How One Dish Stayed Strong In This Household For 75 Years

How often do you visit&nbspa restaurant and try to discover its history Not every eatery is born out of a legacy some are merely for commercial gains. Nor does every food joint that started on a cart at India Gate survive for 63 years after escaping a bloody partition. Such is the story of Pindi, a restaurant in Delhi's Pandara Road whose legacy dates back to 1948, when Kasturi Lal Wadhwa and his wife, Raj Rani Wadhwa, came to Delhi after escaping the riots of 1947. The family of twelve lived in Rawalpindi from birth until both countries were divided. Naturally, leaving much of their lives in person and material, they came to Delhi with a bag or two and nothing more.

From Rawalpindi to Pindi In Pandara Road

Cut to 2022. Anuj Wadhwa, Lal's grandson and now the third-generation owner of Pindi, recalls, "My grandfather did odd jobs in Rawalpindi to feed a big family. When partition happened, he fled to Delhi and tried to find a niche to survive. He made and sold Pindi chana and kulcha for not even a rupee back in the day. A typical day would start at 6 am and end at midnight. In 1959, he was allotted a small space as part of the resettlement for Partition refugees."

The family had to run a marathon of 20&ndash25 trial sessions to be able to preserve Lal's original recipe. "As a child, my grandfather measured his spices or masalas with his hands, not any special equipment," says Wadhwa. "He often mentioned that his hands and mood were enough to decide the quantity of the ingredients. Today, we can proudly say that we have got it right and have come as close to the original recipe as possible."

Pindi was the first dhaba in the square. Soon after, several other dhabas opened up. Those dhabas have now become full-fledged restaurants and are flocked by fans, with most weekends running at total capacity. "Our original menu contained only two items - the special Pindi chana served with kulcha. With time, dal makhni, butter chicken, other mutton curries, and paneer specialties found their place on the menu. My grandfather would feed UPSC aspirants from the neighbourhood who would run short on pocket money for free," Wadhwa laughs. "Roti and butter chicken became their weekend treat. My grandfather shared a special bond with the people of this area, and we are still greeted warmly to this date because of his legacy that we are keeping up."

The Pindi Bestsellers 

Apart from Pindi Chana, Dal Makhani, Butter Chicken, and Mutton Burra are among the top orders at the restaurant today. Pindi Restaurant is located at16, Pandara Road Market, New Delhi- 110003. (Timings- 12 pm to 1 am) and the cost for two at Rs 1,500 (approx)