Indore : Sarafa Near Rajwada.

As inspired from Aditya's blog http://culventure.blogspot.com/ on Culinary Adventure , I also wish to start series on the same line. I may not be as good as, but still I can try. Humans eat food for living, there are few who live for food. I would like to include myself in the second category. My whole family including parents loves traveling. Its hereditary.Whereverr we go, we try to find out restaurants serving local food ( e.g. Santosh in Jodhpur, where we enjoyed Dal Bati with ton's of ghee poured, Churma Ladu) or houses where home made meals are prepared for traveler's like us. We are not crazy after fancy restaurants, we like simple food. Atleast I. May be I will try to correlate place and food together. My well wishers thinks I am fanatic about food & above that as I strongly disapprove Non-veg. they try to stay away from me.

Malav Mati Gahan Ghambhir, Pag-pag Roti Dag-dag Neer.

When I think about traveling and food, Sarafa at Indore comes to my mind flashingly. In Indore, you have to experience food with Indori Tabiyat. Carry on all your work at ease pace. In relax mood. No rushing. No hurry. Indore is a place where people not only loves delicacy, but to decorate food before serving and they thoroughly enjoy serving dishes with najakat (style). Indore is a paradise for Vegetarians and we are veggiees (1+1=2). In Indore, our day starts with Pohe with sev on top at breakfast. You get Pohe at almost around the corner everywhere. One can eat Pohe with Usal too.

After the jewellery shops (SARAFA) are closed in the night, Halvaie's (food vendors) comes out from no where and put up their stalls. Calorie conscious people, persons with hig cholesterol levels, diabetics, should preferably stay out of Sarafa & should not dare to enter.

Pattice, Khobra Pattice (Coconut along cashewnuts with potato coating), Kachori, Samosa, (all along with mouthwatering variety of chuttanies), Pharali Khichdi ( At stall opposite Kothari Market fully decorated with pomegranate, sev, Potato Salli wafers, masala wafers, coriander,lime. Pinch of masala all for just Rs7-8), Bhutte Ka Kis, Garadu, Ragda Pattice, Gulab Jamum, Rabdi, Malpohe, Pedhe , Joshi ke Dahi Vade , Jaliebi prepared in Pure Desi Ghee ( One Jalebi is so big. Its prepared on kg basis, unlike available elsewhere) , Imrati ,Dal Bafle(Dal Bafle is a another topic itself. There are few hotels opp. Kanch Mandir, serving Dal Bafle.), Faludas, Shikanji, milk shakes, Icecreams, fruit juices, thousand of varieties of Sev ( Tomato, Potato, coriander , Clove, Garlic, Spinich, thinsev, thicksev), Namkeen, Farsan, Wafers and what not.

If you come to Indore and do not visit Sarafa during night, its like going to Agra and not visiting Taj Mahal. After the dinner is over, mukhvas, Pan is a must. No escape. I once almost died because of overeating at Sarafa.

Chappan Bazar is another place worth visiting. Gulkand Barfi at Madhuram is top class. Again Farali Pattice, Kachori are simply delicious here also. I like Om Ke Namkeen, near Chappan Bazar. Aggarwal Sweets at Palasia is not to be missed when you are in Indore. Mathura Sweets in Chavanni is also good shop.

If I do not mentioned Hotel Shree Maya, I will never forgive myself. Shreemaya at RNT Road not only provides gooaccommodation but serves exceptionally tasty food along with its branch at Mumbai -Agra Road. Paneer dishes are specialty. Both of them have good pastry shops. Ambience at ShreeMaya, Mumbai Agra Road is simply marvellous.

To conclude I must say, one must get emotionally attached to Indore to enjoy tasty food.