A Lunch at Chache di Hatti (Chachaji ke Chole)

The Rawalpindi ke Chole Bhature Shop at Kamla Nagar, a.k.a Chachaji Ke Chole Bhature is the one place to be, if you are planning to eat chole bhature in North Delhi. Most of you reading the article will know about the place I'm talking about.

It's the cramped up shop in Kamla Nagar's bada golchakar area near the famous Baskin Robins. The shop is small, so is the area around it. There is no seating space, or A.Cs running (heaters these days), but only one big counter under which one big handi of chole is being cooked. The Chole Bhature are served to 2 huge lines of people until 3:00PM.

So how's it different from any other food shop in the DU(Delhi University)?It's perhaps the food you get here. These Chole Bhature are the best in the world (apparently you get them only in India!). The food here cannot be expressed in word but is to be tasted by you itself. The imli ki chatni and the special aloo ka bhatura you get here is invincible to any other, you'll get. The Chole's are to be mentioned seperately! I don't know much about the secret ingredients put in that but they mesmerize you to the core!

A place in Delhi that serves such great food is likely to be a hit in a few minutes of its opening but the fan following doesn't remain in the span of 5 years of college graduates from DU, who studied more than 20 years ago also come and eat here. That's the reason of the huge tide of people coming to eat here, till the very last. Dad was among the first to have discovered this joint in DU. He remembers the time, it used to be the same rush of people coming from every college & eating here. Then it was a DU oriented joint, now the scenario is much more versatile.

I've been eating here since my childhood & for long have been a fan of Chache di Hatti at Kamla Nagar. I remember the McDonald's & Dominoes employees coming here and have their lunch, when their shops once existed near the Hatti. While it might get tough competition from Sitaram at Paharganj and some eateries in the South Delhi, it remains my all time favorite!

I recommend all to go before 1 in the noon to be fortunate enough to feed yourself with the delightful feast of Chole Bhature, as they say "Good things come in small packages".