Secret Tastes of India

Yes, I coined the adage. And why not? On the banks of the picturesque Surinsar Lake, 42 kilometres from the city of Jammu, one Mr. Jamwal runs this tea shop. Recommended, however, for a simple meal of Chicken Curry served along with Basmati Rice. Ask for Jamwal's tea shop as soon as you descend to this 100-house village. Separated from Jammu by a mountainous terrain, Surinsar Lake is of religious significance. Fishing and boat rides are prohibited as the fishes and amphibian life of the lake are worshipped as local deities. Ideal for a day trip, this reticent town welcomes you with a waft of Mr. Jamwal's slow cooked jungle chicken. He takes special care to clean the meat, chop and grind the ingredients, use fresh garden produce and then all of it goes into a typical iron cauldron. Firewood is used to cook the chicken in a more bonfire style. The smoked aroma permeates the dish as you sit by the make shift fire pit and catch local updates and spicy anecdotes, courtes...

On a balmy December Sunday as I sauntered around the blush corridors of old Jaipur, a waft of asafetida and deep-fried fritters rocked my senses. I followed the aroma and continued walking away from the historic Hawa Mahal. Around 200 metres from that monument, among all the neatly arranged shops, I located the reason for it all - one ‘Sharma Ji and his Kachori shop’. There he stood in a simple, striped linen shirt and basic pants, catering to at least 30 eager tourists and locals, serving them the exact choices with the right chutney. Already famished after the daylong heritage walk, the ware he displayed was enough fuel to my hungry soul and three swift orders flew out and all ‘have it there’. A few mildly surprised stares came from my fellow eaters (all men!), but I could not care less. So here’s what I ordered: Daal Kachori Mixed Pakodey Mawa Kachori The first from the list was served with green mint and coriander chutney. The imperfect globe was fresh ...