Advertisement
India’s ‘Little Afghanistan’ showcases cuisine rich in taste – and history
- Displaced Afghans have been coming to India since 1979, where some have set up shop serving quintessential fare such as rajma, qubuli, and bolani
- But Indian food has long had a profound Afghan influence, one that is evident in the likes of kebabs, tandoor, and tikka that are so popular today
Reading Time:4 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
A tantalising aroma of sizzling kebabs and freshly baked bread wafts from the hot clay ovens of the dozen or so eateries in what has been dubbed Little Afghanistan, a cluster of around 100 Afghan refugee families in the Lajpat Nagar neighbourhood of southern Delhi. Mutton simmers away in large vats while the local naanwais, or street bakers, do a brisk business selling doughy Afghan naans.
Advertisement
In recent years, Little Afghanistan – also known as “Little Kabul”, has seen a proliferation of restaurants run by people from the war-torn nation that is now under Taliban control. According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, 15,000 Afghan refugees currently call India home.
The migrants started arriving soon after the Soviet-Afghan war began in 1979, with more following after the United States invaded Afghanistan in 2001. Most of these displaced Afghans are now settled in middle-class areas of Delhi, such as Lajpat Nagar, Bhogal and Saket, where they run pharmacies, clothes shops and food joints.
Salim Peerzada, 36, owns the Darbar restaurant in Lajpat Nagar. He is a third-generation cook who migrated to Delhi from Kandahar a decade ago with his parents and wife Razia.
“I consider myself lucky that I escaped the country when I could,” he said. “Today I make a good living here while my two brothers are still trapped in Kabul. When they called last night, we could hear gunshots in the background.”
The eatery offers quintessentially Afghan fare such as rajma, a curry made from black beans; qubuli, a chickpea pulao; bolani, or stuffed flatbread; borani, a dish made from aubergines and tomatoes; as well as an assortment of kebabs and breads such as naan, roghani and lavasa.
Advertisement