Philippe Daue, the Belgian Executive Pastry Chef, who lives in Delhi, India just sent me those pictures from Karim’s, an old establishment, well known in Town. What a great story to publish! Looking at those pictures in Philipp’s FaceBook, I had to ask him to send me the original files for a “PostCard from India”, his second. Thank you Philippe for allowing me the use of those fantastic Images!

Just had to remember Russell Peters: click here to view him on YouTube

Karim’s is an Old Delhi institution. Mutton, which generally means goat in India, is king here, especially in thick, rich gravies; try mutton Mughlai or badaam pasanda (“almond delight,” mutton in a slightly sweet gravy) for the full experience. To get here, walk down the street that runs out from the mosque’s main entrance, Gate 1, and about four shops down on the left, walk through the passageway into a small courtyard—you’ll see smoking kababs on spits and several indoor seating areas. The newer Karim’s, Dastar Khwan-e-Karim, near Hazrat Nizamuddin Darga, is more of a restaurant proper. Alcohol is not served.

There are two kinds of food in India: vegetarian and meaty, “veg” and “non-veg,” colloquially. To make even more of a generalization, Hindus are vegetarians, and Muslims are carnivores. Karim’s is one of the best non-veg restaurants in all of North India, and serves exquisite, “royal” Mughal cuisine at popular prices. The tandoor, or clay oven, is perhaps the most important culinary legacy of the Mughal invasions of the 16th century. Also, the liberal use of spices and the rich, creamy curries many people associate with “Indian food” are Mughal influences. Karim’s has been serving peerless curries, kebabs, and breads for almost 100 years and has opened several branches within and outside Delhi.

Once you locate and meander through the tiny passageway leading to the courtyard of Karim’s, the restaurant itself is really nothing to look at. The royal cuisine so revered by generations of Delhiites and international epicures is served in a shabby, divey setting that belies the delicacies on offer. There is nothing to be concerned with hygienically, but if this is your very first dining experience in India, you may feel quite apprehensive. The connoisseurs will say how Karim’s has gone downhill in recent years, and that there are superior offerings from the street carts the government is trying to banish, but my Western tummy precludes any first-hand assessment of street eats. Karim’s, like any institution, has its detractors, but I think the food here is first-rate.

Even though some of the press clips at the entrance are 20 years old, which is never a good sign, Karim’s must be in every current guidebook, since tourists consistently find their way to this well-concealed destination

Karim’s
Gali Kababian, near Jama Masjid
Old Delhi
India