What happens to the Americans when they see a slice of pepperoni pizza?
Did the French ever resist creme brûlée or cheese?
Have you ever seen a Mexican survive a meal sans salsa?
Well, then you already know what happens to a Punjabi when they are in Old Delhi!
Going beyond the culture and heritage of the red sandstone, century old homes and memorials in every street and corner, Old Delhi is a food lover’s dream palace. The ethnicity of Chandi Chowk and Chawri Bazaar pamper your taste buds with delicacies that are probably older than your grand-parents! (no kidding!)
We bring to you, your personal 5 course meal with Chandni Chowk’s best and most cherished on the menu. Five crucial and life-changing stops on your journey through this magnificent place and you will mark the date as ‘memorable’ for sure!
- First Stop: Natraj Dahi Bhalle
Well, Who doesn’t want the typical Punjabi welcome dish? Reputed for being the besetst dahi bhallewala in Chndi Chowk since 1940, The tamarind sauce (saunth) and the perfectly prepared soft and juicy bhalle will make you want to come back to this place.
- Second Stop: Karim’s, Jama Masjid
The fragrance of cinnamon and a refreshing aroma of cardamom, this is a great way to tantalize your senses and prepare yourself for a delightful meal. This traditional Pakistani dish is a blend of the consistency of soup and spicy garnishing of lamb or goat stock. While Karim’s is also the place to stop by for mutton korma on a chilly winter day, the nahari is our choice for the time being.
- Third Stop: Ved Prakash Nimbu Soda
Now we would like something light and refreshing! We also find it a little unrealistic to look for thousand islands salad dressing shops in Chandni Chowk. So to make up for this stage of the meal, we have Ved Praksh Nimbu Soda. The Indian version of Limca with soda, this will be your place to get a break and gear up for the next big thing.
- Fourth Stop: Family Naan or Name-it-and-you-get-it Stuffed Parantha!
This one is a tough choice! While the paranthe vaale galli is a street devoted to serving you stuffed parantha in everything from potatoes to peas to eggs, we also have a delectable choice of dishes at Kake di Hatti in Dariban Kallan. A celebrity hotspot, both of the above mentioned deserve a visit and the least you can do is get a meal packed if you can’t make space for two at a time!
- Fifth Stop: Anapoorna-Kanwar-Giani’s Jalebiwala-
When it comes to dessert, we don’t compromise. This is undoubtedly the favourite part of the food walker’s journey in Chandni Chowk. You start at the Ghanta Ghar roundabout at Annapurna Sweet Shop. This place is your angel with the yummiest sandesh and rasgulla. Moving on, Kanwarji gives you Kaju Rolls to die for (literally!) The Rabri Kulfi at Giani’s and a light refreshing Daulat ki Chat made with foam of churned milk and crumbled khoya.
The Jalebiwala offers you crispy jalebis with utterly delicious rabri and is also a must try on the list!
This list is definitely cannot do justice to the beauty and wonder of the delicacies of Chandni Chowk list and you must continue to explore more to suit your appetite. But what we guarantee is that this is sufficient to make you crave for another visit and your tummy might be full but your heart will still want more!
PS- The above mentioned list is most certainly not exhaustive and we faced great difficulty in selecting a few favourites from the lot of many. You are hereby suggested to definitely not miss any of the mentioned dishes and in case of an additional list, you can write to us!
By Pratishtha Khattar
