Delhi has some of the most interesting food vendors from across the country. Being a migration attracting state for all other states around it, the city has never seen a shortage of new appetizing ideas, especially borrowed ideas from major cities in the country. No less is the influx of street vendors and novice eateries. In the beginning of this month, I went on a hunch to get my hands on some of those awesome food on the streets of the vast city of Delhi. So forget about all the ambience, richly done interior décor and air-conditioned dining spaces, and take a ride with me on my 3 day tour to Delhi and get to know about the low-profile hot-sellers of Delhi.
On Day 1, I went to New Friends Colony’s Community Center, which has some top sellers. As juicy and delicious as always, the shawarmas at Al-bake is the king of shawarmas. The char-grilled rotisserie meat is sliced and minced into tiny smithereens, melded in a custom spread, rolled up in a soft roti and served with the Al-Bake exclusive mayo. I dropped by to taste their shawarma which is wee bit small in size and costs 70 Rs, but worth every penny. The sole item in the menu has sky-rocketed the fame of the tiny outlet to higher grounds. They claim it to be a Lebanese delicacy, but it feels hints more towards Mughai. I also tried their newly introduced Nawabi kheer, which is again, particularly signature. Solid milk concentrates blended with pista, badam, cardamom and many other secret elements to form the heavy kheer served in a clay goblet. The outlet is the most crowded spot in the whole of New Friends Colony Community Centre. I heard that the small retailer also has a branch in Saket which is pulling in thousands by the day. So don’t go by their shabby countenance. It is more about the sweet old-world charm of the food. Running for years, unsurprisingly on quality, the outlet is a must-try.
On my second day, I proceeded to Zakir Nagar which, in Delhi, is not visited very frequently by all the populace. It is more of a locally famous terminus for food buffs, but has some of the best street meats in the city. Al shops within walking distance, I first stopped for the biriyani a Fareed-Biriyani, which was excellently cooked and infuriated with the aroma of the Islamic style of preparation. It comes in 3 variations- chicken biriyani, chicken masala biriyani and bade (beef) ki biriyani. All 3 are unique and tasty. Each of these biriyanis come in 3 quantities- quarter kg for Rs 50, half kg for Rs 80 and 1 kg for Rs 160. So order as your appetites permits. The ordered biriyani is weighed on a weighing scale and measured for accuracy of weight. The small outlet is not much for appearance, but makes up for in food.
Next, I came across the stimulating signage of Lucknowi galawati Kebab and entered for a bite. A departure from tradition, it is the best Galawati in the city. They have chicken keema, mutton keema and beef kebabs in a patty shape. The meat are mashed up into boneless, soft and easily chewable patties that melt in the mouth. A single plate of bade ka kebab has 4 small patties. The rotis are pin-rolled in butter. Then they are heated on a scorching metal bowl placed upside down. Bowl is fired up from below to warm up the metal. The roti is quite large, but supple. Rumali rotis are also available on order. Ever bringing a sense of authenticity and genuineness to the table, the small outlet shines well in the busy street of Zakir Nagar. I didn’t hesitate to order some take-away for later on.
For dessert, I stopped at the legendary Pehelwanji Lassi Corner. It is a paradise for sweet-tooths. I relished in a small portion each of their rabdi and khabo lassi matkas. They even have the best carrot halwa, kesar malai, phirni matkas and gulab jamun. All desserts are out-of-this-world delectable. For just Rs 30-40 for a small cup of each delicacy, the outlet serves budget desserts to all.
On my third day, I went to the older parts of the city. Paranthe wali Gali and Jama Masjid Area in Old Delhi are yet another foodie destination. It has an assortment of the oldest and most famous shops. The Old-Famous-Jalebiwala has been rocking the streets since the Kings’ times. I took a mouthful of their soft, juicy and crispy Jalebis. The Jalebis are simmering in mildly sweet sugar syrup and they are served right out of the hot saucepan. The Jung Bahadur Kachori is quite famous for their gazillion varieties of tidbits. I had Beef kebabs at the Qureshi Kebab corner, which are popular for their varieties of succulent Kebabs. All the finger shaped meat are served with sauces and slice onions, maybe add a rumali roti also to it. Haji Mohd Hussain serves some of the best fried chicken and I ordered small plate for my almost-full stomach.
I made a quick pit-stop at Connaught place. I went straight to the Odeon Gupta Pan shop. Pan lovers can have a ball at the outlet. Famous for their flavoured pans available in the most unique zests, their fire pan is the prized recipe.
Delhi can easily satisfy any culinary preference and any palates. So far I could explore only these many store. On my next visit, I shall make it a point to explore deeper into the alleys and side roads for even better delicacies.
I invite all Local-Guides Foodies to check out more on Food in and around my locality on my INSTAGRAM page.