Old Delhi is a foodie paradise, especially in areas like Chandni Chowk and Jama Masjid, where hidden gems await. I’ve been exploring food walks in the area long before it became popular.
During Navratras, my friend Rajesh Tara led us to some vegetarian places, and I blindly followed. When you frequent a place, you tend to stick to your favorites. Each bylane in Old Delhi offers something new; you just need to be open-minded.
Here are some places we tried:
- Omi Kachodi Waala: An old shop claiming almost 70 years of history. Open only on Sundays, the crispy kachodi with delicious aloo sabji is a must-try. Priced at Rs15 per kachodi, available in Aloo and Dal varieties.
- Standard Sweets: A proper restaurant serving small bhatura-sized pooris with aloo-choley sabji mix. Unique for adding a kofta in the sabji, priced at Rs130, it’s a delicious treat, albeit a bit expensive compared to others.
- Ram Swaroop Halwai: Known for bedmi poori and nagori-halwa, this shop may be popular for pricing but less for taste. Priced at Rs20 for 2 pooris or Rs15 for 2 pieces of nagori-halwa, the pooris might taste a bit off with the burnt oil and the quality isn’t as good as Shyam Sweets.
- Lotan ke Choley Kulche: Long queues for its spicy choley served with soft kulcha. Adjust spice levels wisely, as it can be intense. They offer choley ka paani at an additional cost of Rs10 per glass, or with butter at Rs20, which adds flavor.
- Jain Sandwich: Closed on Sundays, this shop serves fruit sandwiches, perfect for the summer with sliced bread loaded with butter, mango chunks, and dry fruits.
There are many more shops like Kuremal ki kulfi, Ashok ki chaat, and bade miyan ki kheer, among others. These are just the vegetarian options. Email me your favorite places, and I’ll include them in the next article, along with some non-vegetarian outlets in the area.
This article first appeared in The Pioneer