New Delhi: The food culture from ‘Roti Khali’ to ‘Lunch Kar Liya’ has changed a lot for the working class and their eating habits in the past few decades. Be it Delhi, Noida or Gurgaon all possess some common and some uncommon choices when it comes to their food trends.
The working class of 1980s and 90s carried the trend of bringing newspaper wrapped ‘rotis’ in their lunch. As their lunch time approached a plate of dal ordered from the nearby Dhaba was everybody’s favorite with the chappatis.
For few others in those days it was Pindi Chole with Bhature along with a glass of Lassi to go with it. Some preferred Kulche Channe as well. It was the most common lunch item back in 90s and still rules a lot of streets till now.
Delhi back then was just beginning to be seen as the best preferred place to work. People from all over India had started to come here to work. In the 9 to 5 job routine, not everyone could afford eating in restaurants. It was then when culture of ‘Survival Food’ came in the picture. Survival foods are those which is tasty and most importantly cheap. It can full your tummy deliciously without putting a crunch in your pocket.
As the food culture has evolved so has the working culture here. Delhi has spread its wings and formed National Capital Region (NCR). The working hub now was also Gurgaon and Noida.
Noida food culture features a menu for factory workers whereas Gurgaon has a room for more white collarr jobs.
Noida from 1990s onwards had a huge influx of factory workers which directly impacted the food culture of the area. The food was a mix of multicultural and regional items brought from different states, whereas on the other side Gurgaon with a lot of IT oriented companies, BPOs and KPOs, the food culture has a strong influence of West – people here preferred ‘munch’ over ‘lunch’. It meant varieties of fast foods and junks as eating options along with off course full main course options.
As mentioned earlier, “People of Noida Love to Lunch whereas Gurgaon Loves to Munch”. The Survival food of these cities holds cuisines of different states and region. It represents the true meaning of cultural melting pot.
To give you a better insight into the food scene of the nation, below is a listing of a few Indian states and their special dishes that will start a blast of flavours inside your mouth.
Litti Choka: Home to thousands of immigrants from Bihar, Delhi caters to a large number of litti-chokha eaters. Litti Chokha is the best breakfast, lunch and dinner and one of the most important delicacies of Bihar cuisine. Never miss the chance to taste it on streets of Noida.
You can have a plate of Litti-Chokha in just 20/- Rupees.
Chicken Biryani: Reminding you of the Mughal era, Chicken Biryani is one of the delicious chicken recipes that are prepared by cooking chicken with steam (literal meaning of dum pukth). Overloaded with ghee, this Indian recipe is known for its aroma and is cooked using an earthen or a copper pot. Try out this amazing Mughlai recipe. With large immigrant population from Western and Central UP, the clientele for biryani sellers is large. In Noida, you can have a mouthsmacking plate of Chicken Biryani in just 50/- Rupees and Veg Biryani in mere 30/- Rupees
Poha: Poha is basically flattened rice. This is a very important part of the cuisines of the Indian states of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. It is made of processed flattened rice, roasted with chillies, onions, mustard and cumin seeds and curry leaves (called Kadi-patta). It is a high carbohydrate, low fat, quick meal that can be made in minutes.
The clientele of Poha in Noida explains the presence of large number of migrant labourers from Vidharbha area of Maharashtra and Malwa area of MP. You can have a plate of tasty Poha in just 20/- Rupees.
Khasta Kachori: Khasta Kachori is one of the traditional yet popular snack items of India. It is a variation in basic kachori recipe and is also known as moth kachori or dal kachori.
A Khasta kachori recipe is easy; the commonly used ingredients of this kachori are flour, boiled and mashed potatoes, oil, turmeric powder, red chili powder, chopped green chilies, semolina, cumin powder, curd, tamarind sauce, salt, chickpeas and coriander chutney.
Khasta kachori is said to have its origin in Uttar Pradesh, India. It is a very common street food of Delhi and is also popular in other Indian states such as Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat and Rajasthan. A Khasta kachori is a delicious filing evening snack with variety of flavours from sweet and salty to sour and spicy.
You can have a plate of Khasta Kachori in just 20/- Rupees.
Amritsari Naan/ Kulcha: Though they are the perfect (and necessary) accompaniment to any dish, they have their very own unique identity. On the streets, it still remained a first choice of the masses. Amritsar is synonymous with Kulchas, the maida bread baked in a tandoor. Butter drenched, potato and cauliflower stuffed kulcha, and you can have kulchas for all your meals of the day. kulcha is served alongside chana masala, sliced onions and tamarind chutney.
You can have a plate of Amritsari naan/kulcha in just 40/- Rupees.
Dosa: Dosa is a typical part of the South Indian diet and popular all over the Indian subcontinent. Dosa is served hot along with sambar, stuffing of potatoes or paneer and chutney. It can be consumed with idli podi as well. There are a variety of dosas available around the region—but the most popular is the masala dosa, in which a fermented crepe made of rice batter is filled with potatoes and served with sambhar and coconut chutney. Get this in just 35/- Rupees.
Idli: Whereas Idli a traditional popular dish in South Indian households especially in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Since plain idlis are mild in taste, a condiment is considered essential. Idlis are often served with sambar but this varies greatly by region and personal taste. Idlis are also frequently served with chutnies like coconut chutney, kaara chutney or Spicy Fish Curries. Get a delicious plate of idli in just 20/- Rupees.
The taste of India cannot be complete without a mention of the dosa and idli.