Delhi, The Food Capital of India

Delhi. Dillwalo ki Dilli, Butter Chicken wali Dilli, Old Dilli, New Delhi, a melting pot of art and history. Delhi can be described with multiple adjectives and phrases. Love it or hate it, you can't ignore the mystery that is Delhi. Each trip to Delhi, unlocks a new facet of the city for me. This time, I discovered Delhi, the gastronomical wonder. Shameless foodie that I am, I never miss out on pigging out on the local cuisine of the city, state or region that I visit. 

Whether you seek butter chicken, international fare or wholesome road-side food, Delhi has it all. The foodie in you, will be teased, tantalized, tested and finally tempted to try something new everyday. I am going to make your food journey in Delhi a bit easier for you, by giving you a low down on some of the best eateries in sadda-Dilli. Here goes;

Paranthe Wali Gali - A narrow street in the bustling Chandi Chowk area, you can easily get lost inside a maze of roads, on your quest to find Paranthe Wali Gali. Fear not though, go ahead and pull out the antennas of your foodie radar. Soon enough, you will be able to sniff out that gorgeous earthy smell of fried besan, potatoes and maida. It is a haven for lovers of samosas, kachodis and paranthes. Dig into rabdi, tomato, cashew, chilli, potato and paneer paranthe, then wash it all down with a hearty creamy glass of Lassi.

Connaught Place - Popularly known as CP, it is Delhi's Central Business District. Visually appealing and a shopper's dream come true, CP is a heritage structure in New Delhi. Much before the mall culture began in Delhi, the locals shopped and ate in CP. Every visit to CP opens up a new local delicacy for me. From the creamy Keventer's milkshakes to Wenger's Mutton Patties, Nizam's meaty rolls to Kake Di Hatti's signature butter chicken, you will be spoilt for choice. This time around, I tried my hand at Banta or Goti Soda. You could call it the "Father of Soft Drinks". Much before the likes of Pepsi or Coca-Cola, Delhi discovered the art of making carbonated drinks with a Goti or marble firmly placed on the mouth of the bottle. More than the drink, the bottle caught my fancy. I had never seen anything like it, in my entire life. While I was busy running my fingers on the cool glass surface, trying my best to pull out the goti, the shopkeeper gave me a dirty stare and snatched the bottle away from me. I tried once more to grab the bottle back from his hand, but to no avail. I drowned my battle scars with the Banta-wala at Punjabi by Nature, my favorite Butter Chicken haunt in Delhi. The perfectly cooked tandoori chicken is drowned in a creamy, cashew, tomato paste. The melt in your mouth mutton kebabs are also to die for.

Haldiram's - Home to the best Chole Bature in India. They also serve sinful thalis and melt in your mouth Indian sweets. I am a hard-core non vegetarian, but Haldiram's makes me forget the taste of meat. Greasy, buttery and creamy, these are the words that best describe every dish at Haldiram's. Forget your diet and wear a loose pair of jeans on the day you want to eat at Haldiram's

Cyberhub, DLF Cybercity - State of the art office complexes that can put an international office complex to shame. DLF Cybercity is not just home to some of smartest brains in our country, but it also houses some of the best restaurants in India namely Farzi Cafe, Theobroma, Dhaba by Claridges, Oh Calcutta, Soi 7, The Wine Company, Yum Yum Cha, Olive Bistro, Canton Spice Company, Nooba, Red Mango and much more. I ate at the newly opened IHOP this time around. I ate their Chicken Florentine Crepe (in memory of my Dubai trip last December), and discovered that they have more or less got the flavours down to pat. Their fruit juices are fresh and wholesome. Their waffles are crispy and browned to perfection. 

Hauz Kaus Village - Home to an Islamic seminary, a mosque and a tomb, Hauz Kaus Village is the perfect example of how the old and the new merge harmoniously in Delhi. At night, HKV (as it is popularly nicknamed by the locals) turns into an ultra modern night out spot for the youngsters. The crowd here are always dressed to kill in their party best. Food, drink and merriment is what you will discover at HKV. I ventured into Coast Cafe and travelled back in time, right to my grandmother's kitchen. Flavorful prawn moilee, divine appams and soulful Kotthu Porothas await you at Coast Cafe. If you are a true blue Malayalee like me, you will shed a silent solitary tear of joy, as you dig into their homely dishes.