Tastes of Ranchi
Jharkhand's capital loves its food as much as it does cricket
Ishank Jaggi
18-Feb-2017
Litti-chokha, spiced gram flour-stuffed wheat balls submerged in ghee, is not diet food • Alamy Stock Photo
Culinary delight
Irrespective of where you are from, or which walk of life you belong to, no trip to Ranchi is complete without treating your taste buds to some authentic vegetarian food at Kaveri. If you want to know what patience actually means, get there on a Sunday morning and watch people wait for their turn, sometimes for close to an hour - after reserving a table. Don't miss the platter of starters, one among several specialties there. As cricketers, when you feel like indulging sometimes after a long hard day, this is the place you want to go to if you're vegetarian. Sometimes during the IPL, you may be lucky to spot a couple of players there in a quiet corner too.
Irrespective of where you are from, or which walk of life you belong to, no trip to Ranchi is complete without treating your taste buds to some authentic vegetarian food at Kaveri. If you want to know what patience actually means, get there on a Sunday morning and watch people wait for their turn, sometimes for close to an hour - after reserving a table. Don't miss the platter of starters, one among several specialties there. As cricketers, when you feel like indulging sometimes after a long hard day, this is the place you want to go to if you're vegetarian. Sometimes during the IPL, you may be lucky to spot a couple of players there in a quiet corner too.
Shaurya
If you've watched the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Fan, you can understand to what lengths people go to just get a glimpse of their hero. Go to Harmu Housing Colony, where MS Dhoni resides, just to observe the sheer spectrum of emotions of fans waiting outside his house when he is in town. People wait for hours just to get a glimpse of him. It's like a festival outside: vendors sell tea, chana nuts, and sometimes even jerseys! If you happen to be from the cricketing fraternity, chances are taxi or auto drivers will happily take an autograph or a selfie instead of the fare. Their optimism will leave you amazed. Just go there for the sheer experience of being in Dhoni territory.
If you've watched the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Fan, you can understand to what lengths people go to just get a glimpse of their hero. Go to Harmu Housing Colony, where MS Dhoni resides, just to observe the sheer spectrum of emotions of fans waiting outside his house when he is in town. People wait for hours just to get a glimpse of him. It's like a festival outside: vendors sell tea, chana nuts, and sometimes even jerseys! If you happen to be from the cricketing fraternity, chances are taxi or auto drivers will happily take an autograph or a selfie instead of the fare. Their optimism will leave you amazed. Just go there for the sheer experience of being in Dhoni territory.
GEL complex
If you're looking for the best brands at throwaway prices, this is your place. The building looks old, but it is quite amazing how they have managed to make space to accommodate so many shops in a single colony. This complex is one of the city's oldest markets, one that people often flock to for festival shopping. It is still popular despite the number of malls that have come up in recent times. A note of caution, though: brush up your haggling skills or you will be taken for a ride. Street shopping in Ranchi is a real test of your ability to convince the seller just how much you are willing to pay.
If you're looking for the best brands at throwaway prices, this is your place. The building looks old, but it is quite amazing how they have managed to make space to accommodate so many shops in a single colony. This complex is one of the city's oldest markets, one that people often flock to for festival shopping. It is still popular despite the number of malls that have come up in recent times. A note of caution, though: brush up your haggling skills or you will be taken for a ride. Street shopping in Ranchi is a real test of your ability to convince the seller just how much you are willing to pay.
Jagannath Mandir
It's hard to miss the road that leads to this temple while on the way to the JSCA Stadium. Even if you aren't religious, it's worth a climb up the hillock just for the view of the city, and, of course, the cool evening breeze. Watching the sun set from here is breathtaking. The view from here of all four floodlights being lit at night is also a sight to behold. The temple itself is over 300 years old, and is likely to be packed on festival days.
It's hard to miss the road that leads to this temple while on the way to the JSCA Stadium. Even if you aren't religious, it's worth a climb up the hillock just for the view of the city, and, of course, the cool evening breeze. Watching the sun set from here is breathtaking. The view from here of all four floodlights being lit at night is also a sight to behold. The temple itself is over 300 years old, and is likely to be packed on festival days.
Street food
Go to any city and there's one place that locals recommend you visit to get the authentic taste of their favourite delicacy. Down the road from GEL complex is Punjab Sweet House, where you can get anything from juices to chaats, and at least 25 varieties of sweets served with dollops of ghee. This place is as much about the time spent there chatting with friends and family as it is about the food. On your way out, you are unlikely to miss plenty of puchka stalls that serve you east India's variant of the pani puri, with the right amount of sweet-sour-tangy mix. If you aren't calorie-conscious, don't miss the litti-chokka.
Go to any city and there's one place that locals recommend you visit to get the authentic taste of their favourite delicacy. Down the road from GEL complex is Punjab Sweet House, where you can get anything from juices to chaats, and at least 25 varieties of sweets served with dollops of ghee. This place is as much about the time spent there chatting with friends and family as it is about the food. On your way out, you are unlikely to miss plenty of puchka stalls that serve you east India's variant of the pani puri, with the right amount of sweet-sour-tangy mix. If you aren't calorie-conscious, don't miss the litti-chokka.
As told to Shashank Kishore. Ishank Jaggi plays for Jharkhand