Here we go again, my sultana scone darlings: I’ve had another fantastic meal. Brace yo’self foo, here we go.

Antwerp diamonds

A female friend of mine from the Scheldt city is actually a princess. She also lives in a castle with castle gardens and a prince. She calls my country communist because all the houses here are the same and neatly lined up in a row. I can't deny that. Antwerp is a bit more cluttered, less polished and varnished, and you might just get a bouchéeke with your coffee (called that because such a little chocolate completely fills your mouth) and that's rather cosy. Antwerp is also a lot more subtle and less loud than the Dutch capital. And for someone like me who goes wild over discovering hidden treasures, it's a paradise. Antwerp has rough edges everywhere and plenty of diamonds besides, so there is quite a bit to discover.

☆ Click here for an overview of my discoveries in the biscuit city ☆

The real deal desi things

Within the Indian expat community in the Netherlands, the story had been doing the rounds for a while that there was a good restaurant in Antwerp serving real desi food (Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi food). So my food friend Paulami and I headed over there, as eager as wasps on a bottle of Rooh Afza.

Indian takeover in Antwerp

The diamond trade in Antwerp was long in the hands of members of the Jewish community, but has since largely been taken over by Indians. Today, more than 400 families live there, most of whom originate from Palanpur in Gujarat. The first Indian diamond traders arrived in Antwerp in the 1960s. They started at the bottom of the industry with a handful of stones and very few Jewish diamond houses had any interest in them. But because the Indian traders sent their diamonds to India, where they had them cut and polished for little money, worked together in large families and were prepared to work many times harder than their competition, today around three-quarters (!) of the Antwerp diamond trade is in Indian hands. A case of Started from the bottom now we here.  The remaining 25% is owned by Lebanese, but Armenians, Chinese and Jews also form part of the world’s largest diamond centre. These days, most diamonds are processed in Surat, India (rather than in Antwerp), where some 450,000 people are employed in the sector. Funny, when I recently got off the train in Antwerp feeling peckish, I stopped for lunch at Rachel’s Falafel, and there were only Indians eating there.

Jains

Now by far the majority of Indian diamond dealers in Antwerp are Jains. Among other things, Jains avoid meat, fish, dairy and eggs, and to avoid hindering the further growth of plants, they also usually refrain from root vegetables. Furthermore, they try their absolute hardest not to crush insects with every step they take. And because they apply such strict rules regarding their food, they will often have their own chefs flown over to Antwerp from India.

They can also visit Aahaar Delux, which features specialities from all over India on the menu as well as from Gujarat. An unassuming spot, a few minutes' walk from Antwerp Central Station and with a terrace, by the way.

Dahi puri and pakoras

There is a buffet, but definitely do not forget to order something from the menu. For instance, we went for dahi puri, among other things...

...which consists of crisp-fried hollow spheres (the puris) filled with a little potato and chickpeas. The spheres are drenched in dahi, yoghurt that in this case was lightly sweetened, and with green chilli and tamarind chutney. The whole dish was topped with sev – deep-fried chickpea flour noodles.

Mmm and then these pakoras a.k.a. vegetable bhajji:

Chai tea and all, glass of wine:

A selection of vegetables fried in a chickpea flour batter. Crispy as anything, not too greasy, and served with a spicy chutney made from green chillies and coriander. #winning

Bhelpuri

Because we didn't want to cheat ourselves out of our own portfolio of joy, we also ordered a portion of bhelpuri:

A snack that is particularly popular as street food in India, wrapped in paper. Bhelpuri is a chaat, or in other words: a salad. Sweet, sour, spicy and crunchy; so many sensations on a single plate. Puffed rice, onion, tomato, cucumber, sev and the necessary chutneys. A ravishing ensemble.

Oh, how I'd love to eat my screen right now. But I'm restraining myself because I still have too much work to do today to consume my laptop just yet.

Just look at that:

You'd fancy a dive straight in.

We dismantled that scale:

We are now moving on to the buffet. It is being opened with this message:

The story behind silverware

Cutlery everywhere:

And do you know why that is? Stainless steel tableware? Not only does your food stay warm for longer and it lasts a long time, but it also appears to be better than eating from a plastic plate, for example, because this material releases minerals such as chromium, nickel and iron into the food. The same goes for eating with your hands, which also seems to be healthier because you then ingest the flora on your fingers and palms that protects you against bad microbes from the outside. Moreover, through the nerves in your fingers, your body prepares for the food that is to come and so it is also better for your digestion. And you are also less inclined to overeat, although that remained difficult at Aahaar Delux.

The best buffet

The buffet with award-winning dishes:

For a restaurant that includes a bowl of crisps in its buffet, I can only take a very deep bow:

If you want to eat from the buffet, you pay only €10. Unlimited helpings. You've been warned.

Roti on a roll:

Our scale:

Yes, we ate this too...

The dish on the left is called Gujarati Undhiyu – a regional vegetable specialty from Surat, served with chawli; a black-eyed pea curry. The buffet also featured something slightly sweet: carrot halwa barfi. A kind of fudge made with carrot and ghee.

Literature on the bar:

Father and son:

Oh and when you leave, sprinkle a bit of sauf (fennel seeds) in your palm and then toss it into your mouth. It's good for digestion and you get fresh breath as a bonus.

Everyone to Aahaar to get a taste of the culinary influence of the Indian diamond dealers on the city of biscuits!

Click here for the tips I shared earlier about eating out in Antwerp.

Aahaar Delux