List of best street foods of Delhi

Keeping up with the spirit of this article, we’d hover around roadside delicacies that are a common site on Delhi roads whether you’re shopping in Central market, Sarojini Nagar or simply headed over to Chandni Chowk. We’ll bring out some of the city’s favourite eating spots for our readers.

Listed below are 11 best street foods of Delhi that you cannot miss:

1.   Aloo Chaat

 

Perhaps a typical sight springing into view in any of Delhi’s crowded markets is a heap of diced potatoes, placed around a bed of bubbling oil in an enormous pan. Aloo Chat is a filling mix of deep-fried potatoes, spices and chutnies (local sauces). Popular across North India, Aloo chat’s speciality lies in the burst of spicy flavours as one bites through them. They are enjoyed year-round, especially during colder months.

Some best places to eat.

Although, one can never go wrong with Aloo Chaat brought from any of the stalls in popular markets, Bishan Swaroop Chaat Bhandar, Chandni Chowk and Pappu Chat Bhandar, Connaught Place, (CP) are iconic names in this regard.

2.   Ram Laddu

 

As adorable as the name sounds, Ram Laddu is a fluffy, crispy and melts-in-the-mouth kind of fritter, made primarily from Moong Dal (Bengal gram). Small laddus can be seen dancing in a frying pan and yet they aren’t oily to touch. One plate of Ram Laddu packs a handful, blanketed in a spicy coriander chutney and grated radish, enhancing their taste a billion times!

Some best places to eat.

They more or less taste the same around most of Delhi’s favourite shopping hubs, but if one has to put a finger on it, it would be Lajpat Wale Ram Ladoo in Central Market.

3.   Chaat

 

Pretty self-explanatory, Delhi offers a plethora of lip-smacking savouries. Crispy, flavourful, scrumptious Aloo Tikki is just one kind. There is Pani Puri, Raj Kachori, Bhalla Papdi, Sev Puri, Samose Chole, Dahi Bhalle, Palak Chaat, Sweet Corn masala chat and the like.

Some best places to eat

A few historic names being, UPSC chaat wale in Shahjahan Road, Bittoo Tikki Wala, Shri Balaji Chaat Bhandar, and Natraj Dahi Bhalla at Chandni Chowk. Natraj is now a full-fledged outlet but they started operating as a roadside stall in 1940.

4.   Matar Kulcha

 

Most first timers in Delhi have at some point expressed their curiosity over the traditional brass vessel adjusted on a wheeler. If one glances hard enough, they’d witness a magical work of hand by the vendor preparing one of Delhi’s most loved street foods.

He’d be hastily plucking out boiled matar (white peas) from the vessel, throwing in chillies, salt, peppers and other spices, a generous squeeze of lemon, finally topping the mix with chopped green chillies and onion rings.

Before dishing it out, he’d place two off-white kulcha on the side, very soft in consistency.

Don’t confuse them with the exotic Amritsari Kulcha, the gourmet version of this street sensation, having Kabuli Chana as the gravy and buttery, stuffed Amritsari Kulcha for the bread.

Some best places to eat.

Lotan Chole Kulche at Chawri Bazar, Lajpat’s Siyaram Matar Kulcha, and Mukesh’s Choley Kulchey at Asaf Ali Road.

5.   Momos

 

Momo addicts know that once their craving kicks in, nothing works except to succumb to it! Another thing to catch one’s eye in between shopfronts is a steaming aluminium holder of boiling momos, the scrumptious and succulent dumpling full of veggies. They are served with a zingy crimson sauce and a dollop of mayonnaise. Non vegetarian variants are a massive hit too.

Over the years, momo menu grew exponentially with lip smacking, extravagant choices such as fried, chilly, gravy, Schezwan, Afghani, and tandoori among others.

Some best places to eat.

Many vendors sell delectable momos in Janpath, Malviya Nagar, Saket, CP, Campus areas and Majnu Ka Tila area, etc. Some iconic names being King’s Momos, Saket, Lajpat’s Dolma Aunty, QDs and Hunger Strike.

6.   Poori sabzi and more!

 

A complete meal can be made out of any of the renowned combinations in Delhi. Bedmi Poori sabzi, Chole Bhature, Kachori Sabzi, Parathe, Amritsari Chole Kulche, Rajma Chawal, Chole Chawal, etc. They have all been passed down from generations keeping the traditional taste intact. Most of these have surpassed from being a roadside quick meal fix to gourmets. They are more likely to be found in eateries. Decades old outlets, many of which rose from the streets itself are usually a favourite pick for Delhites when craving these cuisines.

Some best places to eat.

Old Delhi streets, Campus areas, CP lanes, Paharganj market, etc. Some iconic names being Baba Nagpal Corner, Lajpat Nagar, Civil Lines Wala, Sita Ram Divan Chand, Paharganj for Chole Bhature.

Parathe Wale Gali, Chandni Chowk and Moolchand Parathe for Paratha. Legendary Bedmi Poori sabzi and Nagori Halwa at Shyam Sweets, Chawri Bazaar. Jain Chawal Wale, CP for out of the world Rajma Chawal. Jung Bahadur Kachori Wala, Chandni Chowk for kachori.

7.   Soya Chaap

 

Glistening soya kebab slathered in gravy or dangling from a kiosk often have people confused. While they are vegetarian, Soya Chaap very much resemble your ordinary chicken dish, the chewiness as well. Sufficing and protein-rich, Soya Chaap is widely enjoyed in and around Delhi.

Some best places to eat.

SFC Soya Chaap in Shalimar Bagh and Hunger Strike.

8.   Kebab

 

Juicy, gooey and tender with a typical Mughlai taste if eating in Old Delhi, Kebabs send tingles down the taste buds of those fancying them. An array of choices is offered in kebabs, leaving something for everyone even vegetarians with sizzling paneer and soya. Kebabs are believed to have an aftertaste that lingers on, enticing kebab connoisseurs into coming back.

Some best roadside places to eat.

Definitely streets of Old Delhi, Karim’s near Jama Masjid dating back to 1913, Kale Baba ke Kebab and Al Jawahar.

9.   Shakarkandi Chaat

 

Sweet potatoes daftly piled out on a pushcart, smoke rings coming off a vaporising agent, bundles of lemon and spices balanced along, aka a typical Shakarkandi Chaat corner. High in nutrition, easy on pocket and wonderful in taste, they are a regular sight, not restricted to just the markets.

Some best places to eat.

Found around whole of Delhi.

10. Rolls

 

We cannot be talking of street food and not be mentioning Kathi Rolls! Veggies abound, sauces and chutney slapped on, wedged between them could be marinated paneer, soya, tikki, kebabs, potatoes, eggs, cheese or stuffy veggies depending on the choice of order. Brimming with a medley of flavours, one can never get enough of rolls.

Some best places to eat.

They never disappoint when brought from any of the bustling stalls in markets, some iconic names being 1932’s Nizam’s Kathi Kebab in CP, Moti Mahal in Daryaganj and PB’s Rolls and Street Foods in CP. 

11. Sweet treat

 

Indian cuisines are incomplete without a sweet concoction to top off a meal. Roadside street essentials in Delhi include delicious kesar kulfi, lassi, sharbat, jalebi, halwa and also shikanji for a happy tummy!

Some best places to eat.

• Daulat ki chat – They can be churned out only when there’s nip in the air. Daulat ki chat, a traditional delicious dessert, is found across Chandi Chowk in chilly months. Whipped out by laborious churning of milk and dew till it becomes foamy, the concoction is piled up in vessel, throwing in cardamom, saffron milk, khoya and powdered sugar.
• Khurchan and rabri- On similar lines of milk delicacies to further tantalise taste buds, there’s Hazari Lal Jain Khurchan Wale. Also, Giani di Hatti’s renowned Rabri Falooda. Both eateries are in Chandni Chowk.
• Kulfi – Indian version of ice creams, loaded with dry fruits. Iconic names being, 1906’s Kuremal Mohanlal Kulfiwale in Chawri Bazaar, Roshan Di Kulfi in Karol Bagh, Gianis Di Kulfi in Chandni Chowk.
• Pyar Mohabbat Sharbat – pretty to eyes and refreshing in taste, this watermelon and milky drink has a massive fan following. It is found in Chandni Chowk in summers.
• Jalebi and Lassi – Needs no introduction, whole of India gets their staple dose of sweet tooth fix with these two. Iconic names in Delhi being Old Famous Jalebi Wala, Chandni Chowk, functional since 1884 and also Makhan Lal Tika Ram, Kashmiri Gate.

For Lassi, some iconic being Shiv Mishthan Bhandar and Amritsari Lassi Wala in Chandni Chowk and Haryana Lassi in Karol Bagh.