Earth of Iran in Delhi

Iranzamin, an Iranian restaurant claims to be the only “authentic” one in the country serving Iranian cuisine made by Iranians.

There are two kinds of people you should beware of— lawyers and journalists,” chuckles Abbas, the proprietor of Iranzamin, which he says is the first and only authentic Iranian restaurant in India. Thus, he is reluctant to share details of why he left his home country or what he was doing before Iranzamin happened. But he is willing enough to talk about the restaurant, he opened with partner Muhammad Ali Jannesar 10 months ago in south Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar.

The name, given by Jannesar, translates roughly to “Earth of Iran”, and that’s what the two have tried to recreate in one of the lanes off crowded Central Market in Lajpat Nagar. The 16-seat restaurant, with an open kitchen, is spic and span, (something Abbas is particularly proud about). One wall has several framed pictures of ancient Iran and the other, wall-hangings and knick-knacks, all intended to make nostalgic compatriots feel at home.

The trigger to open the restaurant was their unsuccessful quest to find good Iranian bread, an essential part of their diet. “We eat five kinds of bread in our country, very different from what you get here,” says Abbas. Iranzamin makes only one kind though, lavash, which is eagerly picked up by other Iranians, and the larger population of Afghans. UNHCR puts the Afghan refugee population at 9,000, of which quite a few have settled in Lajpat Nagar, perhaps a testimony to its refugee colony status in the aftermath of Partition. “All 3,000 Iranians in Delhi know about us,” adds Jannesar.

The restaurant has a limited menu — one can choose from jogah (chicken kebab) or barg (lamb kabab) with rice or bread. With rice, it becomes chalo kabab and with bread, kobide. Three days of the week, you can also get ghorma sabzi, which comes with gravy, all made by Jannesar, with the assistance of two locals.

Abbas says there are no similarities between Indian food and Iranian. “I find Indian food too spicy, unlike ours.” The delicately flavoured kababs show this contrast. The roasted tomatoes served with both lamb and chicken make an excellent accompaniment. Equally delicious is the hung curd and dip or “chutney,” which Abbas confesses to having Indianised, his only concession to local taste. The Iranian tea bubbling in the giant samovar on the counter is nothing like the tea we are used to — it’s drunk black, and boiled with herbs and spices that are a “secret”. The prices are steep though (Rs 300 for a main course), especially considering the location but Abbas says that’s because they use lamb instead of goat, as well as some imported ingredients.

Apart from the Iranians and Afghans, other expatriates, including Americans and Europeans, also frequent the restaurant — and, of course, Indians. The response has been encouraging enough to get the duo planning another outlet, possibly in one of the malls in Saket, also in south Delhi. Abbas defends his claim that Iranzamin is the only authentic Iranian restaurant. “I have tried three in Bangalore and a couple in Pune—the food is definitely not authentic. This is because, usually, the manager is Iranian while the cook is Indian,” he says.

Both Jannesar and Abbas miss Iran, and the weather and traffic in Indian doesn’t help though they talk enthusiastically about the warmth of Indians. For now there are no plans to return — and they make do with the Iran they have recreated instead.