Feast at the Ajeevika Food Court, India Gate Lawns....

Feast at the Ajeevika Food Court, India Gate Lawns....

The Ajeevika Saras Mela organized by the Ministry of Rural Development at the India Gate Lawns has become the talk of the town in Delhi for more than one reason. Visits to the India Gate have become more colorful. And why not, when Delhites have got the golden opportunity to witness the vibrancy of every state in India  and take home their products or piece of art.
As a therapy, shopping never fails to uplift the mood of any individual. However feasting on good food does much more than that specially when we get to see and eat food which we have never neither heard of or got an opportunity to taste, even in the plushest hotels of Delhi. The Ajeevika food court at the India Gate Lawns is certainly a gourmet's delight.
I had arrived from Mumbai for the inauguration of Ajeevika Saras on 12th October which happened to be Saturday, a day on which I fast. The aroma of various food items emerging from the food court made my mouth water and controlling my desire to eat was a challenge indeed. If not for the variety of juices and Nannari Special Sherbat form the stall by Kerala I would never have survived.
The next day on my visit with my father, brother and his family, I more or less made up for the deprivation by gulping Thaleepith, Puranpoliche Mande, Misal Paav, Bhel and Batata Wada from Maharashtra. The 'assal' marathi flavour pepped my heart and gave me a good feeling. I had explored only Maharashtra food by now and was raring to discover food from other states. And so began my interesting journey in the Ajeevika food court.
I discovered that 18 states including Assam, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Goa, Haryana, Jharkhand , Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra etc were participating.
The display board near the entrance skillfully informs the visitors about vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods available at the Ajeevika food court.
The well-known fares like Punjab's Makki di Roti and Sarson Da saag, Chole bhature or Rajasthan's Dal Halwa and Daal Baati Churma are there no doubt. Those who love to be safe with their food could also stick to Galauti Kebabs from Uttar Pradesh or the dosas from Karnataka.
My eyes however stopped at delicacies like Baajre ki Khichdi and coconut laddoos form Haryana. Being a vegetarian, Healthy Ragi momos from Jharkhand and Assam's - steamed Pitha and Mushroom special dishes as well as Sikkim's Sel roti caught my attention and their momos and chow mein are also popular.  Tripura's Awan Bhutai is another delight.
Bihar's Litti Chokha reminded of my trip to Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh on election duty as observer where I had savoured this tasty dish for the first time.
For the non-vegetarians there is a whole host of variety. To begin with Kerala's herbal chicken has become a favourite along with Chemeen fish curry. Goa's Chicken Xacuti and the Goan fish were attracting customers. Of course one can never get over the Hyderabadi Dum Biryani from Telangana.
Uttarakhand groups are making Mandua Roti, Kafli, and Jhangore ki kheer.
Chattisgarh had Farah Chilla , Angakar Roti.
Thankfully for the groups from Telangana, Karnataka and Kerala it has become possible to realise that not only Idli Dosa but a variety of dishes were available in South India. So Andhrapradesh has Pootherakulu, a rolled sweet and Sunnundallu, and Karnataka has Puliogare and Masoppu a green leafy vegetable made with daal.
I had to return to Mumbai today and not wanting to lose the opportunity I guzzled on Garadu Chaat, made form Yam,( Jimmy Kand or Suran) and Jalebis form Madhya Pradesh. Wanting to do justice to my home state Maharashtra, discarding my concerns on overeating, I also devoured a Zhunka Bhakri and Batata Wada.
My stomach may have been full but my heart was not satiated. Maharashtra has a variety of dishes like Thaalipeeth, Puranpoliche Maande, Misal Paav and Paavbhaji.
The best part of the food festival are the earthly prices at which they are available. It is possible to eat a variety of food under one roof and that too without burning a hole in your pocket.
The Ajeevika Food Court managed by Kudumbashree is a sheer delight when it comes to management since it maintains the highest standards of cleanliness and hygiene for cooking in the cooking area. Every person entering the cooking area wears a cap and apron and washes his or her hands. The drainage pipe line, the tap water provided for the same are well-planned. The cutlery used for serving is spick and span. The plates used for serving are biodegradable and made by SHGs from Assam. The water dispensing machines help in avoiding indiscriminate use of plastic.
The Ajeevika Saras and Food Festival will be continuing at the India Gate Lawns till 23rd October. So pick up your shopping bags and once you have done with the Diwali shopping indulge your taste buds at the Ajeevika Food Court. I am sure like me , you will only come back for more.....