Winter on a plate: A culinary trail through Delhi

Delhi is a city of culinary wonders, and winter reveals a different side — rich, hearty dishes, many seasonal, perfect for the chill. In the hands of the city’s culinary maestros, these dishes are worth planning an entire day around — a breath of fresh air, despite the AQI that chokes you. I set off on a winter food trail across Delhi, a journey best taken on an empty stomach and a long day.

Here is a look at the city’s winter food culture — a journey you should definitely take. Sleep well, wake up hungry, and let the city feed you.

Breakfast

Noora Ki Nihari: The Mughlai classic nihari finds its roots in the Arabic word nahar, as it was fed to soldiers and labourers early to energise them for a hard day. My own hard day began with eating to glory, so nihari had to be my start. The stew, tender mutton (buff), marrow, ghee, and ginger with green chilli. Fatty, silky gravy, melting meat, with acidity and kick from the ginger and chilli. All this, with crisp khamiri roti, creates a textural symphony. Noora Ki Nihari has perfected this dish over five decades, with patrons always lined up. Though available year-round, it tastes best in winter.

Nihari
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

To wash this down, I needed tea.

Munna Chai Waala: Just behind Noora Ki Nihari, on the main road, is a chaiwala — no hoardings, name board, or Google Maps listing, just a crowd outside calling the man Munna. Sugar goes into a glass, followed by hot, full-fat milk from a kadhai, brewed black tea from a kettle, stirred vigorously, and topped with malai. This is separate chai — milk isn’t brewed with tea, keeping it light, while the malai makes it creamy.

My next stop had to satiate my sweet tooth.

Old Famous Jalebi Waala: A thick, juicy, fat jalebi with a dollop of rabri on top. A 140-year-old institution. Classic

By 10am, my calorie intake for the day was already over. My stomach was full too — but my heart longed for more. With home (and a nap) hours away, I chose to walk, working up an appetite for lunch.

Lunch

Pt Kanhaiyalal Durgaprasad Dixit: Lunch was a winter special — bedmi aloo in Paranthe Wali Gali. The plate arrives with bedmi puri, yellow aloo subzi, a sweet-and-spicy kaddu (pumpkin) subzi, methi aloo, a sweet tamarind chutney with bananas, and coriander chutney. For me, the puri paired best with the kaddu with the spicy crunchy puri balancing perfectly with the sweet-and-sour tang of the kaddu.

Close was another legacy spot, known for their winter-only variations of the halwa.

Shyam Sweets: Shyam Sweets prepares two special halwas during the winter — the gajar halwa, made with not-too-finely grated carrots, and with topped with khoya and almonds; and the moong dal halwa, made with generous amounts of desi ghee.

Daulat Ki Chaat at Nai Sarak in Chandni Chowk
| Photo Credit:
SUBRAMANIUM S

Jaspal Sumit Kumar Daulat ki Chaat: Daulat Ki Chaat — meaning ‘snack of wealth’ — is made with rich ingredients like milk, saffron, and dry fruits. Milk and cream are churned for hours to form a delicate froth, served with sugar, saffron, pistachios, and khoya. A winter-only special, it’s available for just three months a year and requires cold temperatures to survive. For me, it’s the most sublime of all desserts.

Evening Snack

For quick, light bites with my evening tea, I tried several winter favourites — all available in nearly every local market in Delhi. Smoked shakargandi — a soft, sweet, and creamy, finished with chaat masala and a squeeze of lemon. Matar samosa and kachori — filled with sweet peas and encased in fried dough — Shiv Mishthan Bhandar in Chandni Chowk does them exceptionally well. Nankhatai, cooked in front of you in the galis of Old Delhi — I found one in Paranthe Wali Gali, a no-name, one-man operation whose family has been making nankhatais for three generations, cooked the old-school way on coal. Gajak and chikki, made from jaggery, dry fruits, and sesame seeds. Some of the most popular stores are Pandit Subedar & Sons in Chandni Chowk, though my favourite is the peanut gajak by Mahadevi, widely available at grocery stores and chikki shops, competing shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the city’s most famous names.

A vendor selling roasted sweet potatoes, a popular street food
| Photo Credit:
SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA

Dinner

Shoki Macchiwalai: Open only on winter evenings, Shoki Macchiwala sells just one dish: fried surmai with a squeeze of lemon, sprinkled with a proprietary masala, and served with mooli and green chutney. Overheard calls of “Shoki ji, kya aap apna masala mujhe bechoge?” (“Will you sell me your masala recipe?”) are proof enough — this is a hidden gem, and the fish a culinary masterpiece.

Qureshi Kabab Corner: Known for their melt-in-the-mouth seekh kebabs, Qureshi never fails to impress. Go for their mutton seekh kebabs drowned in butter and tallow.

Qureshi Kabab Corner
| Photo Credit:
Dhruv Kapoor

Gopal Sweets Corner: There is a popular saying, “End your day with a glass of milk for the best sleep quality” (the Punjabi in me fully agrees), so I finished this trail with another winter special: kadhai doodh. Kesar-flavoured milk is slow-cooked on a thick tawa for hours, thickening and deepening in flavour. Sweetened with sugar, poured into a kulhad, mixed with dates, almonds, and elaichi, and topped with pistachios and malai — watching it being made is theatre, and tasting it is an experience.

Doodh Jalebi at Makhan Lal Tika Ram Shop at Kashmiri Gate, in Old Delhi
| Photo Credit:
SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA

This trail reaffirmed in my mind that Delhi is the best city in India for food. What I have tasted is just the tip of the iceberg. The city offers not just variety, but a true taste of India. Many will disagree. To them, I say: embark on this winter trail, explore beyond it too, and then tell me I’m wrong.