Delhiwale: Khan Market’s truly moveable feast

Once upon a time, in the 1970s, a man called Banda Hasan would daily set up a desk and an angeethi by a bazar lane, rustling out a kebab stall. Like most street seekhs, the ones by him were tasty and affordable. Slowly-slowly the man became popular, and came to be known as Khan Chacha. The bazar was Khan Market.
(No, Khan Market isn’t named after this legendary figure. The bazar takes its name from…Google it!)
Among India’s priciest commercial destinations, Khan Market is full of tiptop cafés and restaurants where the richie-rich show off their guccis and pradas. Some of us as well enjoy burning our hard-earned cash in these places. But please be aware, dear reader, that Khan Market has teeny-weeny islands of easy affordability, especially on the short walk-friendly stretch between the Khan Market Metro station and the Market. Here’s a list. Use it when you want to save your money and yet want to hang out in Khan.
Lala Ram’s fresh fruit juice cart: Mausambi juice, 60 rupees
Kaptan Singh’s Chaat Bhandar: Aloo tikki, 50 rupees
Shanoj Yadav’s lunch stall: Dal-chawal, 70 rupees
Joginder Singh Yadav’s snack stall: Veg burger, 40 rupees
Netar Pal’s cart: One plate golgappa, 30 rupees
Shyam Nath Chai Pakodewala: One plate mixed pakoda, 40 rupees
Megh Nath Yadav Chhole Bhathure Wale: One plate chhole bhathure, 50 rupees
JP Enterprise: One (very tasty!) samosa, 15 rupees
Pushpendra’s mobile stall: One plate shakarkandi, 50 rupees
Here one must pause to commemorate the stalls that must have existed in Khan Market when it was not so posh, and was said to possess the character of a neighbourhood bazar. Sadly, most of those fell victims to Delhi’s unrecorded history. That said, Khan Market’s lifelong bookseller Anuj Bahri remembers a golgappa walla as well as an extinct place with the cute name of Tid Bit Tea Stall. He particularly misses the rajma and dahi wala meat of a long-gone dhaba.
Besides, one enduring and affordable Khan Market institution is JP’s chai. In business for more than three decades, it was founded by JP’s grandfather Ramanandan. JP (full name: Jai Prakash) daily walks about the market lanes, one arm holding the chai kettle and the other carrying a stack of paper glasses. Powered with adrak and elaichi, the chai is prepared by JP’s elder brother Daya Shankar. When JP first took over the Khan Market lanes 22 years ago, his single glass of chai would cost 2 rupees, 50 paisa. Today, it comes for 12 rupees. He is sighted in the market from 10am to 1pm, and from 3.30pm to 7pm.