Old Delhi has it's own charm and that's why lot of travelers don't miss to explore this part of Delhi. Apart from it's heritage and old world charm, Old Delhi also offers great options for foodies. There are plenty of food businesses in Old Delhi which are flourishing for centuries (yes, you read it right - centuries)
Natraj Dahi Bhalle - This is one of the popular corner shop in Chandni Chowk, where you can enjoy Dahi Bhalle and they also serve Aaloo Tikki. Frankly speaking, I am not a huge fan of 'popular' places of delhi, which are usually defined by number of people waiting outside. I have eaten Dahi Bhalle at Nataraj many times, but I could never find it very impressive. At the same time, it was not bad at all. Balle served are very soft, but don't we find soft bhalle at other places?
Old Famous Jalebi - As we move from Jain Temple towards Fatehpuri Masjid, this Jalebi shop comes on the left. It's a small corner shop which mainly serves Jalebis made in desi ghee and samosas. From the shape and thickness, these didn't seem interesting to me. But when I tried, I found them quite tasty. I always thought that only thin Jalebis can be interesting, but these were really good. 500 Rs per kg and usually served in small plates. 50gm or 100gm.
Nagodi at Kedarnath Premchand Halwai - Nagodi is a smaller form of puri and crisp like golgappas. It's served with Aaloo ki Sabzi and Halwa. It's a brilliant breakfast. A plate of 4 Nagodis, Sabzi and Halwa costs 25 rs. Lot of folks come here in morning and get it packed for breakfast, especially during weekends. Check out the photograph below to know how Nagodis are eaten. I loved Nagodis.
Poori at Chaina ram - After Nagodis it makes sense to talk about Poori, one of the most preferred breakfast food in North India. Chaina Ram's poori are very popular.
Giani's Famous Rabri Faluda - When you take right from Fatehpuri Masjid and walk 100 meters, you reach Giani's on the left. There is a counter of rich Rabri and Faluda. These glasses look awesome with white layer of faluda topped with rich Rabri, a spoon of sugar and ice. My first impression after taking one spoon inside my mouth - 'why is it so special?'. It was too sweet for me. After taking few more spoons I realized that it was mixed well and hence spoiled my taste. So I spent 80 rs and didn't enjoy it :). If you are in a group, please do order one because it's heavy. If you like it and want more, order another one. Seekh Kebab's at Karims - Seekh Kebabs of Karims are most popular amongst other non-veg food items served at Karims. Karim's is near Jama Masjid. There can be some waiting but these soft Seekh Kebab's are worth the wait. And if you like non-veg, there are plenty of options at Karim's. I didn't find it properly maintained, so I don't prefer eating there. I wish they focus more on cleanness around the place.
Milk Cake by Hemchand Ladli Prashad - So far I have just heard about Milk Cake by Hemchand and yet to try it. Most of the photographs of this Milk cake on web look delicious. I will update the post when I taste it :)
I am yet to try Motichoor ladoo of Tewari sweets , Ghantewala Sweet Shop , Ved Prakash Lemon wale, Jung Bahadur Kachori wale, Ashok & Ashok meat dhaba, Kuremal Mohan Kulfi Vale, Dogra snacks for ram ladoo, Amritsari Lassi Corner, Gole Hatti, Kake da dhaba, Khemchand Adesh Kumar's Daulat ki Chat, Lotan Chole wala, Shiv Mishthan Bhandar and Hazari Lal Jain Khurchan wale.
Al Jawahar - is a great place in Matia Mahal if you like biryanis. This is probably one of the best places to have Biryani and Korma in Delhi. This whole street has multiple options for non-veg lovers, but Al Jawahar is class apart.
Haji Tea Point- It's in Bazaar Matia Mahal, Jama Masjid, New Delhi. Poori bhaji, Halwa and patti wala doodh (tea without water) are some of the popular things to be tasted at Haji Tea Point.
Paranthe wali Gali - 11 years back when I came to Delhi, I visited Paranthe Wali Gali and it was a very disappointing experience. These are not Paranthas of current time. Probably that's how Paranthas were made centuries back, but they are nowhere close to what we eat at home or anywhere else. These are deep fried and I didn't find them delicious. But people who like these Paranthas, recommended Pandit Gaya Prasad shop which is serving Paranthas since 1872. Take a round of the gali, even if you don't plan to try these. There are some small shops in this street which serve nice Khurchan and Milk Cake.
Mohammad Nadim’s bread-omelet stand - It's near Jawahar Hotel, Bazar Matia Mahal, Jama Masjid, New Delhi. And quite popular in this part of Old Delhi.
Kada prasad at Sheeshjang gurudwara - How can we miss this wonderful thing while in Chandni Chowk.
These were some of the prepared food items from Old Delhi, but you may also get surprised by some of the options available on streets of Old Delhi. I got to know about the fruit called 'Khirni' in Chandni Chowk.
Now it's time for quick quiz. Do you know the name of fruit in photograph below? Let us know through comments.
If you liked this post and found it helpful, I would request you to follow these things when traveling -
- Manage your waste well and don’t litter
- Use dustbins. Tell us if you went to a place and found it hard to locate a dustbin.
- Avoid bottle waters in hills. Usually you get clean water in hills and water bottles create lot of mess in our ecosystem.
- Say big no to plastic and avoid those unhealthy snacks packed in plastic bags. Rather buy fruits.
- Don't play loud blaring music in forests of jungle camps. You are a guest in that ecosystem and disturbing the locals (humans and animals) is not polite
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