Having arrived in Jaipur this afternoon, we were checked in to the the Shapura House Hotel in Bani Park. With the next two evenings’ Dinners already arranged, tonight was the only Opperchancity to try somewhere Local, and outwith the Hotel Restaurant.
Walking along Devi Marg in the formerly secure Bani Park Compound, we crossed through the open gate on to Kabir Marg. This was our first step proper into Indian Nightlife. In the poorly lit street, the traffic remained ever-present, the continuous – Toot-toots.
The Aamarpali Bar & Restaurant was the objective, there was no sign of it, start again. Shrugging off the constant approaches by Tuk-Tuk Drivers to whisk us away, we stuck to this street. Other Hotels have restaurants, Hector was determined to avoid these, a Restaurant please.
The Chit Chat Restaurant (D-160 Kabir Marg, Bani Park, Jaipur 302016, India) had also shown up on the Replacement Samsung, it looked a bit – How’s your Father? – still, following our guidelines of what we can eat and what we must avoid at all times, in we go.
A Chap was sitting at a table near the doorway, a Waiter. He showed us inside. We chose a table at the raised area to the rear of the Restaurant where there was a masonry ceiling as opposed to bamboo. The avoidance of insects. Marg chose the seat facing towards the door leaving Hector’s chair too close to the step. The overhead fan was whirling. Anticipating the imminent decapitation of The Hector, The Waiter turned off the fan. Still, close to the edge. However, this was Health and Safety in operation.
The Menu was brought, Drinks ordered. Marg ordered the most Watery Kingfisher we have ever encountered, 0% abv. Hector, remembering the Tasty Lime Soda at the Gulati Restaurant, ordered Lemon Water. It was only then I speculated as to how this might be prepared. Sip, sip, sip, seems OK, that’s enough. I helped Marg with her Still Water.
This is a Vegetarian Restaurant, it was written that The Hector would dine here. The Prices were a fifth of the Hotel Prices. People say that the cost of living in India is a fraction of Europe, at last we had some evidence.
As a Regular, I would no doubt have ordered a Creation thus maximising the Content of my Meal. Tonight I would order directly from The Menu. Gobhi Mushallam (Rs 150) – Fresh cauliflower with tomatoes, garlic, ginger and onions – I was already imagining this with Aloo, but not Meat. What is happening to The Hector?
A Parantha (Rs 30) would accompany. Having seen enough Indian Menus, I wonder why we use – Paratha – in the UK?
Marg was here too
We had tried for Pasta yesterday without success. Marg’s best options were Vegetable Pizza (Rs 150) or Vegetable Cheese Macaroni (Rs 150), Macaroni it was.
Hector considers his home cooked Macaroni Cheese to be the Finest served anywhere, Marg agrees. She has to, else she does not get fed. Comparisons to be made.
No other Diners joined us. One speculates as to how Fresh the Ingredients may be, the cleanliness of the Kitchen, the Chef. Could this be the Meal that sets us off? I write often of my Preference for visiting the Curry Cafes in the UK/Europe. This venue is officially the Cheapest I have dined in. There had been an attempt at creating Ambience, – Rustic – would be generous. The posters on the wall gave us an insight as to what we would see over the next couple of days.
Hector’s claim to serve The Most Outstanding Macaroni Cheese maintains. Marg was playing – Hunt the Cheese. This was Basic, bordering on Tasteless, it filled a gap.
The Gobhi Mushallam was served Piping Hot, this was a relief, it should therefore be Safe. The Parantha was Modest in size, but then I can rarely eat all of what is served at home. 
The Paratha was not Flaky as is hoped for, it would do the job.
Four Pieces of Cauliflower does not fill a Hector. Each pieces was halved, else the match would have been over in the first round. The Masala had a look of Genuine Quality. The Oil was suspended in the Spices aiding the Viscosity. Dipping the Paratha revealed a Masala, Rich in Flavour. There was a Tang to match the Achari served yesterday in New Delhi at the Gulati Restaurant. The Seasoning and Spice were exactly how Hector likes his Curry. The Cauliflower retained a slight firmness, not overcooked; the whole Dish was consumed – Slowly. There was not very much of it, yet I knew I would not be leaving hungry. Dare I write it: if this had Chicken, it would be as good as any Chicken Tikka Masala served at home.
I have to say, Chit Chat is well worth a visit. I would recommend ordering three Curry Dishes between two.
The Bill
Rs 409. (£4.55) This is what we were led to expect.
The Aftermath
We took our leave and headed out into the night. There must be a Bier Source other than Hotel Shapura…
India Trip 2016 – Day 4 – Jaipur, Rajahstan – A Wonderful Day: A Fort, A Carpet, a Bier
It could still be considered early afternoon when we arrived at 
Jeera Rice
Aloo Taare Ko, shout it LOUD! This was Tremendous, Wonderful, add as many Superlatives as you choose. In effect I was eating Chips, I eat Chips rarely, they are Bland. This was a remarkably well presented Potato Dish. It is a Nepalese Dish, a punch on Hector’s Nose. The Hector Hound avoids Nepalese Restaurants unless one is in 
Is it any surprise I went back for more? Two impressive Dishes in one Buffet, there is hope.
Marg recalls the Pancake-like Dessert as being – Chewy. Hector does not really care for Dessert. If I’m still hungry, please feed me more Curry.
Resident at the 
Poppadoms, and Dips were brought to the table, a bit of a clue. This Restaurant only sold Indian Food…. I did offer to call it a day despite being in for what was before us, however, Marg was OK with her second Curry-Heute. How many more days will Hector get away with this?
nly be one choice – Railway Mutton Curry – (Rs 895) – The famous curry invented on railway journey during the days of the Raj. There was a fear that Chicken and Daal would be all I would have to eat on this Trip, and here we are, two Lamb Dishes in one day. Plus ca Change.
Since I first encountered Railway Curry, the common feature has been the presence of Baby Potatoes, an Aloo Gosht variant then? Served in a Soupy Masala the Lamb was off-the-bone. Six Large Pieces required the use of a knife to half them. Some Lamb was very Tender, some more Chewy. The accompanying Balls had me puzzled. They looked like Baby Potatoes but the Texture was different. Had the Potato been mashed then bound with Lentils? Reminiscent of Dough-balls, they were the Lesser Part of the Dish.
The Masala had a distinctive South Indian Flavour. Curry Leaves and Green Cardamom were present in the Soupy Masala, there was a Slight Creaminess too. Under-seasoned and Under-spiced this Curry was not particularly demanding. It went Cold very quickly. I’ve had way better in 
The Rahra Gosht had the expected appearance but surprisingly was on-the-bone. I have never seen this Dish served in this manner previously. This was Darker, Richer, Sweeter than the Masala served with the Railway Curry.
The Gulati Restaurant (6, Pandara Road, Pandara Market, 
The expected Chicken and Daal were present, plenty of time to be cornered by them. A Waiter brought Spiced Onion and other Salad Accoutrements for those of us who had ordered a la carte. Danger, Will Robinson! We had been warned not to touch any Food that could have been washed in tap water. That nobody touched these begs the question, do they dump them or re-present them? QED.
The metal serving pot was – Large, to say the least. Dry – was never going to be expected in this part of India, so any Masala would be regarded as – Excessive – by this commentator. That the Lamb was on-the-bone was one positive, that the Meat and a Sucky Bone protruded through the sea of Masala made the heart race. My First Indian Curry-proper in India. Patience, Dear Reader.
The Mirch Ka Parantha arrived Piping Hot, Perfect. Red with Chilli Powder, this was indeed a new Paratha Experience. Light and Layered, the Perfect Accompaniment.
Hector only does Curry Buffets on Special Occasions, this 
A Dais with Salads was quickly walked past, we have been advised to avoid anything that could have been washed in tap water. Boiled Rice was first up, best not to take too much. A Fish Dish was the first of the Real Dishes. Fish with Sweet Chili Sauce was ignored, there was an assortment of Capsicum therein, no thank you. A very Yellow Daal was also walked by, I had spotted Keema Anda, let’s have some Lamb Mince with Hard Boiled Egg. Matar Paneer – Cheese with Peas – did not sound much, however it looked appealing, as did the Final Selection – Baingan Bharta – an Aubergine based Mash. Some Jeera Rice to mop up the extravagant Moisture Content was required.
Baingan Bharta
This was Pleasant rather than Outstanding, no Methi, but a sense of Spice and Seasoning. The Baingan Barta was impressive, a Vegetable Mash. With Tomato and Onion in the Masala-mash along with the Eggplant, this was as close to the Masala that Hector was taught to cook around the turn of the century. The Matar Paneer provided the Buffet Selection on my plate with the required Overall Seasoning, a sample was enough for me, perhaps on this Trip I may have to risk exceeding my Cheese Quota, but not tonight. The Jeera Rice offered little scope for description other than this is the Land where Cumin is Jeera. They coud have done with being more heavy handed on the Cumin Seeds.
Back for more Keema Anda and Baingan Barta, the latter Vegetable Dish I shall look out for in future, this was the something new I have learned today.
This was not Indian by any stretch of the imagination, but a Sweet and Sour which would be normally served up in the most populous nation of our planet. The Fish was Rubbery, Marg was right, it was like Chicken.
Dahi Bhalley aur Kadak Ki Chaat (Rs 575) is not something one reads on a Menu every day. Lentil dumplings in a sweet yoghurt with spinach fritters. We decided to share this as well as Paneer Pakoda (Rs 650) described as – Cottage cheese fritters served with fresh mint relish, and tamarind relish. Two Veggie Dishes then, yes Hector had just turned down Lamb Roganjosh. 
The Dahi Bhalley has been given – to try – at Glasgow’s 
Paneer Pakoda was a First. Hector has to be careful with his intake of Cheese, excess can lead to loss of a meal, rapidly. The accompanying Mint Dip did little for me, the Yoghurt with the Dahi Bhalley was the focus, there was a lot of it. The Tamarind didn’t show. The Cheese Fritters were Pleasant. Between the Batter and the Cheese a Red Band was visible, Chilli, the Source of The Kick.
A somewhat curtailed afternoon Trip around Delhi featuring 
The Day has dawned, Hector and Marg en route to India, where some say I shall not enjoy the Food, perhaps there is more to India than Curry? Any remote chance The Hector had of wining the Curry Lover of The Year was blown out the water this morning when Neil sent a link from a newspaper, a 103 Year Old Lady is also a listed finalist. So it goes.
Seventy Eight minutes into – The Intern – it was time for The Hector to be fed, somewhere over Slovakia. Marg too opted for the Indian Chicken, how long before she is dreaming of Pasta?
The Tray was Complex, the Main Course was footery: Plain Rice in the middle, Chicken in a Masala on the right, and a Daal on the left. A Small Side contained Pasta (!), another some Natural Yoghurt. A hot Bread wrapped in foil housed a Modest Paratha. Who can eat an whole Paratha? This time.
The Chicken Portion was Microscopic on The Hector Scale of Meat, a couple of Wee Bits. With the Minimal Masala merely shrouding the Chicken, as is preferred, the Experience had potential. Coconut with a hint of Cumin, I thought I was flying to Northern India. The Daal came to the rescue, here was the more typical Earthy Flavour the Hector seeks in a Curry. Again, but a Soupcon, this was eked out between Chicken, Rice, Paratha and Yoghurt. I was enjoying this more than any In-flight Meal I had ever encountered!
Two days to go, hopefully, before Curry-Heute goes into overdrive. To practice for the Trip to India, it is time for Hector to address – The Vegetable. It was hoped that the Outstanding Vegetable Curry sometimes available at 
The Masala-mash was Minimal, made from? Yesterday’s Cauliflower pulped? The Orange Glow from the Oil made one realise that whilst this was not a Heart Attack on a Plate, there would be a certain Calorific Content.
The Vegetable Rice was a veritable plateful. Pilau Rice rich in Peas, Potato and Cauliflower, eh? Was this a sensible order? You bet! Spooning some of the Oily Potatoes and Cauliflower on to their Healthier Counterparts, the Mix became most attractive. This worked.
The Kick from the Aloo Gobi was instant, then the 
the Hiatus of the last two years. Downstairs has not been occupied in the recent visits, tonight there was a large family group, with weans. Surely not a repeat of 
Breads tend to cool faster than the contents of a Cast Iron Karahi, this can lead to an excess intake of The Accompaniment. The Second Paratha, also Well-fired, was placed under the first; such Pleasure when Dipped in the Oily Masala-mash. Time to focus on the Lamb.
I suggested to Steve that still more Seasoning was required, I like my Karahi to be seasoned to the limit, Steve otherwise. He was once again very impressed by what he was eating:
Sitting at the top of the stairs, Steve and I had to tolerate the full impact of the weans running up and down the stairs, even through the restaurant, playing tig. This is not appropriate Restaurant Behaviour. Has The Hector become more intolerant of weans since retiring? You bet. Parents, do your job or arrange a sitter.
A Friday spent at the Hawkshead Spring Beer Festival in Staveley had to end with a Curry-Heute. Having been separated from The Company on return to Glasgow Central, it was as much fate as chance when Mags was rounded up on Union Street. The lure of her Favourite – Aloo Gosht was the sufficient Pull Factor. (After last weekend at the 
Taking our seats in the Downstairs area, I could see Chef in – The Spot – with his back towards us. Is Rashid back and has he had a haircut?
With the Ginger Strips atop, the Sucky Bones and Chops visible, it was time for what is always a Treat. Ayaz knows how I like my Karahi, but may have balked at adding Sufficient (?) Salt. Chef Rashid would not have, he must be due back soon. Still, this was another great Curry Success. The Most Tender of Lamb, Different Cuts, Ribs too; the Thick Masala-mash revealing the Melange of Flavours, the Joy of dining at this establishment. As one approached the end game, the Food has retained its Heat due to the Starting Temperature and the Thickness of the black Karahi itself. Who wants Cold Curry?
The Hector was too busy enjoying his own and wondering why the 
roof of my mouth remained intact.