I keep meaning to share one of my favourite blogs with you all, I'm sure you'll love it!

And mum, it'd be great for you to check out ahead of next visit to Delhi!

http://eatanddust.com/

It's written by a Brit called Pamela who moved to Delhi with her family 4 or 5 years ago. She is an absolutelyn intrepid food explorer (and clearly has a cast iron belly too, lucky lady!) and writes the most fantastic posts about street food, cooking and food shopping in Delhi. With photos that bring it alive, of course.

She knows more about finding the best street food in Delhi than most natives I've ever encountered and her blog is great great great reading.

I've been a dedicated follower for a very long time but keep forgetting to share it here, though recent mention of Chandni Chowk in another thread reminded me.

Visit, read and enjoy (and let me know what you think; you love it, right?)

Kavey

That is a brilliant blog, thanks for sharing, Kav.

Very interesting blog. She mentions not only Parthe wali gali that I was talkin about only yesterday in Chicken Changezi thread, but also Ghante Walla. Translated it means the bell walla, which cold mean either 'the bell ringer' or 'the one near the bell'. It brought back memories. My father, Kavita's nana's older brother used to leave in Chandni Chowk. When we siblings were studying at various boarding schools in Pilani in Rajasthan, we used to visit him on our way home in holidays, sort of half way point in our journey. With our cousins, we used to walk all around Chnadni chowk, around Paranthe Waali gali, Ghantewala and upto Jama Masjid near Red Fort.

We also used to make chikki when kids (recipe is here somewhere).

Ashtami is still celebrated in most Hindu households, including all my siblings and cousins. I see it at my brother's house every autumn when I visit. All pre-pubescent girls in the neighbourhood are invited to a meal and gifts. These days, little boys are also invited, just so they don't feel left out! Children often have a day off from school that day. They bath and dress early, wear their best clothes (they are representing the Goddess after all!) and start going to each house one by one. They are prayed to as representatives of Goddess Durga, fed and are given gifts/money and food to take home. After visiting 2 houses, they can't eat any more, so bring food home; always poories, black chana curry and semolina halva. We we were kids, we used to get small coins, but kids these days get notes and collect a fair amount of money by the end of the morning LOL! By the end of their run in the neighbourhood, they also have enough food collected to feed the whole household for 2 days!

It is interesting to see India from a foreigner's eye! A great blog!

Thanks for sharing this blog Kavey. Very interesting indeed. That gulabi chikki--never heard about it, that chaat, and chana, halwa, puri during asthami celebrations ....makes me nostalgic!!