Tuesday, August 25, 2009

JAPANI SAMOSA:

JAPANI SAMOSA:


I woke up on Sunday morning to a dark sky and knew that there was something urgent I had to do - have a crisp samosa.


I don't know if sudden showers do this to you, but I get these strange food yearnings when everything around me starts to glisten with rain. And the rain, you would have noticed, does a mean tango with some special kinds of snacks. All across the city, I know that there are people who start frying pakoras the moment they see dark clouds. A good life, I often say, is a book in hand, with a plate of pakoras and a hot cup of tea on a rainy day.


There is another thing that the rain-gods always seem to bring in mind, and that's a samosa. The best thing about a samosa is that you can get it in nearly every corner of the city. To top it, there are all kinds of samosas. In some of the Bengali sweet shops in Delhi, you can get a 'singara' - which is a samosa with a special kind of a potato filling, not as spicy as the normal Dilliwallah samosa.


There is one shack in Mayur Vihar Phase II where the samosas are so good that people start lining up for its hot fare well before the huge iron kadais are put on fire. In Jama Masjid, you get a delicious keema samosa, and in Multani Dhanda - in Paharganj - there is a sweet shop which sells samosas stuffed with boiled moong dal.


But this week, the samosa that I was dying to eat was not your regular triangular flour puffs. I wanted to have a Japani samosa.


A Japani samosa is actually not a true-blue samosa. It certainly does not look, taste or behave like the conventional samosa. It's a big, layered puff pastry - something like a cheese puff - with a delicious filling of lightly spiced potatoes and peas. The samosa is doused with a layer of chholey - and the two together are like those unforgettable pairs of Hindi cinema - say, Raj Kapoor and Nargis, or Dilip Kumar and Madhubala. Or, if you insist, Govinda and Dilip Dhawan.


The journey for a Japani samosa is nearly as exciting as the food itself. I walked through the narrow lanes of Old Delhi, enjoying the colourful battle of words between a speed-loving rickshaw-puller and all the local people that his vehicle insisted on hitting. What made the trek even more exciting was the fact that I was trailing behind a train of donkeys, who steadfastly refused to give me the right of way.


I walked up to Jama Masjid and then took a rickshaw to Moti Cinema Hall. After getting down at the mouth of Dariba, the old silversmiths' hub, I took the
road between Moti Cinema and Lajpat Rai Market. And right there was Manohar's Japani Samosa.


Nobody quite knows why the samosa is called Japani. Umesh, the friendly owner, didn't know the reason, but knew that it had been called so since its very inception in 1949. Maybe -- if you want to stretch your history dates a bit -- the name came as an offshoot of the war. Or maybe there was no real reason. Japani, after all, is as good a name as any and has some poetry to it. And it sounds better than Papua New Guinea samosa, right?


I had the samosa, and thought it was excellent. It was crispy on the outside, and soft within. The pastry was bland and went well with the vegetable filling, And the chholey left its tangy taste behind.


The first time I had a Japani samosa, I had gone around singing: "Mera samosa hai
Japani, uspe chholey Hindustani." This time, I bid adieu with: "Sayonara Sayonara, khal phir khayungee, Sayonara..."

11 comments:

Unknown said...

Gullu lives! I grew up within yards of Gullu's original shop. You could say I grew up on that thick, red, spicy "keema wala meat".

Searched for something similar for years, but never found anything to match it till discovered yesterday that Gullu's son is carrying on the family tradition in Malkaganj. Definitely worth a visit! Have yet to personally go, but am daring to hope it'll be as great as the original.

http://bestplacetoeat.wordpress.com/2010/12/20/gullu-meat-walla-near-malka-ganj-redlight-near-kamla-nagar-delhi-110007-and-also-in-pitampura-north-delhi/

Anonymous said...

Tried this so-called Japani Samosa. The place is in a very dirty, unhygienic place. I could feel sand particles in my samosa/sauce. The samosas are very hot. As for taste: nothing special. For me there will be no second trial.

Unknown said...

Sorry for posting this in the wrong place -- no idea how I managed that + can't erase it. I didn't read your Gullu Jr review till afterwards.

Rajesh Sharma said...

i tried this japani samosa today and felt nothing to write home about. flakes were much hard than pastry. taste was oily, masala mild, but flavours missing. chole do add some taste and helps swallow down. but overall not good enough. only much hyped up !!!

Anonymous said...

oZzy moved away some time ago, I miss his cock,
for always hungry for sex.
FUCK MY PUSSY!

Visit my site hcg injections
Also see my web site: hcg injections

Anonymous said...

It's an amazing paragraph for all the internet visitors; they will take advantage from it I am sure.

My weblog San Diego wedding photography

Anonymous said...

It's going to be finish of mine day, except before ending I am reading this wonderful piece of writing to increase my know-how.

Also visit my blog post - buy facebook fans

Anonymous said...

Very shortly this site will be famous amid all blogging and site-building visitors,
due to it's good articles

my web blog: live roulette

oakleyses said...

louis vuitton outlet online, nike air max, michael kors outlet online, longchamp outlet online, kate spade handbags, jordan shoes, true religion outlet, michael kors outlet online, gucci handbags, nike air max, coach purses, coach outlet, polo ralph lauren outlet, tory burch outlet, true religion, oakley sunglasses, oakley vault, kate spade outlet online, chanel handbags, tiffany jewelry, ray ban outlet, michael kors outlet online, coach outlet, ray ban sunglasses, christian louboutin shoes, prada outlet, longchamp handbags, louis vuitton handbags, prada handbags, nike free, longchamp outlet, tiffany and co jewelry, polo ralph lauren, louis vuitton outlet, christian louboutin outlet, michael kors outlet online, burberry outlet online, louis vuitton, burberry outlet online, coach outlet store online, red bottom shoes, nike shoes, cheap oakley sunglasses, christian louboutin, michael kors outlet, louis vuitton outlet, michael kors outlet store

oakleyses said...

moncler, timberland shoes, hollister, louis vuitton canada, toms outlet, juicy couture outlet, louboutin, juicy couture outlet, thomas sabo uk, nike air max, converse, baseball bats, canada goose pas cher, ugg, canada goose, canada goose uk, moncler, supra shoes, ray ban, oakley, pandora jewelry, moncler, replica watches, links of london uk, hollister canada, hollister clothing, iphone 6 case, moncler, pandora charms, canada goose, parajumpers outlet, lancel, gucci, ralph lauren, swarovski uk, montre femme, pandora uk, air max, converse shoes, swarovski jewelry, karen millen, moncler, vans, uggs canada, moncler outlet, coach outlet, wedding dress, moncler

Rajesh said...

Our Call Girls in Udaipur have smooth bodies that can prepare you for a night of sexual loving. You don’t want to feel self-conscious as you’re safe here at our Call Girls agency. Our Services are all-time service that is accessible for you 24*7 hours. Our Escorts Girls are always prepared to make you fill you’ll have a fantastic alluring night with our lovely girls and you only need for believing simultaneously. Check our other Services also...
Call Girls in Udaipur
Call Girls in Vasant Kunj
Call Girls in Vasant Kunj
Call Girls in Vasant Kunj
Call Girls in Vasant Vihar
Call Girls in Vasant Vihar