Eager to please dilli

For a state which has the largest kitchen in the world at the Jagannath Temple in Puri, Orissa hasn't found a very strong foothold in Delhi's culinary map. But this humble place dares to change that

For a state which has the largest kitchen in the world at the Jagannath Temple in Puri, Orissau00a0 hasn't found a very strong foothold in Delhi's culinary map. But this humble place dares to change that

Damn those cave dwellers who had it so easy. Sharpen the spear, locate a mammoth, bring it down, light a fire and the job is done. Tracking good food in Delhi concrete jungle is a tad tougher than that. It lurks in most unexpected corners and materializes in a place lest expected.u00a0

Last Saturday, my visit to Odisha, a new food stall in Dilli Haat, opposite INA market, gave me the pleasure of finding one such gastronomic delight right under my nose. The food stalls which have been dishing out appealing food at the place can be counted on one's finger tips. Most of them succumb to their visitors' dread of experimentation and cash on the same fast foods which have been gratifying Delhi's palate for few years now. Odisha, for a change is a brave endeavour to bring food, as the name suggest, from the eastern state of Orissa to a metropolitan city which knows it spaghetti from its spaghettoni but can't dechiper saja pakhala (rice with curd and lemon).

Dive into sea food
The tables here are rickety and the patio umbrellas gaudy but then that's not what you come looking for in Dilli Haat. The alfresco dinning and the warm of the November afternoon sun compensates for the minor shortcomings one takes for granted at a fine dine.u00a0 I started with Piajee and Bara for starters.

Piajee is deep fried shredded onions in a channa dal batter while Bara is your black gram dumpling, again deep fried in mustard oil.u00a0 Both were mildly spiced as most Oriya snacks are but hot enough, thanks to their fondness for green chillies. The Chingudi Fry (fried tiger prawns) is another delight which shouldn't be missed.

However, the portion size and presentation of the Maacha Bhaja (spiced fresh fish fried in mustard) I felt was something the regular Delhiite will find difficult to adapt to. Sometimes, simple delicacies require more brain storming than exotic delicacies. The manager, a friendly and ambitious chappie, wanted me to try Gotaa Kankada (spicy crab on a bed of rice) for the main course. The man claims, the crabs are sourced from Orissa (and so are the prawns though the poultry and mutton are local) and as the practice is, kept alive to retain their freshness, until the guest order one.

His innovative touch to the dish was serving it on a sizzler platter, which I must admitu00a0 gave it an appealing twist. Chingudi malai curry (tiger prawns in coconut milk) was what I ordered next and if you ask me, prawns swimming in mustard oil are better than ones in coconut milk. Stick to your fried ones here.

Veggie surprise
Strangely, for a state, I had always maintained that sea food was their main forte; I found myself relishing the vegetarian dishes. The Dahi- Baigana (aubergines in curd) was light and had a tangy flavour and the Besara (vegetables in mustard paste and coconut) was something I would happily recommend to any vegetarian.

I ended the meal with a Chenna Poda for dessert. The 'burnt cheese' whose flavour is deprived from the caramelised sugar as it baked for hours is very simple and yet enticing. I egg people who are addicted to their choco-lavas to try this 'desi' delicacy once.