Karim's is a fascinating story. A restaurant that is not just metaphorically, but almost literally (food, not ambience) 'fit for an emperor'.
It's been around over a hundred years.
In the late 1800's Mohammed Aziz was the cook in the royal court of the Mughal emperor. After the emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was exiled, Aziz left the city for Meerut.
In Meerut he is said to have taught his sons to cook the royal food he used to create for the emperor, insisting it was their heritage.
In 1911, at the coronation of King George V, his son Haji Karimuddin moved back to Delhi to open a dhabha to cater to people attending the coronation. He had just two items on the menu, Alu gosht and Daal with Rumali Roti.
In the late 1800's Mohammed Aziz was the cook in the royal court of the Mughal emperor. After the emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was exiled, Aziz left the city for Meerut.
In Meerut he is said to have taught his sons to cook the royal food he used to create for the emperor, insisting it was their heritage.
In 1911, at the coronation of King George V, his son Haji Karimuddin moved back to Delhi to open a dhabha to cater to people attending the coronation. He had just two items on the menu, Alu gosht and Daal with Rumali Roti.
Two months after, he decided to continue, saying 'I want to earn fame and money by serving the royal food to the common man', and that is still what they seem to do. It is now run by the fourth generation of the Karimuddin family.
It's actually called Dastar Khwan-E-Karim, and Karim's in short.
Just writing about it, thinking back on the food, is making my mouth water. It's food to die for, and so says me, who is not even a big foodie. It's hard core meat and chicken stuff....it's best for vegetarians to stay away, far far away :)
Even their roti's, their roti's are a slight variation of the regular tandoor roti's. They are called khamiri roti's and are made with wheat and yeast, in the tandoor....they are so soft they just melt in the mouth. The sheekh kabaabs are one of the best I've had.
In fact it's so hard to choose, the entire menu sounds just so good. The mutton raan, the mutton burra, mutton korma, chicken jehangir. Seeing my confusion Swaroop fully capitalized......I could see the glint in his eye when he said 'shall I just order for both' :)
The restaurant itself is spread over many small houses and rooms, and the kitchen is almost like an open kitchen, with the tandoor right there, and the grilled kebabs sizzling on long skewers. Food comes within 2 minutes of ordering, and be warned, there's a queue to enter.
Some Pics:
Some of the comments from National Geographic and BBC on display up front
The tandoor, it's beautiful how well synced the three of them are..it's almost rhythmic to watch
The Khimri roti's and the mutton curries
And if you go, don't even think of driving yourself, leave alone a car, as you can see, there's no space anywhere there for even a cycle rickshaw...you just have to walk it. It's in such narrow gallis opposite the Jama Masjid, that without Swaroop I would never have even found the place.
Another thanks coming your way Swaroop, you made the Delhi visit that much more interesting.
In fact it's so hard to choose, the entire menu sounds just so good. The mutton raan, the mutton burra, mutton korma, chicken jehangir. Seeing my confusion Swaroop fully capitalized......I could see the glint in his eye when he said 'shall I just order for both' :)
The restaurant itself is spread over many small houses and rooms, and the kitchen is almost like an open kitchen, with the tandoor right there, and the grilled kebabs sizzling on long skewers. Food comes within 2 minutes of ordering, and be warned, there's a queue to enter.
Some Pics:
Some of the comments from National Geographic and BBC on display up front
The tandoor, it's beautiful how well synced the three of them are..it's almost rhythmic to watch
Sheekh kababs being grilled outside
The Khimri roti's and the mutton curries
And if you go, don't even think of driving yourself, leave alone a car, as you can see, there's no space anywhere there for even a cycle rickshaw...you just have to walk it. It's in such narrow gallis opposite the Jama Masjid, that without Swaroop I would never have even found the place.
It's yet well worth it !
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