Delhi Diary: Relishing Mughlai Heritage Cuisine At Karim's

By Shakir Husain Shakir Husain, Bernama’s correspondent in New Delhi shares his take from the Indian sub-continent. NEW DELHI, March 26 (Bernama) -- Karim's restaurant in Delhi is so famous that anyone who appreciates Mughlai cuisine has been there at least once. It has branches in many places in the city, but food lovers prefer to go to the original place that started in 1913 in Old Delhi. Karim's is located in a narrow lane across the road from the famous 17th century Jama Masjid. Visiting this historic part of Delhi is an experience in itself. Today Old Delhi is one of the Indian capital's most congested districts, a far cry from its glory days when the walled city, known as Shahjahanabad, was built by Empreror Shah Jahan as an elegant urban centre and his seat of power. The Mughal period saw the development of a distinct Indian cuisine, and Karim's owners lay claim to this venerable food tradition, which consists of a wide variety and regional flavours of South Asia. Karim's serves well-accepted Mughlai dishes such as mutton qorma, seekh kebab, naan bread and biryani, and has resisted the temptation to accommodate too many modern consumer habits. "People come here to try authentic Mughlai food, so we stick to the basics. We can experiment with so many things but we do not," Kamaaluddin, a senior member of the family that owns the restaurant chain, told Bernama. "Our focus is on the original menu. We won't tamper with the standard Mughlai dishes. Fried chicken and other such items are very popular in this area, but we don't have them," he said. Their food may have made them famous, but the family doesn't believe in an uncontrolled business expansion. "Many business people approach us for opening franchises. We don't follow this model because we won't be able to enforce quality in a franchise arrangement. All our branches are supervised by family members," Kamaaluddin said. The recipes are a closely guarded secret and authenticity is maintained throughout the chain. Many foreign tourists combine their visits to Old Delhi's historical sites, including the Red Fort, with a meal at Karim's. Malaysian Nor Azib Mohd Noh, who came to have dinner with his family, said he had heard about Karim's from other people and wanted to visit the place. "Their food is very good and it suits Malaysian taste," Nor Azib said. Some tourists turn up as part of organised food tours. Municipal neglect of the area is hard to miss and traffic congestion discourages many from going there. If you cannot handle the crowds and cacophony, it's better to try Karim's other branches in less crowded parts of Delhi. What's missing in the new locations is the atmosphere filled with the action of serving stations, aromas, grill smoke, and the customers who have come for an experience and not merely to eat. That makes Karim's a heritage destination. The recent extension of a metro rail line with a stop at the Jama Masjid is seen as a welcome development by those who venture into Old Delhi to explore its food scene. And it starts with breakfast when the restaurant serves two delicious dishes -- nihari and paya -- both of which are part of South Asia's Mughlai food traditions. Nihari is a meat dish -- the meatier the better, for example, the shank piece -- that is slow-cooked with thick spicy gravy, while trotters are used in the paya dish, which usually has a thin gravy. Karim's serves a fat-rich and spicy fare of goat meat and chicken and those with weak stomachs may want to stay away from it. Mughlai food traditions borrow a lot from Central Asia in their style of cooking, ingredients and presentation. Karim's follows the recipes that were handed down from its founder Haji Karimuddin to his sons. Today there are at least 14 family members, some part of the fifth generation, directly involved in running the business. There is, however, little appetite for opening restaurants outside Delhi and its neighbourhood. Expanding in another country is definitely not on the cards, said Kamaaluddin, who represents the fourth generation of the family business. "It won't be possible to maintain the food formula in another county without the presence of a family member. We are all already too busy in Delhi," he said. -- BERNAMA