Besides excellent restaurants, cafes and street food, Delhi’s food scene is also made up of smaller hole-in-the-wall shops that specialise in various snacks. Be it the sound of puris being fried in hot oil or the sight of cheese melting when a sandwich is toasted, snacks around Delhi have caught the attention of hungry customers for years. We bring you five of our favourite snacks and the shops that sell them from around the city.
Fresh paneer at Quality Dairy Paneer Bhandar
Housed in a lane in Aurobindo Market, Quality Dairy and Paneer Bhandar makes fresh paneer daily. Cubes of the paneer are served with a special masala in a newspaper sheet. It’s fresh dairy at its best. Since the paneer is cold, it makes a tasty and refreshing snack during the summer. Apart from paneer, the shop also sells khoya and various cookies and cakes.
Chhole-puri at Bille Di Hatti
If there’s one place you must visit for iconic chhole-puri in Delhi, it’s Bille Di Hatti in Kamla Nagar. The small shop has a restaurant-like set up with a few tables and although it opens from 7am to 6pm, stocks seldom last beyond 2pm. The place’s popularity has only been heightened by the delicious lassi that is served along with the chhole and puri.
Sandwiches at Deepak Sandwich Corner
West Delhi is often neglected when it comes to eating good food, but the area has a few unmissable gems. Deepak Sandwich Corner in Karol Bagh opens from 11am-9pm and serves some of the tastiest sandwiches you’ll find in the city. The sandwiches use chicken or mutton seekh kebabs or vegetables and cheese, and are toasted until the bread is crispy.
Kathi rolls at 34 Chowringhee Lane
Known for Kolkata-style kathi rolls, 34 Chowringhee Lane has multiple outlets across Delhi. Their chicken, mutton or paneer and aloo rolled in crispy egg parathas have pleased Dilliwalas since 2000. The juicy meat that the stalls in their rolls use ooze flavour and those without meat are equally tasty. Wash one of the big kathi rolls down with a cold coffee here.
Kulfi at Kuremal Kulfi
A Chawri Bazaar institution now also in Bengali Market, Kuremal’s kulfi is very popular and rightly so. Summer fruits like mango are stuffed with rabri and frozen, and other fruits like pomegranate and jamun with a higher water content are made into sorbet. Kuremal’s kesar milk is also well known and comes in flavours like pista, badam and honey.