One kind of fire that no fire-fighter can blow out is the one that's burning right in your stomach just about now. The constant pain of food hankerings ranging from soulful desserts to zesty Chaat Papdis, Gol Gappas and more.. (especially when you are living in the food capital of India) get unbearable pretty soon. Since the lockdown made us try every recipe in the book in the past few months, I think it's finally time to get back out there and give something new a chance.
Now being a fellow foodie I can identify with your sufferings, thus I am always on the move to find something delicious that is not only worth tolerating Delhi's traffic but also a value for money experience. So, on my lookout, I stumbled (no, not accidentally) upon these 8 hatke dishes in Delhi that are virtuous enough to try at least once. While I know that a true Delhiite would never back down from an experiment, especially when it's around food but if you still feel a tinker of doubt in your mind, just remember what Barney Stinson said, "New is always better!" and just go for it.
Image Courtesy: so.city
Momos Biryani
Two of our most favourite dishes made into one ultimate street style snack is all the satisfaction we needed in life. But what's even more satisfying is that this flavourful culmination has both Momos and Biryani. Yes, nobody else thought of bringing them together when it was so obvious until these inventive peeps at Lodhi Knights allowed their culinary experience to get the best of them. And boy are we thankful. Get your plate of happiness either in Veg, Chicken or Paneer. You're welcome!
Image Courtesy: Delhi Planet
Japani Samosa
It looks like... those 60 layered flaky patties have somehow made it through time and it's coming back to us with a desi twist. That's what I think of Japani Samosa.
From its spill-worthy brittle exterior to the hearty potato and peas filling just like our good ol' samosa, there is nothing you'd want to leave on the plate once you're done with it. Also, this hatke dish isn't served alone, some Pindi Chole and Gajar Ka Achaar are laid on the side to make it taste better (like that's even possible).
Image Courtesy: Gramho
Nutella Golgappe
How do you crank your regular Pani Puri up a notch? Apply a coat of chocolate on the exterior part, fill the inside with scrummy ice-cream, serve it with chocolate milk and voila! a brand-new dish ladies and gentlemen. Although the classic crunch of the puri will remain unchanged the experience will be totally novel and refreshing.
Image Courtesy: so.city
Paan Samosa
A sweet amalgamation of all the distinct flavours of a meetha paan spilt over our beloved street food, samosa; is the kind of off-beat dish we don't even think about in our wildest dreams. But here we are in a world where a place like Samosa Hub is serving quirky snacks such as Paan Samosa, Blueberry Samosa and even Manchurian Samosa all day long.
That face you made right there is the perplexity of this unnatural combination we totally get... but hey, aren't we all here to experiment? So I say...take the risk and let us know what you think once you've tried it, of course!
Image Courtesy: Traveler Base
Moong Dal Pizza
Delhiites live in a bubble that quite blessedly is studded with tonnes of food options. But more often than not there comes a dish which forces us to leave that bubble so that we could try something different. Moong Dal Pizza is that dish. While I understand the sanctity of our regular pizzas because I love em too... but this Indian avatar of pizza deserves a humble try. A moong dal chila base stuffed with veggies and cheese when served with tamarind and green chutney will without a whiff of doubt make the ride joyful. Since it's also raining these days, head to this place for some drool-worthy monsoon munchies.
Image Courtesy: LBB
Fire Paan
I've personally endured the terror of getting burned from inside whilst the paan wala casually dumped the ball of fire (Fire Paan) in my mouth and trust me... it was ah-mazing. Perfectly safe so you shouldn't worry and great in taste if you like paan in general. I'd suggest you also try their chocolate paan the next time you're cutting circles in CP.
Image Courtesy: Shutterstock
Butter Chicken Momos
Pan-fried momos tossed in a creamy butter chicken gravy and cooked to perfection is one hot dish you'll find only in Delhi. I can think of no other city in India which is bold enough to mix and match food items as we people do. And I thank my lucky stars every day for giving me an opportunity to witness such flavours in all my senses while I'm young.
Image Courtesy: thedesigora
Chicken Cheese Biryani
A van located near Mandi House is serving Chicken cheese Biryani for 90 bucks and I cannot be happier. I mean, from all the basic versions like Lucknowi, Hyderabadi, etc. this van chose to bestow the mankind an avatar which is not only out-of-the-box but tastes incredible. Loaded with chicken, veggies and as the name suggests; cheese, this dish is a month-end dream come true.
Of all the places you could go in the world, for once choose your own city and explore every nook and corner to unearth something that tastes amazing. And BTW, we're glad we could help!
