I have only one motivation to travel to Delhi in Winters, I mean.. of course besides meeting my family.. and that’s food. It’s a known fact that Delhiites love their food, but in winters, it goes up a notch.
Well… I traveled to Delhi.. and took a trip down to Old Delhi. The narrow lanes of Chandni Chowk not only has its old-school charm but also has some of the best flavors from some legendary outlets here.
Natraj Dahi Bhalle
We took the metro to purani Dilli, and as soon as we came out of the metro station through a very very narrow lane, on the corner was a small shabby shop selling the best Dahi Bhallas and aloo tikki. Its called Natraj Dahi Bhalla Corner ESTD 1940. The shop is just big enough for 3 people to be sitting there. Very moderately priced, these are the best dahi bhalle ever! And Delhi’s most famous winter food.. is aloo tikki. We order a plate of each, stood on the corner on a road and enjoyed the piping hot aloo tikki and the deliciously soft bhalle. The popularity of tiny joint is so much, that when I was taking a picture of the shop for my Instagram handle, one of the shop uncles said that, “I don’t know how to accommodate more customers. I don’t need more publicity”.
Basically, if you haven’t had dahi bhalle here, you’ll never know wat the dish is supposed to taste like.
Parathe Wali Gali
Have a great start to the day, we headed on to a far more narrower lane to find another treasure. Some tiny lane on the opposite side of Natraj leads to Kinari Bazaar. As you enter the lane, you first hit Parathe Wali Gali. But parathe is not what I’m excited about yet. Over the years parathe wali Gali has said to have lost its charm. But you can relish some delectable buttery parathas here. Me… I passed on the paratha and kept heading to Kinari bazaar to find a true hidden gem…Daulat Ki Chaat.
Daulat ki Chaat
I will get to the brilliance of Daulat ki chaat in a bit. But be warned that there are a lot of copycats of the same now, so make sure you go before 2 pm to the Google location of Daulat ki chaat, which is the original one. It is difficult to spot in the extremely narrow lanes of Kinaari bazaar. Ask the shopkeepers of you face difficulty.
But as you get to the original Daulat ki chaat, savor that first bite. Because it is going to blow your mind. The texture, the lightness, the creaminess, the perfect amount of sweetness is sheer bliss. This is one dish I fail to describe with words. It is that good.!
With the divine feeling of this delicacy which is cooked overnight and some more parcels of this sweet, we took a rickshaw to head to Karim’s. Make sure you bargain with the rickshaw walas. They quote a higher amount once they spot tourists. If you feel like you can even walk to the place, it’s just 1km away.
Al-jawar and Karim’s
Opposite one of the gates of Jama Masjid, are two very famous outlets, Karim’s and Sons and Aljawahar. Both are extremely popular and serve amazing food. Needless to mention, you should skip this one if you’re a vegetarian. I only went to Karim’s but my brother and trusted friends have been to both, and some like Al-jawar better. You can try mutton and chicken delicacies here. We had a tummy full of lunch and came out to enjoy some touristy vibe of Jama Masjid.
Jama Masjid
I was slightly intimidated by the crowd at the Masjid on Friday, but the courtyard is absolutely beautiful. Enjoy some pictures and get ready to head to our next destination. We took a rickshaw back to a destination 1 km away, Old famous Jalebi Wala.
Old famous Jalebi wala
Old famous Jalebi wala is actually on the same road as Natraj, and I was now ready for something sweet. Another small outlet on the corner of a street. Makes piping hot and fat jalebis and serves with Rabri. Yumm…! The outlet serves Samosa as well, which I skipped, if you have been reading so far… you know why.
Sisganj gurudwara
With a sugar rush, I walked a few hundred meters down the road to Sisganj gurudwara. Prayed for the ability to eat as much without getting fat, amongst other things, tasted Kadha prasad and felt the need to stop eating finally.
Mughal Gardens
Delhi is the national capital, which means it is the place with Rashtrapati Bhavan. As a tourist, when you visit Rashtrapati Bhavan, you see the huge residence and office of the president of India. Situated on Raisina Hill, it has 320 rooms, beautiful presidential gardens. A little known fact is that for a month around February-March, Mughal gardens are open to Public for a tour and it’s something I’d recommend seeing. The sheer variety of flowers and colors and being in the President’s backyard is very exciting. Except for the fact that you have to walk a lot.
I ended my day with a tour of Presidential Gardens, more commonly known as Mughal Gardens.
That was my day in Delhi in winters. As such I am a native of Delhi, but since I have not stayed there much in my life, I become a tourist when I visit the city. Despite what you hear about Delhi, the crime, the pollution, the traffic.. it is a place with a lot of treasures, both in terms of food and otherwise. And I’m delighted to explore the city every time. So here are my bits and pieces on one small unit of treasure from our capital city.
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