Tales and tastes from the most iconic food cities of India
Chef Naved Nasir is a relatively fresh face on the Dubai dining scene. Some of us might know him as the force that helmed the Dishoom brand – he spent 15 long years growing the Dishoom name into one of the UK’s most beloved chain of Indian restaurants, credited with introducing modern Indian cuisine to many a curious local.
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Khadak, his very own project in our very own Dubai, is a love letter to the real India, the kind that is found along old eat streets and in rudimentary food markets. A recent recipient of the Bib Gourmand, this young restaurant is reviving the subcontinent’s old, forgotten recipes and spotlighting regional classics by creating their own renditions to celebrate legacy, storytelling and the rich tapestry of India’s street food culinary heritage.
Bade Miyan’s Bombay Days
The new Bademiyan Rabbit Sando, reimagined as a rabbit bhuna sandwich tucked into curry leaf focaccia with melted cheddar, is an ode to the Bade Miyan street-side grill. Established in 1946 by Mohammad Yaseen, Bade Miyan started off as a makeshift seekh kabab counter, serving freshly grilled fare to hungry streetside diners.
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At the age of 13, Yaseen moved to Mumbai from his hometown in a different state and became a butcher, also supplying meat to hotels. He started Bade Miyan with just 20 rupees as seed money, equivalent to around AED 237 today. Perched near the Mumbai naval port, it became a late-night favourite among naval officers living nearby.
Having carved out an iconic legacy of many decades, it is now a chain of restaurants – two sit-down locations, and the stall, measuring 10 x 4 feet and situated behind The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Apollo Bundar, Mumbai, still the way it was when it all began.
Lucknow’s Shukla Chaat House
The Shuklaji’s Aloo Tikki Shuklaji’s Aloo Tikki features layered crisp potato and sweet potato patties with chilled yoghurt and chutneys, and comes from Shukla Chaat House, one of Lucknow’s most iconic chaat outlets, serving since 1968.
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It was started by Mangala Prasad Shukla as an effort to give his wife, Kaushalya Devi a business platform. She had a passion for cooking, and would serve her kids delicious savouries, including chaat. Even today, her recipes, which stands as it was – incredibly tiny, but packed with flavour and legacy.
Today, it is manned by Dinesh Shankar Shukla, the couple’s son and a 60-something-year-old retired banking professional. For the past 50 years, he has dedicated his time to keeping the stall running, a legacy he flaunts with pride.
The Great Parsi Salli Boti
Salli Boti is a celebratory staple of Parsi cuisine, originating from the West of India. 1200 years back, when the Persians came to India, they brought with them the custom of eating stew, meats, and dry leafy foods. Farzana Aunty’s Salli Boti, a is take on this Parsi classic of tender lamb in a spicy-tangy sauce with crisp potato sticks.
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Deeply passionate about food, culture and community, Manaal loves telling extraordinary stories of ordinary people. Besides sniffing out a tale to tell, her favourite things to do include binging true crime documentaries, chasing cats on the streets and curating a good outfit.
