Threads of Cotton laced with Flavour : Kaley Baba Kabab Waley in Gali Suiwalan
Old Dilli is perhaps one of the most important pilgrimages for people who consider themselves lovers of anything and everything street food. Establishments such as Aslam Chicken, Qureshi Kabab Corner and Karim Hotel are practically household names now, and the riches they have amassed over time has allowed some of them to venture outside the corners of Old Dilli and expand their wings to far-off cities like Amdavad and Bangalore.
I find it rather regrettable that most conversations about Old Dilli’s street food seldom go beyond the same 5-6 names, for there is a world of flavour to be relished outside these mainstream eateries. Thus, one day, accompanied by some companions, I set out on a food trail through these cramped and restless alleys, resolved to uncover a few hidden gems that would outshine whatever we’ve had in Dilli so far. We chose to skip the bazaar of Matia Mahal Road, which is well-frequented by tourists, and chose to trundle through the narrow, interwoven bylanes of Chitli Qabar instead. Having sampled Taufeeq’s Biryani, Babu Bhai’s Seekh Kebabs, and Keema Goli and Nankhatai, we were satisfied with our adventures so far, and moved on to our last spot. After a long, tiring expedition marked by bumping into cycle rickshaws and getting overwhelmed by the audio-visual stimulus around us, we reached a small shop deep within the heart of the bazaar, located right where the main road opens into the smaller alleyway of Gali Takhat Wali Suiwalan, labelled “Kaley Baba Kabab Waley”, with a handful of signs hanging on its facade, displaying the modest list of items it had to offer - Seekh Kebabs for Rs. 15/- apiece, Seekh Tikka for Rs. 15/- apiece and Bheja, priced at Rs. 10/- for two pieces.
I have always found something very magical about the way in which streets of Old Dilli have been named. I am unable to explain how, and I suspect it is the antiquitous naming convention, but reading street names such as “Kucha Pati Ram” or “Gali Kababiyan” on a billboard or a map never fail to evoke mysterious images of a bygone era in my imagination, one where the name of Dilli was synonymous with the lively Shahjahanabad, when I could go traverse the length and breadth of the city on a small tram, as its clocktowers and city walls tower over me like giant guardians that keep the city in order, a time when the various residential areas of Saket and Defence Colony were not developed yet, and those areas were still expansive plains and dense forests, sparsely populated with villages such as Begumpur and Khirki. One of these bylanes in Chitli Qabar is called Gali Suiwalan, named so because it was a place where needles would be produced. Of course, the story of a needle is incomplete without a thread, and that’s where we return to Kaley Baba.
Kaley Baba’s method of serving Seekh Kebabs is rather unique. The minced meat is so tender that it falls apart when it is grilled on a skewer, and to counter this, they wrap their kebabs with a tiny thread which ensures the kebab maintains its structural integrity during the cooking process. The kebabs are then plated on a leaf, and are served to the customer alongside rumali roti, raw onion and a reddish chutney, but the thread that binds the kebab is not unfurled, making the process of eating the kebab as much as a journey as it was to reach the place, as one has to carefully navigate the various condiments planted on the plate, ensuring they get a bit of onion and chutney in their bite while avoiding the pieces of string.
The wizardry of the string hits you at first bite. The kebab is not heavily flavoured, which allows one to relish the taste of the meat and appreciate how juicy and tender it is, as well as the roasted texture that is imparted on it by the flame of the grill. But pair this delicacy with the chutney they serve, which is capable of breaking all limits on the Scoville scale. This combination of the juicy, meaty kebabs with the spicy kick provided by the chutney is what sets the a level above its competitors.
Tikkas of buffalo meat tend to get chewy beyond frustration. Such was not the case here, as the Tikkas, which were skewered over a flaming grill, and again, lightly seasoned, while not as effortless to bite as the Seekh, were fairly easy to chew on. What was a revelation for me, however, was the Bheja - small pieces of buffalo brain. This grotesque-sounding dish is hard to describe it to someone who has not had it before, and the closest comparison I can imagine is the texture of a boiled egg white, but the taste of an egg yolk (except, not as strong).
Kaley Baba’s Seekh Kebabs are phenomenal. I found myself returning to the area again and again, almost as if the magical threads that they produce have been wrapped around my finger, constantly tugging at me, inviting me to the grill that lights up the area in the evening. On my most recent expedition to the shop, accompanied by a twitter mutual and a friend of his, I noticed a small tawa set up right next to the shop, which contained an ocean of ghee and a continent of halwa within it. This was Gond Ka Halwa, made of gum, milk and semolina, with nuts such as cashews sprinkled all over it. We sampled the halwa, which was chewy, rich and had a wonderful undertaste of ghee that I always consider the mark of a good halwa (or atleast, halwas that I personally prefer).
In my opinion, Kaley Baba Kabab Waley is tied with Talib Kabab Corner in Zakir Nagar and Sangam Kabab in Lal Kuan for the best seekh kebabs one can find in Dilli. It is quite a trek to reach there, and one may be allured by the fame and convenience of spots like Qureshi. But I’d recommend skipping all of that. Kaley Baba’s kebabs are worth getting entangled in the cobweb of Chitli Qabar for.
Recommendations : Seekh Kebabs (9.5/10), Tikkas (8.75/10), Bheja (9.75/10). They only sell items in buffalo meat.
Location : 789, Sui Walan, Chitli Kabar, Daryaganj, Chandni Mahal, Old Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi 110006