India as a country is reputed for its multicultural heritage and its many gastronomical fares. No wonder, its national capital Delhi, epitomizes this fact in all possible manners. If you are an impulsive shopper and an ardent food lover, then you should strictly add Delhi to your list of places to visit.
Through its many swanky food courts, branded pizza outlets, trendy restaurants and crowded street stalls, the city of Delhi, offers you many avenues to enjoy its local foods, dishes from other parts of India and different foreign cuisines.
However, if you want to enjoy Delhi’s typical local dishes, then we suggest you to give its street food sellers a visit. Not only these street food-stall owners deliver fresh and yummy dishes but also ensure that you get these in hygienic conditions with really quick service. However, it is advisable to make onsite inspections before eating to avoid the dreaded ‘Delhi Belly’.
We bring you the list of top five street foods of Delhi (not necessarily in that order) that will surely stir your taste buds and make you forget about your fitness diet!
1. Gol Gappa
These are basically round-shaped fried crispy shells made of flour. These little spicy balls are filled with a watery mixture of tamarind, chili, chaat masala, boiled potato, and small bits of finely chopped onions. Some of the vendors also add boiled chickpeas as additional item to the tangy stuffing. The absolutely-shocking aspect of this street food is its cheap price. You can eat as many of these as you like without worrying about the money factor! However we advise you to eat these taste bud-friendly nuggets in moderation, to avoid any possible stomach disorders.
This ever-popular and most sought-after street food is also known as pani puri, elsewhere in India.
2. Papri Chaat
The papri chaat of Delhi holds its own forte as the next best thing after the gol gappas. This mouth-watering treat consists of thin papri (wheat wafers) garnished with spices, sprouted mung beans, boiled potatoes and chickpeas and doused with generous amount of fresh yogurt, sweet chutney and tangy tamarind sauce.
3. Chole Bhature
Another long-standing favorite in the extensive street foot list of Delhi is the oily and tasty chole bhature. A single plateful of spicy, piping-hot chole curry and deep fried soft bhature will definitely fill up the depths of your stomach but we assure you it will leave you craving for another plate.
4. Samosas
This is a world famous Indian snack that comes with a variety of stuffing. This deep-fried pyramid-shaped item is also a hit with street food lovers. A heavenly bite off a freshly-hot samosa dipped in chutney of your choice, can make you ravenous at any time of the day!
5. Paranthas
The flour-made paranthas or wraps, in their various avatars, are the most preferred choice for people looking for a light, wholesome and scrumptious meal in the form of a street food. Available in numerous simple, stuffed, veg, or non-veg versions, we assure you that you will find it difficult to make a choice while placing an order for a parantha!
One should not forget those humble but lip-smacking savories such as aloo tikkis, kullas, and chaats. The aloo tikkis are actually spicy potato patties whereas the aloo kullas is scooped out boiled potato filled with spices, chickpeas, and lemon juice. If you are a non-vegetarian foodie, you can a have a pick from different street food preparations based on eggs, poultry and meat, mainly omelette, Kebabs, chicken biryani, and tandoori chicken, which are freshly cooked and served by the street vendors, on the spot.
The roadside food vendors of Delhi also offer a variety of dairy-based stuff and sweet dishes such as lassi, rabri, kulfi, and jalebi. During the infamous summer months of Delhi you can soothe your parched throat and stomach with a glass of cool flavored lassi, a bowl of sweet rabri, or an iced kulfi on a stick.