than pig on the genuine tortlllas.

Of the original 11, three had survived the lwelling of aesthetics three years ago, and thcy were proudly fighting it on the way down. A turn of the road before the do Gali, the row of lain eateries good business dumping out watery gruel and puri. A feur yards aftir, the gutbusting jalebl balwais squeezeout stuff fried In ghee. One hundredgrammesof the sttiff is enough to do the poofy British army in, Falklands or no Falklands. ftre good eateriesc.xistonly in and around the .rvalled cliy. by Snuth Delhi, pasteurised the Delhi administration, has thelas that exist on the sly. Hawkers there sell chanasand moongPhait because ls easlis and bananas ier to run when the municipal monster is charglnground the corner. Of course,Bombay,with munlcipal commissionerD. M. leading the broom. Sukhthanker and-tjucket squads, is bound to become as clinlcal as south Delhl. will But certainobstlnacies not render Delhi germ-free-Pathans, for instance, inured to end de-

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U/hat ls known qs the 'eating ont' concept is an unfamillar one in India's urbo-rural junglec. (t{oie that l've sald urbo-rural; if I had said urban, I would have When been guilty of garnishing.) the unfortunately healthy snob wants sctionof the middle class to eat out in Bombay,it sets its sights on V[[Fal's Bhelpuri House; ln Delhi, on Nirulas. But the plebeian part of the middle classIn both cities is one with the proletariat in that it doesn'tmakea fetish of gourmandic definitions: it eats out with greaterrelish than you and l, and rt doesn't make an occasion of it-"Oh dahling, we ate out today, kabobs at Bade Mia's, a blt on the teekhe side, I inust say." The plebr eat out ringlng Bomba/s khamchasand Delhl's thelas, mobbing the fiearth like puppiesgoing for their oothe/s teats. l've hogged myself sick in Delhi's dhabaswith one rupee crumpled in my pocket, eaten a couple of rotis and the dal, which is on the house.The proprietors have blessed us hobos, emaciated casual labourers and ermciated college studentswhen

Eating Qff The Pavements

The capitalat wintertime: -with plumeeof clouds issuing At dead of r*ftt from the mouflr, the place to go_isMoolchand: anda p4rathai, steaminghot and rring acrobatichands.. . warm the cockles o-f the heart before the climate frezesit uo asain . . . up again (and pains)of FAZII AHMEDon.*he pleaCures PavementSorginsl
fiant of restrictions, raucously sacking ofi dry fruits three monthsold on the journeydown from Kabul.But the mouldy stufl is raked in by Delhi's snob society, which is far more guileless than Bombay's.Even when the dry fruit are beirtg sold In broiling summer. One notesthese inconsistencies the capital of in the country.

lri Bombay, there are fewer variations: Bade Mia'< kabab we have handedthem our soilThere are fewer mvths aboundjoint in Colaba continues to ed notes, and have invariably ing in Delhi, like Bombay's bhelthrive even though the whitehoped that rhe next time rtilrO puri and pao bhaji. There ls, of patriarch has handed we would buy at least a gbd, course, the north Indian kulche bearded to haln? But none ol them has ever bhature which has been unsuc- over the business less trainwhose kababs are like ed scions, ai over the shown me the portlco. essfully copied all chunks of compactedmeat. half country (an insldious democratic In Bombay the snot-lrifi?-air done. The myth, which BadeMia is endemic: a sadly unb&lanced movement which has its cousin has left like a cloud of dust,will scarecrowhobblesto a kulfl stuff- in the dosa) Delhi's specialitles take years to settle, by which jolnt in Chowpatty, 4;Sqo-rupee remain Delhi's alone, probably time his sonswill have shot half note restingin his hafrUlike the because the rest of the country of Bombay's stoma,chto ragi, wouldn't be able to stomach the riches of the world.j*r goes up stuff. And, by and large, so have In Delhi, those terminallyma. to the shopkeeper, busily ladling the arctic muck t@e grabbers Bombay's. roon berries, the phalse, have Turn into Chandni Chowk becorne more dehydrated over arouhd,and ls told to desist,in the years.(Theone reason,I aver, no uncertain Jggrs. He hangs from the-'-Lal Qila's honk of vewhy Delhi is more fertile than aroundfor halfHhour but theie hicles and you strike Parathe Wals'no compro6_iie, Hls two ru- li Gali, gone to the dogs norrv, Bombaylies in the two sounds. pees don't mefn a thing even down and out because people the phoo and the thoo, both on the demgcr;lic street. Yours would rather have Macdonald's made when you are spitting out seeds. You makethe samesounds and mine d6. churning out packed parathas

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the way to .being drunk, imbib-

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ito*eJl"'xan;l and cool stereos,the Chinesevan restaul dangerof hospitalisation, Delhi,s climate freezeslt up again. And the winter brings its atuka tikkis, rteamlng ttein off the -betr,v"en batter, interred two stale slicesof bread (no equally stale hunks of pao there). Dbwned with boiled water (tea) from tike ninepins in il;Jlirr"pr" tire sun.--nno the onty metrofoiii *-t"r" warer sells for 10 paise a tumbler is Delhi. iln iecade, Bombayshould " "uttiJ this, by selling oxvgen at the samerate a w[ift. dcapitalismll. head at l-and'sEnd,where Hungry Eyes(talk of anatomical mismanagemenl) said to_supply ir the best inexpensive Chlnese Srub in town' Next to the oil' topped, viscous sea' of cburse,a comparison of ----':"'.-'' the hygieneof the public place' lf you were to ask me, eatingout is more of a necessity Bomin bay; in Delhi, the necmsity is often tempered with rare enjoyment.

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in Bombayand they would echo off the asphalt.) 8ut the phalse sell because the Delhite likes thick skin, like hls epidermis, in bis mosth. . The capltal'swintertime predi-" lections- Bombay's *i1"t:1; are different.At dead .:j_ ijqhl

the thela your -parted.Iext,to flank. tt,s a question of osino" sis: you qiu"-th" ti*iJ -ipiceo with-enouglh chillis to tox td riie brigade fu lll provide the quencher.The business boom3.

The lirst time I came.to this Dream City-, sitting dangling ;y tegs ovei irrr."rini-tank+toppirs at rhe oueen,s Necklace,.I had my tirsigreen coionut, decapitatid cleaily. Then the man ctimatic equanimity ienders walked down the length of .Mad;;;'; bit more boring: the rine Drive, presumrbly,.setling

prime citles woutd be odious,in il;;6; than one. About 40 per cent of Bombay,s working p;pri;ii;n of 45 takhs d:pends on the hawkers the mrrniciner io6irtionli'ilil ,o"';"ffi; like consigned ;il; ;. il;l 60 percen-tor.oeltri;s"";i;;;;;

GOOD FOOD, HHRTY APPETITE

Clntlnued from prge 5{ is a great favourite and a bol which is the inevitable adjunctto the bagSage of Parsisreturning from the pilgrimage centre of Udvadaon the Gujarat coast, is hard to beat. So auspicious the fish that a is mithai made with mava,dispensed on occasions like engagements, the new year etc., ls fashioned in the shape of a fish. Ravaand sev, both liberally sprinkled with ralsinsand roasted almonds - if one can affprd them - are also traditionally served on auspiciousoccasions. Other sweetsare . khajur ni lhari, made with dates, dal nl poll made of channadal, sugar, ghee,nuts and encased a kind in of pastry, and kumas, sandhra and bhakrr, all three traditionatly made, using toddy. Toddy was a favourite drlnk, Parsisowning many large toddy plantationsIn Gujarat before the wealth of Bombaylured them to come and settle here. Sincethe Parsis were so influenced by Englishcutture in general, our food culture too, showed the foreign hand, dnd a strange hybrid cuisine resulted.Some of these dishesare pure AngloIndian, others are western in conception but adapted to lndian conditions, and, in the hands of lndian cooks- ln

Parsl hor.nescooks were, and still are, generallyGoan - both the dish and the pronunciation of its nane, bore no more than a faint resemblanceto the orlginal. Hence soobee chops (soubise), tipsy pudding (origin of nomenclature unknown),jampoly (jam roly poly), crumb chops, lacy cutlets, lrish stew and queen and cabinet pudding still make their appearance at Parsldining tables.ln the days when you could get one, a cook trained under an English memsahib was much coveted,and a cook who could make.a nougat basketwas cherishedlike the iamily sllvcr. Parsi cooking, then, is more than just dhansak. has assimlllt ated the influeices that have shaped the history of the community.While there is little ,culture' in the senseof art, literature, music, dance,that ls distinctively Parsi,a very distinctive cuisine does exist.

2-lncherdnnemon rllck GRINDTO A PASTE: G-8 clover gerllc, fhkcd 2-lnch plecc glnger

onlonr flncly dlccd

Cleanand wash the Bombayducks. Remove the headsand tails and cut each into four. Soak the itggery in half of rh vinegarand grind to a pastethe Soak the apricots in water tor red chillies,garlig cummin,corinearly four hours. In the mean- ander and cummin powder_and_ time, heat the oil and fry the saltin the remainingvinegar. In e chopped onions titl golden pan heatthe oil, and fry the finebrown. Add the ginger-garlic ly sliced onion till brown. Add paste and cmF for live to eight the above ground paste 'ineat, and minutes.Add salt and the cook. Add the Bombayduck piecinnamonstick.Cook for a while, ces and mix well. Add the vineadd sufficient water to cook the gar and jaggerymixtureand cook meat. Cook till the meat is ten- till the Bombayducks are rcft der and little gravy remalns.In serve with khichdi. a"9!F pan, brown the sugar. Add ihe apricots together viittr the"soaked water. Bringto a boil, lower heat and let the apricots AMBAKATYA cook.till soft.Add the apricotstogether with soakedwater, bring k& green mantosr to a boil, lower heat and let the I apqfuotscook till soft. Add the 500 gm. laggeryor ac required apilEbt mixture ro the above 2-lnch clnnamon rtlck cooked meat. Heat again and serve hot.
Peel, seed and cut the mangoes into desired pieces. Wash them well. Place them in a large pan, cover and cook them for five minutes without water till slightly soft. ln another pan, heat quarter cup.of water. Bring to a boil, add jaggery and cook till rhe jaggery dissolves. Add the mango pieces and the cinnamon stick. Cover and cook over medium fire for 15 minutes. Cook further till the syrup is fairly thick. Cool and serve.

PARSI RECIPES

IARAPORI PATIO |ARDAIOO MA GOSHT (Meat in Apricots)

V2 kg. nutton, cut 240 gm. dricd epricotr, rccdcd 2-3 onlonr, choppcd Salt to t|3to Sugar to taste Oil as requlred to fry the onlom 15-20dded lombay duckr 10-72dry red chllller . f pod grrlic, flaked tsp. cimmin I Selt to taste I tsp. turmcdc I tsp. coriander end cummin, porydcr 2 tbsp. oil qi cup vlnegee"..' t smrll ball faggc.ry.gretcd

Recipesgiven by Roshan Billimorta