5 Flavours of Delhi You Simply Cannot Afford to Miss!

Delhi is a food lovers’ delight, especially if you love your food rich and sumptuous. Every other nook and cranny of the city has some hidden gems tucked away in its folds, doling out lip-smacking delicacies from humble kiosks. While a complete list of foods Dilliwalas devour like there’s no tomorrow would be rather exhaustive, here is our pick of top five quintessential Delhi foods that you must sample to experience the true flavour of this city:

Rolls and Kebabs

Delhi’s love affair with rolls and kebabs runs deep. After all, it is hard not to fall for succulent chunks of meat, chicken, fish (and paneer) slow cooked over a grill, flavoured with a rich marinade of spices. From seekh kebabs rolls to galouti kebabs and malai tikkas, Delhi presents some of the most classic rolls and kebab recipes with a decadent twist. While there are just too many rolls and kebab places to choose from here, the best of lot include Khan Chacha Rolls in Khan Market, Karim’s and Kale Baba ke Kebabs near Jama Masjid, Alkauser in RK Puram (best known for its Kakori kebabs), Kainoosh that is famous for Galouti kebabs, and MI Meatshop near Lodhi Colony that serves some of the juiciest Malai Tikka kebabs you’d have ever sampled. Besides these, Ustad Moinuddin Kebabs at Lal Kuan, Salim’s Kebabs at Khan Market and Ghalib Kebab Corner at Nizamuddin are worth checking out.

Daulat Ki Chaat

Delhi’s favourite winter indulgence, this light and foamy sweetmeat melts in your mouth like a snowflake, with sweetened mawa adding richness to your palate and a mix of saffron, pistachios and almonds leaving a lingering trail of flavours. Made from churned milk that is first cooled for up to eight hours and then whisked by hand to bring that light frothy texture, preparing this sweet ‘chaat’ right takes a lot of precision and patience. You can find vendors selling Daulat ki Chaat in different parts of Old Delhi between Diwali and Holi every year, but the most authentic version comes from the stall of Babu Raam, who arrives in the city from UP just as winter begins to set in, and sells his generations-old variety of the dessert at Sitaram Bazaar in Chandani Chowk. Traditionally a winter delicacy, Daulaat Ki Chaat can now be enjoyed all year round at different restaurants in the city, most notable of which is Chef Manish Mehrotra’s Indian Accent.

Read more: Places to Visit in Delhi for the First-Timer

Chhole Bhature

This is undoubtedly the favourite Sunday breakfast in a typical Delhi home. That love has spilled over on to Delhi’s streets, with myriad Chhole Bhature outlets mushrooming across the length and breadth of the city. Monstrous bhaturas that are crisp on the outside and soft inside, dished out straight from the wok, served with spicy-tangy chhole, and a side of mint chutney, onions and lemon for garnish are devoured as breakfast, lunch, mid-day snack at these stalls, some of which enjoy a cult following among devout Chhole Bhature lovers. Some of the best places to enjoy a foodgasmic serving of this Delhi delicacy are Sita Ram Diwam Chand in Paharganj, Chache Di Hatti in Kamla Nagar, Baba Nagpal Cafe in Lajpat Nagar, Prem Di Hatti in Rajouri Garden, Bawa Snacks in Amar Colony, and Bille Di Hatti in Kamla Nagar.

Paranthas

Paranthas have ruled the hearts of Delhiites and the food scene in the national capital for decades. Made with creative fillings that include egg, keema, mirchi, and bananas, in addition to the mainstream potato, radish, cauliflower and dal varieties, paranthas served at Delhi’s street food markets aren’t quite like anything you have tasted elsewhere. The first place that comes to mind at the mention of paranthas is the famous Paranthe Wali Gali in Chandani Chowk. But be warned that you may be a tad disappointed with what awaits you there. For one, it isn’t an entire street dotted with parantha vendors, but a small corner of an awfully crowded street that has no more than three or four eateries selling paranthas. Secondly, the paranthas here are deep-fried, so they aren’t essentially paranthas. However, an outing for the sake of checking a box on the bucket list won’t hurt because even in their deep fried avatar, the paranthas are quite delicious. The Laxaman Dhaba in Qutub Institutional Area and Moolchand Paranthe Wala in South Delhi are other popular haunts that you must visit for some truly sinful indulgence. The keema parantha at Laxman’s and egg parantha at Moolchand are particularly droolworthy.

Read more: 7 Secret Places in Delhi

Butter Chicken

Delhi boasts of having given Butter Chicken to the world. The dish was invented at the famous Moti Mahal restaurant in the 1950s, albeit accidentally. Legend has it that cooks at Moti Mahal accidentally tossed a tomato-based gravy in a wok of tandoori chicken, and in their attempts to salvage the dish, Butter Chicken was born. This buttery chicken preparation with sweet and spicy undertones is not just loved but revered in Delhi. It is almost amusing how a typical Delhi person will think long and hard, browse through a menu several times, and more often than not, settle for Butter Chicken and Naan. You can’t really blame them because you’ll hardly ever chance upon a Butter Chicken preparation that beats Delhi’s version of it. Want to try the best of Delhi’s Butter Chicken? Rajinder da Dhaba in Safdarjung Enclave is your go-to place, followed by Gulati on Pandara Road, Kainoosh in Vasant Kunj, Lanterns Kitchen and Bar in Rajendra Place, and Have More in Pandara Market.

Salivating much? Plan your next Delhi outing itinerary around these foods.

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