Gullies of Old Delhi narrate many stories through the overwhelming variety of street food that they offer. While walking through the chaotic maze of by-lanes, you can never be lost. If ever you are, you’ll probably catch the whiff of steaming samosas still hissing from the hot oil or the sweet aroma of crisp jalebis that will lead your senses. Temptation is everywhere and it’s hard to resist.
Here, traditions rule and history is served sumptuously garnished with culinary secrets that have been passed down through generations.
From the countless trips I’ve learnt that finding the best street foods in Old Delhi is a journey of discovery. But to start with, these places will give you a glimpse of the historic heart of the city. Presenting, a food lover’s Old Delhi.
Mohanlal Kulfiwale in Sitaram Bazaar
For kulfi, you can’t do better than these sweet shops in Sitaram Bazaar. Here, these creamy concoctions are at their best. Lala Duli Chand Naresh Gupta is one of the oldest outlets and is known for its fruit flavoured kulfis especially, the seasonal mango kulfi. These places also offer a new breed of innovative flavours like tamarind, rose, aam papad and kewda.
Daulat ki Chaat, Nai Sadak
You’ll find them hawked around places like Dariba, Kinari Bazaar and Daryaganj. They sell a frothy, creamy sweet, famously known as ‘Daulat ki Chaat’. It is made with churned milk. The soft, cottony foam is carefully collected and served. It is enriched with khoya and saffron and instantly melts on your palate. One of the most sublime sweets, its preparation can take about six hours! It is made through the night and served fresh in the morning.
Jalebi Wala
Located at the Dariba Kalan Road in Chandni Chowk, the jalebis here are the real deal. A look at those lovely swirls frying in hot oil, then delicately dipped in sugar syrup and you just can’t wait to eat them. This shop has been around since 1884. The jalebis here are fried in home-made desi ghee. Another thing that interests me is that they use desi khandsari sugar and not the regular one to make the syrup. That’s what we call pure pleasure.
Karim’s
Mohammed Aziz was a cook in the royal court of Mughal Emperor. One of his sons, Haji Karimuddin is known to have moved to Delhi with an idea to open a dhaba and that’s how Karim Hotel was established back in 1913. All meat lovers must make a pit stop at Karim’s for their heavenly kebabs and divine mutton nahari.
Ghantewala
Don’t go by the name!
Founded in 1790, it is one of the oldest sweet shops in India. From Mughal Emperors to Indian Ministers, it has satisfied may a sweet tooth. It is famous for its ‘sohan halwa’ and ‘Karachi halwa’ along with badaam barfi, kalakand, pista samosa and mootichoor ladoo. It was started by Lala Sukh Lal Jain from Amber and is now being run by his fifth generation.
So whenever visiting Delhi, don’t forget to explore these wonderful places!