Just like all other cities Kanpur too boasts of some classic dishes that have been a source of joy for the locals. In today's episode we are out to relish some renowned places and taste their most favourite stuff. These places entail an unparalleled legacy that needs to be experienced once if you are a new visitor.
The first stop of this fascinating food tour was Banarasi Tea Stall on 80 feet road. This olden style tea stall is famous for its malai chai which is a strongly aromatic milk tea topped with a thick layer of malai. The preparation is quite unique and visually pleasing. First sugar and milk are added to a clay tumbler and then the tea concoction is added to it. The owner has mastered the action so well that every time you get a magical result. Along with the creaminess of the malai, our tea had a slightly smoky note as it was made from the milk that had been simmering since long.
The second stop was Bachau Lal Khasta place which is now known as Rahul Sweets and Namkeen. Like most of the people present here, we too relished some moong dal khaste with chickpea potato curry and raita. The crisp khasta was quite hearty and addictive.
The third stop was the legendary Thaggu Ke Ladoo shop near Ursala Hospital. Their ladoo and kulfi are famous far and near and their patrons include a lot of celebrities. After getting to know a little about the shop we tried a kaju pista ladoo and some kulfi. The ladoo was luscious and crunchy because of ghee, cardamon, gond and semolina while the hand churned kulfi was creamy and rich. The ladoo are worth all the hype.
The fourth stop was Energy Stores, which started as a meat restaurant but transformed into a non veg restaurant. They offer a wide range of chicken and egg dishes. Our order included chicken tikka rice, kesariya chicken and shammi kebab and all of them turned out to be super delicious. The meat was so well treated that it had the perfect texture in all these three dishes.
The fifth stop was Aladdin which is a popular shawarma point. Again they too had an eclectic menu but it is all about shawarma. We went for the tandoori chicken shawarma. The juicy grilled chicken, onion, tandoori sauce and spices based mixture stuffed in a fresh pita kind of bread was not all disappointing.
The sixth stop was Anil Meat Wale, a key name in the city's non veg circle. They serve amazing keema meat which is rich, intense and scrumptious. It is a unique dish made of minced mutton and other prime cuts. The family who runs the eatery ensures that they source the best quality meat and that's why the taste is simply phenomenal.
The seventh stop was Makhan Singh Biryani shop. This is a nondescript place that serves 3-4 dishes which includes mutton and egg rice. Although they use the term biryani but these are not biryani in the true sense. The egg rice that we had tried was basically cooked rice tossed with scrambled eggs on a huge griddle. It wasn't extraordinary but locals like it.
Finally with the food part being done we went on to unwind with a tea from Tilak Ram Tea Stall followed by a paan from the Paan Shop.
About the host - Anubhav Sapra
anubhavsapra.com/
Anubhav Sapra is an avid culinary explorer who loves to travel and explore different cuisines primarily the street food, not just for the sake of gustatory pleasure but also for quenching his deep thirst for nurturing new cultural connections through the kaleidoscopic canvas of food. He believes that the vibrant and delectable street food tradition across the globe has the power to bring communities together and foster harmonious human existence.
For more such fascinating culinary explorations and stories do subscribe to our channel and follow us on our social media handles.
Facebook: / delhifoodwalks
Twitter: / delhifoodwalks
Instagram: / delhifoodwalks
Music by Epidemic Sound
Design and filmed by Tushar Negi
Text by Swetaleena Nayak