Choosing where and what to eat is one of life’s big pursuits! Get it wrong and you risk disappointed taste buds, wasted money and unfulfilled cravings. Fortunately, there are people out there who have dedicated their careers to making sure our next meal won’t be a let-down, like Mizan Siddiqui, popularly called, “Dilli ka Bhukkad” (Delhi’s gourmand), merrily settled in Eglinton, Canada for promoting the inimitable and unmatched Indian food, with his blog known as, “dillikabhukkad“!
A first-class graduate in law and Economics from Noida, India, earlier vying to walk into the boots of his PIL (Public Interest Litigation) expert father, Atyab Siddiqui, landed in Canada both as an unofficial Indian food ambassador of the world.
More than impressing the judges in law courts, he has made his way to the hearts of his enviable 100,000 plus followers on his blog via the stomach, including countries like Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Gulf countries, France, Sweden, Spain, the UK, Canada and the US! His life today has become a perfect blend of cuisine, cooking and court.
Preserving the Indian taste
Through his posts, he has tried to preserve the inimitable Indian taste, whether it is “Mango Lassi”, “Kachche Gosht ki Biryani” or “Seekh Kebab”. Mizan‘s USP has also been to preserve the legacy of fast-diminishing Parsi foods like, “Boti Qeema”, “Pav, “Dhansak”, “Bumla Fry”, “Tatrelu Gosh” “Papeta” and “Berri Pulao”.
While he was just out of his teenage years, he was invited to inaugurate the Parsi food, bakery items and biscuits at “Kayani Bakery” in Mumbai.
Besides, Mizan’s ancestral link with old Delhi is almost umbilical, as his grandfather and Northern Railway Men’s Union president, Aftab Siddiqui owned a house there, though sold out, yet he passionately visits it occasionally, valuing it as his ancestral abode!
While passing through the serpentine lanes and by-lanes of the majestic walled city area of Shahjahanabad, he comes across the wafting aroma of the savoury food items including mutton “Quorma”, sizzling “Shawarma” that would melt in the mouth, aromatic “Hyderabadi Biryani”, crusty “Kachauris”, energizing fried fish, inimitable saffron flavoured sweet dish, “Shahi Tukde”— all part of culinary magic!
More importantly, Mizan feels that it is his conscious duty to convey the sweetness and aroma of foods to the global citizenry for a pleasant experience in the face of hatred, war, weaponry and conflict.
He is to be credited for exporting Indian foods to the Western world. Mizan has made a big name in Canada, where he migrated three years ago. Commoners, royals, aristocrats, judges, businessmen, politicians and players, all refer to his food blogs before going out to dine out.
Undoubtedly, Mizan has become one of the most popular food bloggers and food Instagram influencers in India who cooks delicious food himself and visits the walled city of Delhi’s Shahjahanabadi food jaunts in search of tongue-tingling and nose-tickling food. Well, his father Atyab Siddiqui, a celebrated lawyer, accepts that his son, against his will, has made a mark in the food courts rather than the courts of law!
“Although Old Delhi is famous primarily for its Mughal-inspired cuisine, fine food from a mosaic of different Indian communities may also be enjoyed here – in this instance, tangy Gujarati-style curries, balancing the sweetness of sugarcane with sour tamarind, fiery green chillies and mellow yoghurt or buttermilk,” tells Mizan.
Passion for food began in Delhi
“Honestly, passion for food began, when I started visiting the walled city of Delhi…the aroma of ‘Biryanis’, the crusty “Kachoris,” the highly agreeable smells of stew and the saffron flavoured “Shahi Tukdas”, besides others, all made me realize that we are a very fortunate people with such multifarious dishes at our command. I noted with concern the onslaught of western unhealthy foods and was determined to counter it with our traditional dishes. On my visit to London and Rome, I noted that Indian dishes were more in demand than the pasta or the “French Pattiseri”, there was a romance around them which was unmatched,” opines Mizan with an air of aggrandisement!
Restaurant owners are now going the extra mile to satisfy their clients. Adding free dessert, “on the house” drinks and extra politeness are some of the new features that are helping them get good reviews for their restaurant.
Mizan posts pictures of his everyday meals on Instagram to give the connoisseurs of good food, a daily “foodgasm” and recommends the best places to eat out at. Trust me, all his recommended food places tend to be amazing and will end up with you visiting them repeatedly once you have had a taste of it.
It is the ambition of Mizan to in fact globally popularize the Indian, especially the walled city of Delhi’s culinary feats.
Presently, he is looking forward to beginning one “Dillikabhukkad” restaurant in London, near Noake Town, where his elder sister, Tibah, though an international immigration lawyer, has assured him the said outlet and one in Eglinton, Canada, with his mother as the guide!
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