The best 10 rupees I spend

When we talk about Lucknow the first thing that comes to mind is a picturesque mahal with a nawab
enjoying a meetha pan with his begum Jaan dressed in pattered embroidered heavy clothes whose
intricate designs are a no match for today's Versace and yes adorned in jewelry.
It was this nawab and this begum whose furmaish led to today's worldwide known kebab paratha.
Made up of chicken or shredded lamb and rolled up on piping hot sticks and turned over hot coal till the
entire room smells of all the rich masalas and juicy meat just writing about it makes my mouth water.
Although I am vegetarian and all my friends bringing seekh kebab and gaulti kebab in their dabbas made
me think twice about my beliefs.

Kebabs with refreshing mint and coriander chutney and saal (it is an oily dip with soft spices) and yes
Raita is my go-to comfort food. But the restaurants do make it difficult for us to enjoy this delicacy.
Charging us exorbitantly for one kebab and paratha does feel like we are getting cheated on.

I used to go to coaching for medical and the classes were as long as school’s and the food in the mess
sucked. There was a kebab shop right in front of the coaching which smelled like something I would
waste my entire allowance on. But remember I was a vegetarian? All this while I thought it was a Non-
veg kebab shop filled with students like it was a Langar turned out to have vegetarian options as well.

I rushed there as soon as I spotted VEG KEBAB in Hindi which took me a while because quite ironically
although Hindi is my mother tongue I cannot read it well.

After 15 minutes of waiting, I was asked to order the smell of the chicken kebab made me question twice
again but I went ahead with a veg kebab, and the best part was I was asked to pay 10 rupees. 10?!
I had a preconception that if it is this cheap I am pretty sure it will taste cheap. BUT……..
As I took the first bite, my world came crashing down it was that Ratatoullie moment when Remy is
trying to define flavors and how each flavor compliments the other flavor and that is the perfect recipe.
The paratha was hot and thin which a hit of charcoal on the crusts, the kebab silky just like butter
melting away in the mouth, I could taste all the spices and crispy outside of the kebab because of grilling
yet the inside was buttery soft, and to add a little freshness the green chutney dipped onions sprinkled
with a sour spice which I could not put a name on.
All these elements just perfectly complement each other and the end product leaves you wanting for
more.
I did spend my 50 that day but for 5 kebab parathas. Yes, it was worth it.