You find these dishes in every menu in and around Delhi, know about its history!
India indeed is a country of diversity and of great history! Not just in terms of people and languages but also food. The dishes that we absolutely adore today have such an interesting history to it that we might have never thought of. Come; let me take you through this deliciously wonderful also very exciting journey.
The first one is my favorite, Butter Chicken!
Also, Histoire is a French term for “History” but an English term for “story.” Lovely, no? There’s so much to this world that goes unnoticed!
Butter Chicken
Butter chicken is not only enjoyed in India but worldwide, not only enjoyed with Rice & Naan but almost everything. Butter chicken could be your 3 am a supportive friend or could be something that lights up your mood after you’ve had a bad day – a deliciously succulent dish!
A long time ago, specifically in the 1950s, there was Kundan Lal Gujral who owned a place called “Moti Mahal” in the artistic and antique locality of not just Delhi but India –Daryaganj. The place was significantly famous for Tandoori Chicken. Daryaganj was found in the early 19th century and was known as Faiz Bazaar until the partition.
One day, an astounding incident took place under the magical roof of Moti Mahal, the birth of Murg Makhani aka Butter Chicken. The dish was made “by chance” by mixing the leftover chicken in tomato gravy, rich in butter and cream. You may ask, when where and how did Murg Makhani get the title of Butter chicken? Well, in 1975 the English phrase “Butter Chicken” just appeared in print, as a specialty of the house at Gaylord Indian Restaurant in Manhattan. Not just that, Butter chicken is eaten as a pie filling in Australia and New Zealand!
Even today you may see, in the narrow & congested streets of the remarkably precious city, there stands Moti Mahal which serves the best Murg Makhani!
Chole Bhature
A dish that not only is famous in India but also in Pakistan and Bangladesh. It’s a combination of two dishes, “chole” a spicy chickpea curry, and “Bhature” a type of flatbread made with maida flour. It was initially named as “Halwa Puri” and is still called that in Pakistan. It is served with mango and onion pickle, sometimes with fresh yogurt. Usually, we prefer having chole bhature as our breakfast. Fun fact about chole bhature is, October 2nd is celebrated as “Chole Bhature Day.”
Pani Puri
The history of Pani Puri goes back to the times of the Magadhan Empire which was situated on the banks of Ganga. That is where Pani Puri took birth. Today, Pani puri has a dozen different names and different styles of cooking. Golgappe, Gup Chup, Pani ke Patashe, Phulkis, Phuchkas, etc. Fun Fact, in Madhya Pradesh it is also called “Tikki” which in North India is a dish made with Fried Potato.
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Pav Bhaji
It came into existence as a fast lunchtime dish for the textile mill workers in Mumbai in the 1850s. Now, it’s not only famous in India but also abroad. Its story of origin depends upon different cities that it is famous in. It is the yummiest combination of bread and mixed vegetables.
Samosa
This one took birth outside India, in the Middle East & Central Asia then went for a vacation in Africa, Southeast Asia etc. It’s known to be the cousin relative of the Persian Pyramidal Pastry, Samsa. In the 13th century it came to India with the help of some traders who were coming from Central Asia. Since then, it has not left us ever. The best buddy of all times also eaten as an entree or a snack and has a zillion nicknames, Samoosa, Samosa, etc.
It’s been years since these delectable dishes have come into existence, won hearts then and winning hearts now, finest and peerless!