Bombay Sandwich - Delhi Style

3 Years of my college life were the best years of my life till date. The fact that they were spent in Bombay (I still refuse to call it Mumbai), makes me in love with the city. I still cannot figure out as to whether those years were a blast because of Bombay or did I fall in love with Bombay because of my college life. Since then, everything Bombay and I feel an instant connection. Take the Bombay sandwich for example. I never had the Bombay Sandwich while I was in the city. It was mostly about Vada Pav those days, or sitting in the Irani Restaurant behind college every evening and having Bun Maska and cutting chai. Bombay Sandwich came much later...3 years after Bombay to be precise, when I was posted in Vadodara. There was this vendor just outside the Hotel where I used to work who prepared this and it was the ideal snack, especially since I was bored out of my skull having restaurant food daily. Since then, I have been in love with Bombay Sandwich and during my trips back to Bombay have tried it out on a few occasions. So, last week during my Old Delhi trip to eat some yum food, I chanced upon this vendor selling Bombay Sandwich and I had to try it out. After all, this was my way of still maintaining my connect with the maximum city.
Now the Bombay Sandwich made in Old Delhi was totally different from the ones available in Bombay. The beetroot slices did not find their way into the sandwich and grated cheese was replaced by good old paneer (Cottage cheese). In the end, he did not toast the sandwich (which I pointed out to him) and my favorite was missing, which being the accompaniment - like sprinkled sev on top or some potato wafers or best even more grated cheese on top.
So have a look at this variation available in the bylanes of Old Delhi and till I post about the Real McCoy in Bombay, this will have to do till then.

Take 2 slices of bread and smear butter on one end of each slice. Then apply some mint chutney.

Layer one bread with sliced boiled potatoes.

Now add a layer of sliced cucumber

Sprinkle some sandwich masala. Most call this their secret to a great sandwich. I just think this is chaat masala and  black pepper.

Add in some onion rings. 

Followed by slices of tomatoes. Now this is when Beetroot slices should follow also, but this is Delhi style..need to be hatke.

And it totally deviates from here and starts looking like a Delhi Sandwich. Add in a slice of paneer (I still love my grated cheese on top). Sprinkle some more secret masala.

Cover with the second slice. The sandwich is almost done.

Purists...dont cringe. I know he should toast it to get the real Bombay style sandwich, but like I said earlier, this is a distant copy. He just cuts it in 4 triangles to make them bite sized.

A sachet of ketchup (now I love the toppings I got in Bombay) and you are ready to bite into it.

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Old Delhi Food Trail - A Photo Essay (Part I)

Every once in a while I have this urge to try the real street food of Delhi and that is when I make my trip to Chandni Chowk. Over my last few trips, many of my friends have joined me to walk through the always crowded by lanes of Chandni Chowk, Chawri bazaar and nearby areas to savor some of the tastiest food available. The choices on display blow your mind and it is impossible to miss the food stalls and little shops as they cater to a thronging crowd of hungry visitors daily.

These are some of the images that I captured in between digging into tasty chaat and searching for some legendary food outlets.

Chandni Chowk - the mere mention brings up memories of some tasty chaat vendors and the best chaat in Delhi.

Bishan Swaroop

Sultan Kulle Wala

Ashok Chat Corner

Not just chaat, the area is brimming with snacks and food from everywhere.

Bombay Sandwich in Delhi

Panna standing at Nai Sarak has some tasty Moth Kachori..try it if you havent till now.

Incase regular kachoris are what you crave then make way to Jung Bahadurs Kachori shop

And how can you be in Delhi and not try Matra Kulcha. 

And talking of Matra, Rameshji in Kinari Bazaar serves the best Matra Kulcha in town.

A trip to Chandni Chowk will be incomplete without a mention of Parathewalli Galli. The atmosphere and the crowd eating there at any time is to be seen even if oily fried parathas are not your choice of food.

And it is impossible to roam the area and not catch the countless hawkers selling nankhatai.

Going to the old Delhi area and not making a trip to Karim's is totally unpardonable, unless you are a vegetarian. Famed for its mutton preparations, the lamb Nihari and tandoori roti for breakfast are a must do, though they even serve it in evenings for a few hours.

M in front of Karims entrance - should I order the Nihari, Paya, Qorma or all three ?

The Tandoori Roti and Nihari are a perfect couple :). Try it at Karims or Al-Jawahar. Which one is better? Well, the jury has been undecided for all these years.

This happens to be the breakfast crowd at Shyam Sweets. Try out their Bedmi Pooris.

 Enough of oily and calorie filled food...try the fresh fruit instead.

There is also a lot to satisfy your sweet tooth

Rabarhi

And how can one forget Daulat ki Chaat. Only available for a few months of winter, I cant wait for it this year. Another few weeks to go I guess.

And the Khurchan at Hazarilal Jain...yum!

And the best way to finish off everything you ate is by way of a thick lassi at Amritsari Lassiwaale near Fatehpuri gate.

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The Old Delhi Culinary Trail - Changezi Chicken - Restaurant Review

OVERALL RATING - We choose to restrain from an overall rating, as given the seating and service this place will not score too high. But then, the charm of old Delhi eateries has always been the food. Go for the Changezi Chicken. If you are picky about the experience, then drop in to the takeaway and pack yourself some to eat in the cozy confines of your home.

So what do you order when you go to a restaurant named Changezi Chicken? No prizes for guessing, but obviously the dish named Changezi Chicken. And that is exactly what we did last week when we dropped in to sample the fare at Changezi Chicken. Situated on Netaji Subhash Chandra Marg in Daryaganj, it is hard to miss. The Neon Sign proclaiming Changezi Chicken beckons you from far. 2 shops down they also have a small takeaway, again with an equally huge neon sign.

The restaurant is small and run down with no frills paid to either the kitchen which is in the open and that you encounter as you enter and tables and chairs thrown in to sit people. They pride themselves for their food and that is what they focus on. Infact a much bigger sign of Zaika, the family restaurant, overshadows the Changezi Chicken sign. And you plan to enter, Zaika promises to be a much comfortable and better dining experience. But in the 30 minutes that I stood outside (Not waiting for my table, just talking to the people around), Zaika could not match the crowd at Changezi, even by a far shot. 

The menu is chicken-centric, with a mutton qorma and fish tikka thrown in, some vegetarian options (3 to be precise) and steamed chicken momos and chicken soup (now why would they do that).

We ordered the Changezi Chicken, qtr. plate for each person and I also ordered a mutton qorma to sample. Chicken Changezi promises to be a very different experience. A dish consisting of grilled chicken pieces (which have been marinated in lime juice and spices) that is cooked on the tava, it is at best an acquired taste, and that too gets acquired by the third piece of morsel that goes in. Initially, you find it a little sourish and tangy but then it grows on you and well by the end, you find it a very good change from the regular chicken dishes that you find. The curry is spicy and the chicken pieces are soft and delicate. 

The mutton qorma was decent, nothing great (I'm biased towards Al Jawahar and Karims). We ordered the Roomali Roti, Tandoori Roti, Naan and Khameeri Roti.  I will suggest having the Changezi Chicken with Tandoori Roti. It goes well. The Qtr. plate is good portion for one starving person, unless you are ordering other items on the menu too.

The servers are polite and courteous. Service is quick, but don't expect uniformed waiters, performing service from a platter. The food is the king here and the queues say it all.

FOOD - 

SERVICE -           

AMBIENCE -        

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