Delhi's Kaju Katli-Soan Papdi Food Trail
By Ujjainee Roy
During the festive periods of Navratri and Diwali, Delhi lights up and gets ready to indulge in the two classic sweets known as Kaju Katli and Soan Papdi. Even beyond the festive period, the urge to indulge in these treats is quite strong among those with a sweet tooth. If you are one of these people and want to explore the best Kaju Katli and Soan Papdi places in Delhi, this trail is for you.
Hira Sweets
Though this store is best known for its balushahi, their kaju katli has been anointed the best in Delhi by Internet sleuths and Delhhites alike. The shop has a range of kaju sweets including gujiya, jalebi, cassata, but their kaju katli is fudgy, sweet and has a melt-in-the-mouth quality.Mithaas
Mithaas makes a classic kaju katli with premium cashews, topped with silver foil. They have a decent kaju-based range featuring sugar-free kaju katlis, mix kaju katlis (in flavours like rose, kesar and blackcurrant) and kaju cake. The brand is also known for its savoury bites including the raj kachori. Don't miss out on their sugar-free range which has picks like anjeer pak and khajur pak.Haldiram's
Haldiram's is your best bet if you want your kaju katli to have balanced sweetness. It's creamy and seasoned with cardamom and you'll love the ghee-accented notes. It has also has a long shelf-life and if you're planning to send sweets to someone in another city, Haldiram's dry kaju katlis would be a great option.Evergreen Sweets
Evergreen Sweets offers a delicious kaju katli, which has often been deemed to be one of the best in Delhi and definitely among the top 3 in South Delhi. Their kaju katli is a classic diamond-sliced wedge of cashew and has a shelf life of 10 days. Also, explore their kaju shahi roll and their decadent kaju matka.Gulab Sweets
Pitampura's Gulab Sweets is known for their ghewar, kaju katli and gulab jamun. Their kaju katli is delicious, creamy and lightly spiced. The brand also serves fresh badam gajjak, gur khasta, gur rewri and kaju gajjak, along with some yummy ras malai, raj bhog and moong dal halwa.Nathu's
If you're sick of pre-packaged soan papdi and want fresh options, head to Nathu's soft, flaky soan papdi that is full of almonds and pistachios. The besan-flavoured sweet treat is flavoured with cardamom which accents the ghee perfectly.Kaleva
Kaleva serves some of the best sweets in the Gole Market area and is best known for their badam milk, bedmi puri, fafda and michi and panjiri. They stick to classic flavours and often stick to simplistic recipes. Don't miss out on their range of peanut-based sweets like sev badam barfi, badam patisa, badam pinni etc.Kanwarji's
Kanwarji's is your best option for buying festive sweets in Old Delhi; their halwa nagori, kaju barfi and chhole bhatore are widely popular. Their soan papdi is light, airy and has a great texture with a hint of nutty aroma. They also make a sohan halwa tikki and a decadent ghewar.Standard Burfee
If you want to buy large portions of soan papdi, Standard Burfee sells 400 grams of soan papdi for Rs 150. Their soan papdi is made of desi ghee and has the perfect crumble. The brand has an exceptionally large line-up of festive sweets and sells everything from panjiir laddu to desi ghee dodha, brown barfi, malai chaap and more.Om Sweets
If you want a contemporary touch to your old favourites, the soan papdi at Om Sweets would be the perfect pick. The light soan papdi has no added preservatives and is dotted with nuts and dry fruits. You can also buy a 900-gram pack online.