Dahi Ke Sholay at Pandit Ram Sharan Sharma in INA : Delhi’s most Underrated Veg Street Food

One sunny June afternoon, I deboarded the shiny new Hyundai coaches of the Dilli Metro’s Pink Line to arrive at the Dilli Haat - INA Metro Station, one of the busiest interchanges on the city’s metro network. Dozens of people rushed to catch the Yellow Line, dozens more strolled on their way to the exit that led to the craft bazaar at Dilli Haat. A handful, however, took the other gate to exit the metro station - the one which took them to the INA Market just opposite Dilli Haat. On any other day, I would have been part of the crowd mentioned foremost - the Bombardier’s arctic air-conditioning cooling me off after a tiring day at college, but today, I decided to take a detour, and visit the INA market instead. I swiped my metrocard on the automatic fare collection gate, made a mental note to recharge it before my next outing, and traversed a narrow, quiet, dimly-lit pedestrian subway before I emerged in the hustle and bustle of the INA market, surrounded by vendors selling exotic vegetables and fruit, imported chocolates and confectionary and a diverse range of seafood sourced from all over the nation.

But I was not interested in any of that. I was here not to shop, but to eat. Having previously been disappointed by what the neighbouring Dilli Haat had to offer in the name of authentic cuisine, I was curious as to what is available for feasting on this side of the road. Most people, placed in this scenario, would trundle on through the buzz of the bazaar to arrive at the handful of hole-in-the-wall places that are run by migrants from Kerala, selling cuisine they brought with them from the Malabar coast.

But I was not interested in any of that. I took a U-turn and went to the backside of the market. At the very end of the market, I arrived at a small shop identified by a simple red sign with the words “Pandit Ramsharan Sharma” written in Devnagari on it. His son Deepak Sharma, a graduate in Hotel Management, was inspired by the popular “Dahi ke Kebab”, and invented a conical fritter that has an outer covering of hard bread, filled with dahi, capsicum and coriander, and deep-fried till it is wonderfully crispy, to be served with green coriander chutney and a sweet tomato sauce. This was termed as “Dahi ke Sholay”, and Deepak persuaded his father, who ran the canteen of the Kendriya Vidyalaya in INA, to introduce the dish, which was an instant hit. The filling is simple, which allows the dahi to shine, with a subtle undertaste of the capsicum. It provides a wonderful contrast to the crispy bread that covers it. Dip it in the chutney and sauce provided, and ask for extra too.

Priced at just 25/-, this is perhaps the most underrated street food one can find in Dilli. They serve a handful of other items too, such as the “Cheese Ke Sholay” and “Paneer ke Sholay” which have cheese and paneer respectively as fillings in place of the dahi, as well as a handful of burgers and sandwiches that I am yet to try.

But I am not interested in any of that. Their Dahi Ke Sholay are tempting enough, and I don’t have the heart to try anything else.

Recommendations : Dahi Ke Sholay (8.25/10)

Address : 26B, Sri Aurobindo Marg, Aviation Colony, INA Colony, New Delhi, Delhi 110023