Shorba Imtiyazi. Makai aur khoye ki seekh. Mughlai chatka. Adraki gilafi sheikh. Laskari kaaliya. I had barely stepped into Bay Leaf, Bhopal’s first and only fine dining restaurant, when Ajay Chaudhary, Executive Chef, Courtyard by Marriott, stumped me with scrumptious options.
On the table lay gold enameled bowls and from the wall a painted bay leaf beckoned. I had flown near red-eye into the City of Lakes in search of traditional food but that early December morning, the menu was getting lost in translation – and forgotten time. I know Bhopalis wake up to a poha/jalebi breakfast; they devour the rizalas and sheermals unabashedly; their Suleimani tea has a hint of salt and no day flutters off the calendar without a dollop of gulkand in the paan (betel).
I thought I knew all about Bhopali food until that moment in Bay Leaf when Chef Chaudhary delved into the culinary secrets. Smug in the heart of India, Bhopali food is laden with Hyderabadi and Awadhi culinary influences yet has its own distinct nuances. It is neither sour like Hyderabadi nor rich like Awadhi cuisine.
A Bhopali rizala has a hint of green; the dal is more khada and it is fried onions that lend an edge. What is remarkable is the influx of vegetables even in non-vegetarian dishes like Keema maithi, Filfora and Saljam Gosht.
“In Bay Leaf, the classic Bhopali cuisine turns ”progressive”. We serve progressive Indian cuisine”, Chef Chaudhary added. In Bay Leaf, I sat outside with the brass birds and dug the spoon into what the Begums and Nawabs partook in.
“How about a spin around the Greedy Lane?” Marketing Communications Executive Jayadev Nakka’s question took me by surprise. I sure hadn’t pigged like a glutton in Bay Leaf. “Chatori Gali in Old Bhopal is a haven for foodies, specially if you love all things meaty.” I immediately bought into Nakka’s suggestion. But the Greedy Lane had to wait because it is only after dusk that the nahari pot is opened in the Gali.
I, however, had to see Old Bhopal which is cluttered with mosques and havelis. On a mission to taste Suleimani chai and savor Bhopali paan, we drove through crowded lanes and parked near Chowk.
Syed Farhan, Marriott’s Sales & Marketing man, knew exactly where to find perfect paan and best chai. I maneuvered fast cars and slothful cattle towards Shahab Tea Corner where a bearded Muhammad Hanees was pouring salted black tea over a ladleful of thickened milk. Price: Rs 5 per glass.
On large platters lay sweet samosas stuffed with coconut and dried fruits. Just an arm’s length away Nawab Khan with a metal hairband was making paan like a cat on helium – in a blink he pinched out countless condiments from small containers, topped them on the leaf.
And lo! The eight-rupee paan was ready.
No story about Bhopal food is complete without a mention of Gulshan-e-Alam (commonly, Golghar), a 24-door round building which houses photographs and artifacts that narrate the story of a bygone Bhopal. Embroidered blinds are neatly arranged in the verandah and silver tiffin boxes, cutlery, bowls and spittoons are stashed under thick glass panes.
The Nawabs sure loved their food and ate them in style. They needed no fine dining restaurant; their entire kitchen was all about fine dining. I am no Begum but I love fine dining. At Courtyard by Marriott’s Bay Leaf, I fine dined. And felt like a Bhopali Begum!
Preeti Verma Lal
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