Offsetting poverty

In her letter on India, Martha Spring asked how other ITN readers “respond to poverty on their travels” (Dec. ’08, pg. 58).

Prior to our November-December ’07 trip to Delhi, my husband, Clyde, saw a photo in a book that gave him an inspiration for how to deal, in a small way, with the poverty he knew we would witness again.

“Eating Alfresco — The Best Street Food in the World,” with photos by Nelli Sheffer and text by Israel Aharoni (1999, Harry N. Abrams, Inc. — ISBN 9780810929005), has the photo with the caption, “Generous passersby purchase meals for the indigents waiting patiently in front of an outdoor kitchen.”

In the back streets of Old Delhi, we often had seen 10 to 15 men squatting patiently in front of dhabas (basic hole-in-the-wall restaurants) and we wondered if that was what was going on. Now we had clear confirmation.

On the next trip, in November-December ’07, we made it a point to seek out these dhabas. We found some on Matya Mahal Street, which leads to the south stairs of the Jama Masjid. The dhabas are only a hundred paces or so south of the alleyway leading to Karim, a very popular and inexpensive restaurant for locals and tourists.

We tried to ask the cook how much it cost to feed one man, but he spoke no English. A bystander, however, told us that 10 rupees (less than 25¢) would buy one meal of a couple of chapatis and a bowl or two of high-protein dal.

It took some doing to persuade the cook that we meant to feed the whole crowd in front of his dhaba, but he finally got the idea and accepted our money, and by the time we left he was doling out food to the waiting men.

Karim (Jama Masjid, Delhi, 110006; phone 91 11 2326 4981, www.karimhoteldelhi.com) itself is well worth searching out, for the adventure as well as the food. A short walk down the street beforehand and the contribution of 100 or so rupees will make your lunch taste better. Our only concern was that we couldn’t find a similar kitchen for women.

JANE B. HOLT

Hinesburg, VT