Khana Khazana – Food Traditions of Delhi

WHAT: The food lifestyle of Delhi has a rich and varied heritage, and owes its origins both to the original inhabitants and invaders alike. The food-taboos and special restrictions of specific communities also lent their unique flavour to this yummy heritage. And, the changing seasons of this city plagued with extremes of climatic variations would lend their special tone to the gastronomic palette of the city.

So, on one hand we have the Hindu trading communities with their own traditions of sustaining themselves while conducting the day’s business; which bring us delicious snacks or small meals like kachoris, bedmi puris with aloo subzee, gobhi samosa, aloo tikki, chaat and dahi bhalla. On the other hand we had the Mughal invaders bringing us the refined royal cuisine, as well as ‘lashkar’ or ‘commoner/soldier’ food – from sublime biryanis and kormas to hearty kebabs and niharis.

The very, very hot and dry summers spelt the need for cooling and reviving sherbets, lassi, gola, kulfis etc., while winters brought along warm halwas, jalebis, doodh-badaam and that dewey, frothy and aptly named ‘daulat ki chaat’ which, like its name disappears without a trace!!

While times have changed, traditions thankfully haven’t. So, to our fellow foodies, those worshippers in search of epicurean ecstasy, we extend our warm invitation! Allow us to share with you, our insights gained over years of negotiating the maze of these bylanes. Allow us to expose you to our gourmet gods…with our versions of Delhi’s best in street food.

Allow us a few hours of your day, so that we may try to convert you. We promise that the exercise will help wash away any guilt you and your friends may feel at the gluttony. Come. Be converted.

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” says Virginia Woolf in her famous book ‘A Room of One’s Own’. These exact thoughts resonated within our team as we set out to design two of our very popular food walks. Hope you have as much fun enjoying these gastronomic walks, as much as we enjoyed curating them…Go Delhi Eat!!!

1. FOODS OF SHAHJAHANABAD: CHANDNI CHOWK, CHAWRI BAZAR AND MATIA MAHAL

ATTRACTIONS: Does the aroma of a charcoal-grilled chicken make your tongue flop out as if it had a mind of its own? Do you regularly disregard your dentist’s advice to avoid sweets and instead give your ‘weak’ sweet tooth a free run of Gulab Jamuns, Rabri-Falooda and Kheer? Or do the flavours of a fragrant Biryani make you drop the weekly resolutions of watching the ever-increasing waist size? Find the Savviest Samosa, the Crispiest Kachori, the Tangiest Tikki, the Butteri-est Butter Chicken, the Hottest Halwa and feast on a mind-boggling variety of Street Foods found only at the culinary hot-spots in the narrow alleys of Delhi 6 or Old Delhi/Purani Dilli as we know it today.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: Both Morning and Evening options exist and none to be missed!

To view pictures, click here.

2. CONTINENTAL AND INDIAN FOOD PARADISE: STREET FOODS IN PAHARGANJ

ATTRACTIONS: The by-lanes of the backpacker’s disctrict of Delhi, Paharganj is an almost carelessly laid out, open-air, lounge-type Bistro and Dhaba at the same time! If you wish that you could have a Sunday brunch that begins with a French-style Crepe served with Fruit preserves downed with a glass of fresh Orange juice and ends with Chana-Kulcha, then you are at the right place? How about a buttered croissant at a bakery with a cup of black coffee? Or some Israeli Schnitzel or Chicken Kiev served along with chilled beer, heavenly enough to satisfy those hunger pangs completely? Or if these options are not ‘greasy and heavy’ enough for your Indian-ised palate, maybe palm-size bhaturas with spicy cholley and lassi will be more appreciated by you? Savour an innovative way to serve up the humble kachori with spicy Green Moong Daal or feel the rush of sensory joy when you bite into the crunchy exterior of a samosa which suddenly gives way to a soft, moist yellow filing of boiled & stir-fried Yellow Moong Daal!

BEST TIME TO VISIT:Mornings are best timings in the day to savour the perfect mix of Indian and Continental foods through a leisurely brunch!

To view pictures, click here.

To book customised versions of the gastronomic chapters of Delhi’s lifestyle, mail us at explore@delhibyfoot.in/ramit@delhibyfoot.in OR call us on 9871181775 OR send an online query here

To view other walks, click here