Fast Rides and Slow Food

It was Dussehra and while most people were huddled in their blankets they recently took out because of the change in weather, and secure in the knowledge that evil would be defeated later that evening, I snuck out from home with my cycle to meet up with Vivek and Mukesh and do something 'different' on Dussehra. We decided that we'd play it by ear. But first we did something very 'normal' and flew down the slick new Gurgaon Faridabad Expressway, but then quickly decided against a fast road ride in favor of some good chai at Qutab Minar. 

On the way we decided to do a tour of Radhey Mohan Drive just to see how the average Delhi 'farmer' is faring in an area of Delhi that does not look anything like an area of Delhi. Just watching all the folks enjoying their morning walks there, we quickly came to the realization that the people who are really living it up are the caretakers, cooks and gardeners who work for the 'farmers' at their 'farmhouses'. 

When we got to Qutab Minar we voted against JUST chai, and headed into the Mehrauli Market in search of something more substantial and after a little of bit asking we found our way to the locally acclaimed Suresh Halwai.

Suresh Halwai

We arrived there at around 7:30am and left a little after 8:30 as we worked our way through three courses of piping hot Kachoris, Samosa and Puri sabji.

Samosa, Kachori and Puri

After each course we would order a round of chai and then agree that we should be on our way home. At this point Suresh would dejectedly look at us and ask us to wait a few minutes, then shout at a group of young boys and men (all called Chotu) and tell them to bring whatever was coming out of the frying pans (hot puris, samosas etc.) right away. And so the 15 minute stop stretched into a three course breakfast where we watched the hubbub of the Mehruali market on a particularly busy day. This too did not feel anything like Delhi. It felt like the Sadar Bazaar of some small town in Western UP.'

"I don't have a  shop name board - just ask for Suresh Halwai"

There were two small shops just selling Gurdh (Molasses). All types of Gurdh including the Khajur variety. Everyone was selling sugarcane shoots since this was a requirement for the local version of Dussehra puja. The local Mehrauli Theatrical society had posters letting people know that they would be staging a play very soon, and the local politician (I can't remember the name but it was something like - Pappu or Chiku) has put up several posters proclaiming his ever lasting gratitude to Rajesh Khanna for all the great songs and movies. 

We did eventually manage to leave the place, even though Suresh's workers manning the hot tawa were trying to get us to hang around to taste the Jalebi and Imarti. 

Imarti on its way

Ride stats and stuff here -