A Guide to Street Food in Delhi

Eat Street Food at Chandni Chowk in Delhi – Mission: Chomp, Slurp and Burp!

Let me first start with a proclamation - your Delhi sojourn is a waste if you do not try Delhi’s local street food. BTW, if you don’t know Chandni Chowk is one of the top must visit places in Delhi. Cuisine wise, there is no part of India that isn’t represented in Delhi’s eating joints. From Shillong’s Wak Pura to Surat’s Lilva Kachori – Delhi has something for everyone from everywhere.

Street Food in Delhi

This post will highlight the crème de la crème of Chandni Chowk in Delhi. You must have heard of Chandni Chowk as the place for Heritage Walk, Red Fort and Jama Masjid but there’s more to eat than meets the eye. Rightly dubbed as the “Food Capital of India”, Chandni Chowk never ceases to impress food connoisseurs. And if you happen to have an extra taste bud for street food, all the better.

Eat Street Food , Chandni Chowk in Delhi

The indigenous Chaat is to Chandni Chowk what Pizza is to Italy. Although the very definition of Chaat is a little hazy, the sheer variety of street food you get to enjoy in the bylanes of Old Delhi is phenomenal. The streets look like a daily fair where people throng to satiate their third sense – the tongue. There are thousands of halwaais (sweet sellers), paranthewallas ( sweet shops selling the big, stuffed Indian paratha) and namkeen Wales ( seller of savories) – all vying for your attention as you trudge the street with excitement. Let me assist you with a quick, 2 hour itinerary to gourmet heaven. I bet you’ll return a changed man, I mean in terms of what you weigh!

Eat Street Food at Chandni Chowk in Delhi

Okay, so start with Paranthewali Gali. Head straight to Asaram’s and order a couple of Gobi Paranthas (with extra butter, of course!). If you’re traveling in a group, make sure you order different renditions of the paranthas – there are 150+ varieties, I’ve been told! Also, make sure you try them with a generous helping of different chutneys – chilly, tamarind, garlic, onion etc. Don’t get too comfortable as you now hop over to Lala Babu Chat Bhandar where you can sample spicy Gol Gappes (circular pouches made from wheat, filled with tangy coriander water). Other snacks you must lay a tongue on include Pao Bhaji, Dahi Bhalle and Matar Paneer Tikki. Now for those with a sweet tooth among you, a special treat awaits at Jalebiwala at Dariba Kalan where piping hot Jalebis, small Indian pretzels drenched in sugar syrup, are served. 2 hours and hunger pangs would have passed by now and you still have not covered even a hundredth of the ‘food heaven’. Other peripherals I’d recommend include Halwa Papdi, Badam Burfi and Pista Samosa at Ghantewala and Butter Chicken at Moti Mahal.

But if you have more appetite for the heritage, history and culture of Delhi, you might like to check out Humayun's Tomb and Qutb Minar both are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Purana Qila which was the site of legendary Inrdaprasta built by Pandavas of Mahabharata fame and the iconic India Gate which commemorates the Indian soldiers who fought and died fighting for British during World War II.

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