The Culinary charms of Gwalior
Gwalior is not only a city that’s known for its’ culture and history, but also the food, especially the street food is one which is quite famous here. It is known that Gwalior was once the seat of various rulers, like the Kachwahas, Tomars, Marathas, etc to name a few, so when it comes to the food, the cuisine culture is linked to the rich diversity of cultural influences that have been experienced in the past.
In Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior, the local and famous street snack is known as ‘Bedai’, a Poori stuffed with spiced lentils. A shop known as ChoteLal Kachoriwale in Patankar Bazaar is known for their Bedais. These are firm and cris pooris which contains Moong Dal (a lentil) that is stuffed in it, & is eaten with a spicy potato gravy and chutney. The shop does not have a board, so on reaching Patankar Bazaar, one will need to ask the locals around for this shop.
The next stop would be to visit SS Kachoriwala & Bahadura Sweets in Naya Bazaar for the piping hot samosas and kachoris, the scrumptious jalebis and gulab jamuns. These two shops are just 100 m away from each other in Naya Bazaar. The ladoos are so phenomenal that one of its’ patrons were Sri. Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Dilli Parathawale at Sarafa Bazaar, Agarwal Poha Bhandar at Nayi Sadak and Shankerlal Halwai’s laddoos aren’t to be missed either. The parathas in the old city of Gwalior are cooked with generous proportions of Pure Ghee and are served hot and crispy. There are various choices one can choose from, Peas, Paneer, Potatoes, Cauliflower etc served with creamy curd and spicy pickle at the side.
At the heart of Gwalior city, a small district named ‘Morena’, where peacocks abound, is where the farmers combat the harsh cold by consuming the fruits of their hard work- the ‘Gajak’. Gajak is made from home grown Sesame or ’Til’ and Jaggery or ‘Gur’, wherein these two main ingredients are fused together with desi ghee (Pure Ghee) to form the sweet, Gajak. These are prepared over an open wok or ’kadaai’ where they are stirred together before they turn into a shiny, smooth thin texture. They are then allowed to cool into hardened biscuit shapes called Gajak. The Gajak is especially useful during harsh winters, keeping people warm and preventing cold and flu. Thus a mandatory stopover to purchase this Gajak at the Morena Gajak Bhandar near Laxmiganj chauraha infront of Galaxy automobiles is a must.
If there’s something one should bring back from Gwalior, it has to be a box of Morena Gajak. One can purchase it from Gwalior’s most popular Gajak house- Daulat Ram Gajak Bhandar in Nayi Sadak or Morena Gajak Bhandar.
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