#DelhiWinter and delicious delicacies
Steaming cups of butter chai and coffee, seasonal favourite Sarson ka Saag with Makki ki Roti, and mouth-watering Gajar ka Halwa and Shahi Tukda - try them all this winter in the Capital. Here’s where you can get to savour them.
Come winter and foodies in Delhi rejoice for their platter gets a makeover to suit the season. Be it Butter Chai and Coffee, Sarson ka Saag with Makki ki Roti, or Gajar ka Halwa — there are options aplenty to indulge in to make the most of chilly weather. And we tell you where to try them in the Capital.
Soupy tales
There’s nothing more soothing that a piping hot soup on a cold winter evening. And the shop called Pishori Chicken and Veg Soup at Hari Nagar is simply the best place to grab one! “Be it chicken soup or tomato soup, or our winter special Kharodhe ka Soup, they are all very popular. Log dur-dur se aate hain yahan soup peene ke liye,” says Yoginder Pal Sapra, owner of the shop who talks without pausing his hands from filling up multiple glasses of soups in one go. A squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of masalas on the top, and voila!
Kharodhe ka Soup: ₹130 for a glass
Tomato Soup: ₹60 for a glass
Chicken Soup: ₹80 for a glass
Sarson ka Saag with Makki ki Roti
What is winter in north India without the legendary regional combo — Sarson ka Saag and Makki ki Roti? Well, if you are looking for an absolutely yummy plate, go get one at Dhaniya Da Dhaba in Lajpat Nagar IV. “It’s very difficult to find authentic Punjabi Sarso da Saag and Makki di Roti in Delhi, but it has become my favourite since I had it at this spot in south Delhi. Punjabi ghar jaisa preparation aur swaad aata hai yahan,” says Prabhjot Singh from a Delhi-based foodie group.
Price: ₹110/plate
Doodh Jalebi
Jalebi is indeed an all-time favourite, but come winter and what lends it a unique company is the warm milk. Dunked in thick milk and topped with cream, it’s the true desi breakfast! “Hum ye 7.30am banana shuru kar dete hain. Aur sardiyon mein sale itni badh jati hai ki hum raat ke 10.30 tak banate hi rehte hain. Pehle jalebi banti hai; doodh alag kadhte hain. Phir hum glass mein dono ko mix karke dete hain,” says Dishant from Makhal Lal Tika Ram in Bara Bazar, Kashmere Gate.
Price: ₹90 for a glass
Shahi Tukda
There is clearly no competition to making the best Shahi Tukda when one tastes the version available at Cool Point near Jama Masjid. The gooey pieces of sweetened bread topped with delicious rabri, have been a favourite among denizens since ages. “For me, Delhi’s winter is the best time for comfort food aur Jama Masjid ki baat karen toh do cheezein ekdum relate hoti hain, ek wahan ki galiyan aur dusra Shahi Tukda! Your visit is incomplete if you don’t try this famous mughlai dessert,” says food blogger Palak Kapoor.
Price: ₹40 per plate and ₹200 for half kg
Gajar ka Halwa
Gajrela aka Gajar ka Halwa is that taste that every Delhiite craves for in winter. And a tiny stall near Liberty Cinema in Karol Bagh is the place to source it from! Popular for their kulfi-faluda in summer, the kiosk named Gopal Di Kulfi turns into a winter delight with the whiff of its Gajar ka Halwa filling up the entire market. Vikas Ghai, a sales professional from Paschim Vihar who was spotted trying some of this sweet treat here, says, “We dropped someone off at the railway station with the plan to have this yummy Gajar ka Halwa here. This is our favourite hang out place in winters and we always either get it packed or savour it here itself. The best part is it’s neither over sweet not topped with too much khoya unlike many other places!”
Price: ₹70 for 100gm; ₹350 for half kg
Daulat ki Chaat
No, this is not a chaat! It’s a dessert. If there is a winter speciality that’s loved despite it being cold, it’s Daulat ki Chaat. Milk is whisked into foam for endless hours and then topped with saffron, khoya and nuts to make the most mystical dessert that’s available in the bylanes of Old Delhi. Jaspal Sunil Kumar, who runs a cart by the name of Daulat ki Chaat Wale in Dariba Kalan, says, “Mere parivar mein sab yahi banate hain. Hum sab roz do baje se banana shuru karte hain aur phir sab nikal padhte hain dilli ki galiyon mein. Sab kuchh shaam tak bik jaata hai.”
Price: ₹50-80/plate (depending on the size)
Gajak, Chikki
A walk in the interiors of Old Delhi’s Kinari Bazaar will lead you to a small shop by the name of Pandit Subedar & Sons, which offers close to 20 varieties of gajaks and chikkis alongside other winter sweets. Yashi Sharma, a teacher from Malviya Nagar, says, “Come winter, and we start stocking up on chikki and gajak. Our favourite place to buy them is this shop in Kinari. We love the Shalimar Gajak and even Khajur ki Burfi available there. The exciting part is that this shop also home delivers through an app.”
Shalimar Gajak: ₹600/kg
Khajur ki Barfi: ₹600/kg
Butter Chai or Butter Coffee?
Who doesn’t love a hot cuppa of tea or coffee on a wintery day or night? Now imagine it being topped with a dollop of butter! “I’m a tea person so I love the Butter Chai version of it more than Butter Coffee (chuckles),” says Manas Swaroop, a law student from Model Town, adding, “My family and I often go to Chandni Chowk to have the popular Butter Chai and Butter Coffee there. It has become a winter ritual for us. In fact, main toh thermos mein pack karwake bhi leke aata hun ghar walon ke liye. And it’s a must have for us at least one Sunday of the month.”
Butter Chai: ₹15 per cup
Butter Coffee: ₹20 per cup
Kadhai ka Doodh
A glass of warm, saffron-flavoured milk is a must have in winter! Try it at Doodh Bhawan, near Old Delhi’s Jama Masjid. “It’s a delicacy that people relish in winter. Kadhai mein doodh ko subah se shaam tak boil karte hain aur phir isme chuhare aur dusre dry fruits add karte hai till it gets rich and thick by the night,” says Ramit Mitra, a Delhi-based food walk organiser.
Price: ₹35 for 250ml
Author tweets @anjuri
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