Delhi street food- a compilation

Delhi is not only known for rich culture and for being the capital but is also known as much for its insatiable hunger as there are unending variety of food found in the capital. As a Bengali I am always found of street foods egg roll to moglie paratha, chicken cutlet to puckha (gol gappa) has always found me. Staying away from home I was miss the Bengali street food but India is not only rich of culture but it has a rich diversity of food. So here is an (in)exhaustive list of the best Delhi street food eateries.

This guest post is written by Tanmoy Khan and the entire write-up and pictures are provided by him on email. For any query, please get in touch with him. 

Since last few years I have seen a trend coming at Bankura Chole Bhature stalls have captured the market and replacing the chop muri as a major breakfast. So I would start right away from chole bhature.

Chole Bhature it is a combination of two dishes coupled together to became a great delicacy of North India. This food can be easily found in North India as major breakfast and people mainly prefer from the street vendor so here I went down to one of the most famous chole bhature stall near north campus lets check it out.

Chhole Bhature

 

Chache Di Hatti, Kamla Nagar

Riding on high on reviews that can even put 5 star restaurants to shame, Chache di Hatti is one of the oldest joints in the heart of north campus of Delhi University. They are known for serving the best chole bhature in Delhi University’s North Campus. Stuffed, melt-in-mouth bhaturas with optimally spiced chole and special pickled salad is gonna make you go mmmm. But one has to wait for a while here to be served, sometimes as long as an hour to get their own slice of heaven. Make sure to make a dash for this Delhi street food joint, for they sell out everyday by noon!

• Open Timings: 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM
• Location: 32, Near All Smile Dental Clinic, Kamla Nagar, New Delhi
• Cost for two: INR 100

  Paratha                     

Now after this mouth watering bahutre we move onto another segment without which North Indian are incomplete i.e. Paratha. One of the important dish in India and in parts of India Subcontinent . Parathas can be eaten as a breakfast dish or as a tea-time (tiffin) snack. I was lucky enough to find this place at Delhi

for few other varieties of Paratha, you can check another of mohamushkil blogpost here …

Dhakai Parota, mughlai Parota and few stories …

Moolchand Parathewala, under Moolchand flyover

Otherwise called as Paratha which is the staple food of many regions is also a famous unleavened flatbread in the Indian subcontinent. Paranthe in Delhi is an all-time snack that’s eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner or even evening tea time. There are famous shops also a lane that sells Paranthe in Delhi. You need sleuth skills to spot this one. Nights of boozing and partying have sent Delhiites in search of filling and butter loaded parathas here. With no significant pointer to this place except a huge swarm of people, all Delhiites who love their parathas have been here in the late hours. This Delhi street food place serves one of the best parathas ever.

 Open Timings: 9:00 AM – 11:30 PM

• Location: Moolchand Metro Station, Lajpat Nagar 4, New Delhi
• Cost for two: INR 100

 

Popular Dhaba

Now moving towards more exciting foods I stopped at Laxman Dhaba and I loved there kadia chicken and rice an excellent place to have a nice lunch

For another dhaba experience in Kolkata, you can check this link here …

Michaelnagar Dhaba and it’s brilliant highway food

Laxman Dhaba, Qutab Industrial Area

Thronged by non-vegetarian lovers, and especially during winters, the Laxman Dhaba is also known as the IIFT Dhaba, for its proximity to the college campus. Kadhai chicken and keema parathas are the more popular dishes at this delhi street food joint. Apart from these, the dhaba is thronged by college goers who ditch malls for a more flavorsome ride for their taste buds, that the dhaba always delivers on point.

 Open Timings: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM

• Location: F-113, Opposite Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi
• Cost for two: INR 600

 

Tea shop of coffee house ?

I looked at my watch and it was evening and a Bengali evening can never start with a good cup of tea. Just imagine yourself you are having a great cup on your hand and your sitting at one of the oldest Tea shop at the capital which was established at 1942.

For a write-up on Indian Coffee House in Kolkata, please check here …

Calcutta Coffee house….. and on its coffee

United Coffee House – Connaught Place

Established in 1942, this place is among the oldest on this list. Its old world charm will beckon at you and the coffee blends are a delight for your senses. Try the Cona Coffee with Cream or the South Indian Filter Coffee.

• Open Timings: 9:00 AM
• Location: Connaught Place, New Delhi
• Cost for two: INR 200

 

Kebab – anyone ?

How can I forget about snacks. There were many sancks on my mind but I selected kebabs. When I was child I heard if you want to try kebab Delhi should be your first preferences and what could be my first choice yes Salim’s Kebab.

Saleem’s Kebab, Defence Colony

A regular haunt of the mughlai chicken lovers’ whose loyalty also gravitates towards street food, Saleem’s is a blessing in disguise. The mutton seekh kebab and the chicken tikkas are purely heavenly, if the reviewers are to be believed. The Afghani chicken is also a delight to those who actually enjoy Mughlai cuisine. For a first timer though, this delhi street food joint is sure to delight and keep them coming back for more.

 Open Timings: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM

• Location: 91-93, Flyover Market, Defence Colony, New Delhi
• Cost for Two: INR 400

Famed legendary delhi street food joints

If I have to talk about street food legacy a blog is never completed without Karim’s. This place you can find all the combinations kebab to mouthwatering mutton curry.

Karim’s, Chandni Chowk: Legendary Delhi Street Food

Leaving this legend out would be sheer injustice. Karim’s is known for its mughlai, non-vegetarian delicacies. The popular dishes here are the kebabs, mutton korma, mutton burra, and the brain curry. For its age old authentic flavors that only get better with time, Karim’s is the one place you cannot miss while in Chandni Chowk.

 Open Timings: 8:00 AM – 8:30 PM

• Location: 6499, Fathepuri Chowk, Chandni Chowk, New Delhi
• Cost for two: INR 200

After mouth watering kebab only food comes in my mind that is biryani. We Bengali’s do have a special corner for biriyani don’t we and the best biryani I have tasted near chandi chowk at Al Jawahar.

Al Jawahar, Chandni Chowk

Aggressively competing and often succeeding is the Al Jawahar which is a couple of outlets away from Karim’s. If customers are to be believed, Al Jawahar is where Karim’s fan base is slowly drifting to. Priced very competitively, it is a haven for mutton and chicken lovers. The Kaleji gurda, chicken biryani and chicken changezi are some of the star dishes. While the khameeri roti is said to be a unique amalgamation of soft insides and crisp outside, it is only second to the shammi kebabs that give you blocked arteries but are worth the shot!

 Open Timings: 7:00 AM – 1:00 AM

• Location: No.8, Jama Masjid Matia Mahal Road, Matia Mahal, Opp Gate No.1, New Delhi
• Cost for two: INR 200

Sweet dish …

Sweet dishes are compulsory after having such a nice food but will not go with the traditional rosogolla because I am here at north india and I choose Falooda over my traditional rosogolla. I had tasted falooda at many places and it was tough for me to pick one out of them so I put the whole falooda in my list.

Falooda

A favourite cold dessert in the Indian subcontinent which is traditionally made from mixing vermicelli, rose syrup and sweet basil seeds with jelly pieces topped with a scoop of ice cream. I am naming few places where you can try flooda Giani’s, Roshan di kulfi, Krishna di kulfi

 

Dahi bhalle.

Natraj Dahi Bhalle Wala, Chandni Chowk

Think of a burst of flavours and textures coupled with some incredibly well spiced chaat, and Natraj will not dissapoint you ever. Located just about 2 minutes from the Chandni Chowk metro station, the shop has only 2 menu items- the incredibly soft, melt in your mouth dahi bhallas and the crispy fried daal-filled tikkis, both of which have an almost infinite number of takers all day, every day. A mecca for chaat lovers in the city, be sure to try it out at least once in your lifetime.

• Open Timings: 10:30 AM – 9:30 PM
• Location: 1396, Main Road Near Central Bank, Opposite Paranthe Wali Gali, Chandni Chowk, New Delhi
• Cost for two: INR 100

Pan Shop

Last to wrap up the food list you have to have a pan in your mouth and if you love pan you should stop at Odeon/Shukla pan shop. They will serve you one of the best pans you have probably ever tasted.

Odeon/Shukla Pan Shop, Connaught Place

Named so because it is located straight from the plush Odeon theatre in Connaught Place, Shukla Pan Shop is probably the only place that can compete with Prince. The most popular speciality of this place is the chuski pan, and if you’re worried about staining your hands with the syrup, don’t fret. The paan is stuffed into your mouth with oodles of syrupy ice to give you the most flavoursome brain freeze. Abuzz with paan lovers from the city, the tiny shop also serves diet paan for the calorie conscious.

 

shukla pan

• Open Timings: 10:00 AM – 12:30 AM
• Location: 23, 1st Floor, Odeon Building, Radial 5, D Block, Connaught Place, New Delhi
• Cost for two: INR 200

 

This post is written by Tanmoy Khan and the entire write-up and pictures are provided by him on email. For any query, please get in touch with him. 

Tanmoy Khan is a civil engineer by profession- Born at Maharashtra, brought up at West Bengal and presently spending at North India. He loves travelling and food. This is his compilation on Delhi Street Food. 

 

Bon apetit !!!

Comments and critics welcome. 

I can be reached at 9903528225 / indrajit.lahiri@ymail.com