southeast Delhi. It is quite close to New Friends Colony and also accessible via metro. You can take the magenta line metro and get down at Jamia Milia station. From there you can take an auto or tuk-tuk and cover the rest of the distance in 10 minutes max.
While Zakir Nagar was on my list for a long time, I did not get the time to go and explore it. So when one fine cloudly evening in March perfectly aligned with my time off, I headed straight away to this food heaven.
Just as you enter the lanes of Zakir Nagar you will get a whiff of the delicious fried chicken. Soon as I smelled it, the hungry kid inside me wanted a bite. But, always explore first. As I made my way through both traffic and people in the not-so-wide lane, my attention was divided between the colorful lighted shops lined up on both sides and how not to bump into people.
Lucknowi Galawati Kabab
Finally, I reached the place, Lucknowi Galawati Kabab, the shop which sold the famous galawati kabab of Lucknow. It was a small place, like any other shop in the lane, but the food made it unique and was counted among one of the best food in Zakir Nagar.
The kebabs were kept in a big aluminum tray over a stove over low heat. The final touch was given when customers ordered and served hot. They have several kebabs, but I decided to go with the classic one, chicken and mutton galawati kabab with ulte tawa ka paratha.
The kebabs arrived in small red plates accompanied by finely sliced onions and a quarter lemon. As expected the Kababs were so soft that you wouldn’t need to use your teeth to chew them. Taste-wise it was good, but somewhat the real ones at Tunday Kabab at Lucknow will always be my favorite.
Talib Kabab Corner
Kababs are always delicious. Minced or whole, mixed with spices, kebabs are the finger foods of Mughlai dishes. People were licking their fingers while eating kabab long before KFC was invented.
One of the best foods at Zakir Nagar would undoubtedly be kabab. You can find various types of kababs here. After galawati kabab, now it was time to try out a few more. The owner of Lucknowi Galawati Kabab recommended Talib and Qureshi Kababs. If you are somewhere new, try asking the locals, they know all the good places.
Seekh and boti kabab are the specialties of Talib Kabab Corner. I tried out both and they turned out to be delicious. Kebabs were grilled to perfection. It was soft and juicy and laden with spices. The combination of onions, lemon, and green coriander-chili chutney made it more flavourful.
Iranian Dum Chai
Not a big fan of milk tea, but I can still vouch for a cup of Iranian dum chai. Located right above Talib Kabab, this small tea stall looked like a local favorite.
Milk tea with a thick layer of malai would be the best way to describe it. I took my time and let it cool down a bit before tasting it with bun maska. End result, a perfect pair. When you take a sip of the tea you can bite off a small piece of the thick layer of malai, the delicious creaminess adds to the flavor of the tea.
Amongst all the rush in the road, the tea stall seemed to slow down the time. People coming would sit at the small tables and sip their tea. They would indulge in conversations with the cup of tea acting as a timer. Soon as the tea was over, it was time to get back to the hustle-bustle.
Shahi Kheer
Exploring more, I came across this small sweet shop adjacent to the Jama Masjid of Zakir Nagar. Colorful pamphlets with pictures of sweets and their prices were hanging in front of the shop.
On a closer inspection, I realized it was Ashraf Kheer Shop. The shop was famous for its rabdi faluda and shahi kheer. With so many options before me, I was confused about what to try because after consuming all the food mentioned above, I had very little space left. The shopkeeper offered to help and suggested a small serving of Shahi Kheer.
The Shahi Kheer was not overly sweet but hit the right spot. It was thick, had a solid creamy texture. Topped with pistachios, it was served chilled. Shahi Kheer, to me, was the best way to conclude the day.
Zakir Nagar is a much-toned-down version of the Jama Masjid area. It is small compared to Jama Masjid and had fewer shops. But on the aspect of taste and food options, it lacked nothing.
It would be incomplete if I conclude without naming some of the other famous shops that I would be surely trying on my next visit. Sheermal Haji Imran, Javed Famous Nahari, Madina Biryani, Pahalwan Sweets are a few of them.