Aromas that date to Partition days woo many to Sadar Bazar

Gurgaon is otherwise known as the corporate hub of north India has a lot to offer when it comes to street food. Despite being a little away from New Gurgaon, the aromas of Sadar Bazar attracts foodies from across the city.

Be it the IT executives or the real estate dealers – everyone is fond of the hot sweet jalebis, fried pakoras with pudina chutney and the lip-smacking chole bhature served by the outlets here.

Gandhi’s pakore

Half-a-century ago, Tarun Gandhi’s grandfather started the pakora business, which has retained its aroma and flavour down the years. “Our pakoras and chutney are a favourite of the people in the city,” says Tarun Gandhi.

Sardar jalebiwala

Further down the street is the famous Sardar jalebiwala who reminds one of Chandni Chowk’s delicacies.

“I was in class four when my grandfather started this shop here. We came to Gurgaon few months before partition,” says Jagmohan Singh, from the third generation.

Baljee

The shop is known for its kachoris and chole bhature. BK Bajaj, the owner of the shop says, “We make our own paneer every night which is used for our famous paneer pakoda.”

Monu Jain’s Kachoris

This is is another household name in Sadar Bazar. The 12x12 sq ft shop close to the Jain Mandir opens at 7 am and closes at 2 pm.

Panditji Ka Dhaba

One of the oldest shops in the area, Panditji Ka Dhaba serves vegetarian food without any onion and garlic. Owner of the dhaba, Sanjay Sharma says, food cooked on firewood is their specialty.

“We sometimes visit the dhaba fore the traditional taste of food cooked in desi ghee,” said Rohit Mehra, employee of a consultancy firm.

Rupa ki Tikki

At the end of the market, near the Bhudevi Mandir, is Rupa ki Tikki. The owner of the shop, Bhushan, says he sells around 1,000 plates of tikki every day.

“I do not even mind the bad traffic of the city to get a taste of this special street food,” Sonia Kapoor, an IT firm employee, said.