Rice has been a staple food for Malayalis for ages. I was a native Malayali who ate rice and traditional dishes prepared from rice flour until I moved to Delhi. However, in the Hindi heartland, where wheat is consumed three times daily, rice was primarily found in Kerala restaurants. That's how tawa roti and tandoori roti found their way to my menu.
Tawa roti, tandoori roti, and related sabzis were available for dinner at the Doordarshan canteen in Mandi House. Initially, I tried tawa roti and dal fry. The following day, I also purchased egg bhujiya. Subsequently, I paired egg curry with tawa roti. However, I found that the combination of tandoori roti and paneer masala quite enjoyable. Tandoori roti appeared to be a distant relative of naan, served at many restaurants in Kerala. Although I had distanced myself from wheat-based delicacies at home, I had to reconcile myself to wheat.
Video editor Muninder Yadav informed me about the roti-bhindi combo available at the FICCI canteen located near Mandi House metro station. Accordingly, I accompanied Muninder to enjoy roti and bhindi. The food was both reasonably priced and delicious. Soon, the FICCI canteen became a preferred spot for dinner during evening shifts. On a Sunday during an early morning shift, I opted for aloo paratha and sabzi from the office canteen. Given that the dish was somewhat heavy, I did not need lunch that day. On an unexpected day shift, I joined my colleague Aamir Rizvi to savor a Rs 50 thali at Haryana Bhawan. The thali, which featured rice, roti, dal, sabzi, and other accompaniments, offered a refreshing lunch.
During my stint at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, I relied on the canteen at Scope Complex, which is situated adjacent to Soochna Bhawan. They offered tandoori roti and chicken curry for lunch. Once the 3 pm shift became a permanent arrangement, I often took a half-biryani purchased from Malabar Hotel in a tiffin box for dinner. Unfortunately, the biryani frequently spoiled, leaving me without food. Consequently, on my way to the office, I would buy tandoori roti and chicken curry from the Scope Complex canteen in a tiffin box and consume it by 7 pm.
After becoming a subscriber of Swiggy, I began to enjoy hot roti and sabzi. Usually, I had dinner with my colleague Nirbhay Singh. He was the one who told me that roti pairs well with butter chicken. I would purchase 8 rotis and one sabzi - three rotis for myself and five for Nirbhay. Occasionally, I would order Mughlai biryani and Hyderabadi biryani. We continued to share dinner until Nirbhay relocated to another office. The shift from being a native Malayali who consumes rice to a non-resident Keralite who enjoys tandoori roti remains a remarkable transformation.
No comments:
Post a Comment