Iconic “Rambabu Ke Paranthe” Of Agra Opens Outlet In NCR

If you love your crispy Tawa Parantha, baked in Desi Ghee and has flavourful stuffing, then you need not drive to Agra now. Yes, you heard it right. The legendary Parantha Chain of Agra, Rambabu Ke Paranthe has opened an outlet here on the National Highway in Manesar, an NCR Town adjoining Gurgaon. So, our quest for an early breakfast took us today to this newbie on the food map. And, what did we have ? Of course, Stuffed Parantha, with Aloo Subzi, Mixed Veg and Curd. Did we enjoy ? Read on….

This 90 year old chain is synonym with Agra. For a food lover, no trip to Agra is complete without having a meal of Parantha in one of their outlets in the city ( I had gone there last year and you can read my story on Agra here). Now they have opened it here in NCR. One can’t miss it for the the location is there on the Google Maps and even if one is not using the map, the prominent signboards will not let you miss it. They open up by 9.00 am so three of us landed around the same time. Parking the car, like in front of any highway outlet, is not an issue.

Once in, we found a young man behind the cash counter. Our first question was, “Is this a franchisee outlet of Rambabu Ke Paranthe of Agra?” And the young man politely introduced himself as Vishal and took pride in saying that this was their family business and that the same family has opened it here now. We had a lengthy chat with family but then that will appear later in the story. First let us talk about the food.

Out of the long list of Parantha specialties, we ordered Aloo Parantha, Mix Veg Parantha and Methi Matar Parantha for the three of us. However, out of curiosity, I checked if they used the similar Thick Tawa (Griddle) which they use in Agra. Vishal smiled and confirmed that the similar Tawa which weighs around 40 kgs is used for shallow frying the Parantha, one at a time. He also shared that it takes about 45 minutes to heat it up before a Parantha could be put on to it for frying.

The Parantha Feast

We were served the Parantha in a slotted steel tray with two triangle / quarter pieces of Parantha, Aloo Subzi and Mix Veg Subzi and Curd. The server, perhaps, understood the obvious question mark on our faces. He politely explained, since we had ordered three different versions, they shall be served one by one and each has been cut into three portions so that each one of us could enjoy all the three variations. So, we were saved the hassle of sharing from each others’ plates. Smart thinking.

The golden fried Parantha gave out he aroma of Desi Ghee and the looks assured the crispiness of the goodie sitting pretty in your plate. The Parantha was so thin that one wondered if it had a stuffing at all. But then, yes it had a stuffing. The first one to land in our plates was the Aloo Parantha. The stuffing was of a typical mashed potatoes with basic seasoning and spices. It was so crisp and piping hot that one triangle was eaten away on its own. The other quarter was enjoyed with the side dishes.

Our next Parantha had a Mixed Veg Parantha. Unveiling of the layer revealed that it had a filling of well seasoned Potatoes, Spinach, Green Chilies, Peas and Urad Dal done with spices. The taste of the veggies with the crispy crust moist with Ghee was t was delight again to savor it with the side dishes.

The next in line was the Methi Matar Parantha. I removed a portion of the upper crust and it was a refreshing sight. Fresh Peas and Methi were done in minimal spices to ensure that the greens retain their fresh looks and the texture. Once again a treat of a great Parantha.

Pro Tip : They serve two Paranthas in one plate. Therefore, do not go alone, unless you have a great appetite. For three, order two portions. We ordered three and were full to the hilt.

The Aloo Subzi or the Potato Curry had roughly chopped small pieces of potatoes done in basic spices which had a hint of tanginess and sharpness of the spices. The runny gravy was rustic and was interspersed with peas. The tampering is traditional which is nostalgic.

The first spoonful of the Mixed Veg gave me the taste of Radish (Mooli) which in these winters is a delight to relish. Later the tastes of Potatoes, Carrot, Peas, Pumpkin etc are gradually revealed on the palate. I liked the flavours of the dish.

Since I am a Curd lover, the quality of the curd delighted me. Was made out of a rich milk and had that body and creaminess in it. This purity of curd is what you get around villages. In their Agra outlet, they serve Kadhi (Curd based Curry) which has been replaced with Curd here to suit the local likings.

The Interesting Owner Family

When we came in, only Vishal was there. Once our order was done, he vanished inside the kitchen and was soon seen frying Parantha on that classic thick tawa. I sneaked into the kitchen and clicked him which he shyly agreed. Soon he was joined in by his father, Kamal Gupta (nephew of Rambabu) and his elder brother, Akshay Gupta.

While enjoying the Paranthas, Kamal Gupta shared that Akshay had done MBA in HR and that Vishal was an Electrical Engineering Graduate. The lockdown not only affected their business in Agra but also the chances of placement of the children. So, they decided to pursue the family business. The young brothers identified NCR as a potential place to set up the business. The father is here to help them set up in the initial phase and then wants to go back to his roots, their outlet in Belan Ganj, Agra.

So, once again, we had an early breakfast. A tasty and satisfying breakfast. Chatting with the family of the owners, father and his two sons was a delight. If you go there and happen to catch up with them, you would like it. In the meanwhile, if you have any suggestions for an early breakfast, do share with me. In the meanwhile, I will go to yet another place for breakfast tomorrow and will share with you. Till then….

Bon Appetite !!

Rajesh Tara

#MagicOfFlavours