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Some fruity sandwiches?

RAHUL VERMA offers the map to a roadside joint for some sandwiches with an unusual centre

DON'T GO BY THE PICTURE! The sandwich corner at Raghu Ganj also rolls out the usual fare Photo: V. V. Krishnan

Usually, when you think of sandwiches, you think of two slices of bread embracing a piece of ham or cheese. If you think of an elaborate sandwich, a la Dagwood, you conjure up an image of turkey and mayo, side-by-side with pastrami and mustard. If you are a vegetarian, your idea of a sandwich is one with tomatoes and cucumber. But it's not very often that you think of fresh fruits as a filling for sandwiches.

I have had all kinds of sandwiches in Delhi. Many years ago, whenever we saved up enough money, we used to go to the then newly opened coffee shop at the Taj Mahal hotel for a club sandwich.

When I was in a hurry and needed some nourishment, I would stop by at Nathu's for its chicken-and-coleslaw sandwich. Years later, I discovered a wonderful shop in Jangpura which sells the most delicious sandwiches made out of ham, chicken, tuna, cheese or vegetables.

But there is another sandwich maker who is close to my heart. This is a little place in the midst of Old Delhi - so innocuous that you can easily miss it. In fact, it doesn't even have a name. But the local people will be happy to direct you to it if you ask anybody in the vicinity for help.

Let me give you the basic road-map. Take the metro and get down at the Chawri station. Now start walking on Chawri till you reach an iron gate into Raghuganj - once the main granary of Delhi. Walk in, go past the gentleman selling papayas with a tangy chaat masala and turn left. The sandwich maker is right there.

The sandwiches are fresh - and most imaginative. The fillings consist of seasonal fruits - thinly sliced apples, guava or even pomegranate seeds. In summer, you can have a juicy mango sandwich. It's like having a marvellous dessert made with fresh fruit and bread.

Every time I am there, I also ask for a malai sandwich. This is an old favourite of mine. When I was a small tot and too busy for breakfasts, I remember how my mother used to coax me into eating something by offering me a malai sandwich - made with a thick layer of cream and a sprinkling of sugar.

Rs. 20 a plate

This is the most sublime sandwich one can ever have. I know those who have had this will agree, and those who haven't, will say "Yuck Yuck." To the disbelievers I have just this to say: try it out. Sandwiches here are for Rs.20 a plate. You can ask for a glass of cold coffee to go with the sandwiches. I am sure the 4th Earl of Sandwich - who discovered the sandwich because, it is said, he wanted to eat while he gambled - never thought of fresh fruit as a filling. Just shows what the indigenous Indian spirit is all about.

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