Sunday Afternoons at Andhra Bhavan

chillibreeze writer — Bikram Bindra

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The interiors are nondescript and the service very ‘no-frill’. There’s no china or fine cutlery, you’re not always sure if the air-conditioning is working, and the growing crowd doesn’t exactly do wonders for your claustrophobia. But there is something about the Andhra Bhavan canteen (1, Ashoka Road) near India Gate that just keeps you coming back for more.

My association and fondness with the place dates back to when I was a student at the University of Delhi when a bunch of my food-crazy friends and I would make elaborate plans to conquer the culinary landscape of Delhi. Trips would be planned to legendary places like Chandni Chowk and Nizammudin. The famed Andhra Bhavan canteen was, of course, a prominent pit stop in this journey and before we all knew it, we were addicts of this gastronomic extravaganza.

Of course, a lot of water has flown under the bridge from those early encounters to now when a visit is more like a routine. Nonetheless, there is a certain comfort that comes from knowing that no matter how badly things are going, or how miserable the Delhi weather is making you feel, there’s someone who will always be ready to serve you hot piping food that will make everything better. And it will come minus starry waiter tantrums and the pretence of 5-star dining, because at AP Bhavan, it’s only about the food.

Sure enough, you are barely into your seat, and starting to study the eclectic bunch of co-diners around you when from nowhere, a minion from the army of staff will place a thali in front of you with a flourish and proceed to populate it with the goodness of the world. Be it the one of its kind tangy dal, or the fiery range of curries, or the intense “Gongura” pickle, you know that your stomach will not be listening to your brain for a bit.

Of course the unmatched combination of the pure glistening white rice, the deceptively fierce spices, and hot ghee is the real killer and something that all regulars will swear by. And if you like a little meat in your palate, then be prepared to be spoilt for choice. An old favorite remains the mutton fry, in which super hot chunks of meat are lovingly laced with “kadi patta” and green Serrano peppers.

A new introduction is the generous and extremely juicy prawn curry, with the unmistakable and subtle undertones of coconut. Of course, for those looking for familiar territory, Sunday afternoon is also that time of the week when the fabled “Hyderabadi biryani” is dished out and that is as authentic as you can get.

You might feel a little uncomfortable at first with the prospect of sharing your meal space with a bunch of strangers (the canteen makes diners share tables), but you will gradually realize that it’s not too bad after all, since you will be too busy immersed in your meal anyway. Besides, it is one of the things that ensure a speedy turnover and everyone gets to be seated real quickly.

And once in a while, while you’re toying with your veggies and waiting for the umpteen refills that just keep coming, you just might spot an Arundhati Roy on the table next to you, reminding you how food, and good hearty food especially, shall always remain our greatest leveler.

Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in April, 2010. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time.

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—About our writer:

Bikram Bindra is an MBA in Marketing from FMS, Delhi University and has worked in varied roles in the fields of marketing, branding and advertising. He is passionate about writing and uses his keen understanding of the human nature to write about the world around him. He has experience in business writing, technical writing, report writing, article writing and web content writing. He loves to travel and eat out and is currently enjoying the suburban lifestyle in Gurgaon.

Sunday Afternoons at Andhra Bhavan

chillibreeze writer — Bikram Bindra

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