Such is the popularity of chaat in the capital that the streets of Delhi host a chaat-wala or a vendor at every corner. The highlight of the chaat scene is gol gappa, which is bite-size puffed up fried bread filled with potatoes and tamarind water. A must-try is kulle-ki-chaat, which is made by hollowing out fruits and vegetables, and then filling them with pomegranate pearls and boiled chickpeas. It is bathed with lemon juice and topped with chaat masala. You can also try aloo chaat, which is prepared by frying diced potatoes and then smearing them in a spicy batter. A plate of tikki (fried potato patty) drizzled with tamarind chutney and mint chutney also makes a great choice. Legend has it that chaat was created in the kitchens of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. It is said that since the water of Yamuna was very polluted at that time, the cooks started preparing very oily and spicy food to combat the effects of harmful water. This is how chaat came into being.

A stew that consists of slow cooked meat and bone marrow, nihari is an explosion of robust meaty flavours in the mouth. The soft meat, along with spiced stew and chillies, is eaten with the delicate khamiri roti made in a clay oven. Nalli nihari is a traditional breakfast dish that is commonly relished in Old Delhi. It is said the recipe of nihari dates back to the 17th or 18th century. It was probably developed in Old Delhi and took inspiration from Awadhi khansamas. It is said nihari draws an Indo-Persian influence that was brought in by the Mughals. In fact, the word ‘nihari’ comes from the Arabic word ‘nahar’, meaning morning. Legend has it that during the Mughal period, nihari was eaten as a breakfast dish by Nawabs after they wrapped up their prayers (fajr). Eventually, this meaty dish trickled down to the army personnel and Mughal soldiers started consuming it for energy-boosting purposes. It is said that it was cooked in large pots overnight and served to the labourers and soldiers for free in the morning hours. A unique aspect of this breakfast item is that if a portion of the leftover nihari (taar) is added to the dish prepared the next day, it adds a distinct and delicious flavour to it. This practice can be traced back to over a century ago!

Originating in Punjab, chhole bhature is one of the most popular snacks in Delhi. Made from white chickpeas, which are soaked overnight and then cooked with aromatic spices, chhole are eaten with a bhatura (fried bread that is made from rice flour). A popular breakfast fare, this sumptuous dish is best served with pickles, onions or green chutney or a tall glass of the digestive lassi.

Made from Basmati rice (rice with a longer grain), biryani is found in every corner of Delhi, having local and hyperlocal variations. Slow cooked on a handi (pot) for hours, it is made using Indian spices, a hint of saffron, and meat. The process of cooking a perfect biryani is an intricate one and requires meticulous measurements of ingredients and fine technique. The traditional method involves cooking biryani in a dum pukht, which is a slow breathing oven. All the ingredients are mixed in a large pot and cooked slowly over charcoal. The pot is sealed with dough from all sides and the steam makes the meat tender, seeping the juices in rice. There are more than 15 types of spices used in a biryani. In most variations, chicken is the main ingredient, however, crabs, prawns and fish can also be used. To give a sweet aroma to the dish, rose water, kewra water and edible ittar are also added. Legend has it that Timur, the Turk-Mongol conqueror, brought the initial recipe of biryani to India. The diet of Timur’s army is believed to have been a mix of rice, meat and spices that was cooked in a large earthen pot. Another legend says that biryani was brought to the Malabar coast by Arab traders. A historical record in Tamil literature mentions a rice dish called Oon Soru that was brought by the traders in 2 AD. It is said that this dish was made of rice, mixed with ghee (clarified butter), meat, coriander, pepper, turmeric and bay leaf.

Kebabs were initially made in Turkish kitchens and brought to India by the Afghans. They became popular during the Mughal period and today, they have become one of the most versatile dishes in the country. Made from minced meat and flavoured with aromatic Indian spices, cotton-soft kebabs in Delhi are mouthwatering. There are many variations available of the succulent kebabs: kakori kebabs are cooked with mutton and flavoured with mint; shammi kebabs are prepared with mutton/chicken and are melt-in-the-mouth soft; reshmi kebabs are prepared with minced chicken that is cooked over charcoal; sutli kebabs are made by moulding a paste of meat and spices around a skewer and then letting it cook. The process of preparing kebabs is an interesting one. They are wrapped around skewers, which are placed on charcoal. Once cooked, a few drops of lemon are added to them and they can be eaten with the soft rumali roti and onions.

The food culture of Delhi is synonymous with the omnipresent tandoori chicken. It is made by roasting chicken, which has been marinated in yoghurt and spices, in a tandoor – a cylindrical clay oven. It is best eaten with tandoori roti and is available at moderate costs.

When it comes to desserts and sweets, Delhi is no less than a culinary treasury. For something rich and sweet, start with rabdi faluda, which is a thick creamy milk drink served with vermicelli noodles. Kulfi, a flavoured frozen dessert should be on the list if one is looking for a lightly sweet or even a refreshing end to a meal. Flavours of cool and juicy anar (pomegranate), aromatic kesar, pista, rose, banana, mango are some of the choices. If one is looking to dig into some chilly evening snacking, piping hot jalebis are just the thing. A sweet made by deep-frying batter in a pretzel-like shape and then soaking it in syrup, jalebis can also be eaten with rabdi faluda. Another delicacy is daulat-ki-chaat that is made from the froth of churned milk. It is light and fluffy and is garnished with pistachios. A sweet made in almost every Indian household during festive occasions, kheer is a must-try on your visit to Delhi. A delicious rice pudding made with sugar and boiling milk, kheer can be served both hot and cold. Don’t forget to gorge on the sweet fruit cream that is topped with slices of fruits. For sweets prepared in pure desi ghee (clarified butter), one should try some helpings of sohan halwa (a dense sweet confection), pista samosa (fried pastry stuffed with pistachios) and badam barfi (sweetmeat made with almonds).

Paranthas are stuffed flatbreads that are cooked on a flat-surface tawa. They are best tried at the Paranthewali Gali in Chandni Chowk, a popular gourmet locality. Parantha shops have been standing here since the 1870s, when they first came here. While stuffing oneself with the delectable parantha, one can also take helpings of glamour as this place has been visited by many famous names like Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Atal Behari Vajpayee and others. Paranthas served here are stuffed with potatoes, peas, cauliflower, along with the newer variations that are filled with lentils, fenugreek, radish, papad, carrot. Slightly more expensive are the paranthas filled with paneer, mint, lemon, chilly, dry fruits, cashews, raisins, almonds, rabdi, khurchan, banana, karela, lady's finger and tomato. They are served with mint chutney, tamarind-banana chutney, aloo sabzi and vegetable pickle.

This delectable staple of most non-vegetarians originated at the Moti Mahal, Darya Ganj in the 1950s. The story goes that the place was already popular among tandoori chicken lovers. The cooks at the restaurant were in a habit of recycling the leftover chicken juices by adding butter and tomato to them. Once, this sauce was tossed with pieces of tandoori chicken. Thus was born the decadent butter chicken that sets mouths drooling all over the world. It is creamy with thick, red tomato gravy and tastes slightly sweet. The dish almost melts in the mouth as the juice percolates into the chicken pieces making them juicy and tender. It is best tried with naan or roti (Indian flatbread).