A long overdue trip to an ancient Delhi area comes into being as I step out for a heritage walk with a friend. It was planned just a night before we took the metro train together from Gurugram to Chandni Chowk. And while life has its own commitments—for me, it’s my two kids—I could still take the trip as my husband pushed me for it. “We are changing cities in less than a month’s time. So, you better go for it,” he said. 

Thanks to the changes that happened to the busy area of Chandni Chowk in 2018, we had only E-rickshaws and cycle wallahs around us. Thank God, we had some space to walk. Minutes of us walking a few feet from the metro station, young men start following us as if we were looking for lehengas. “Bhaiya, lehenga nahi lena. Hum shopping ke liye nahi aaye hai,” I told one of the guys after he followed us for a couple of steps. 

I skipped my breakfast. Didn’t comb my hair. Just landed at Chandni Chowk with my jacket and a friend. It was a busy morning as my in-laws were stepping out to their city, but I really pushed myself for this local trip. And so, I was hungry. 

We started with Matar Kulcha. The freshly cut ginger, onions and tomatoes tricked us to believe that it might be tasty, and boy, we were not wrong. It was lip-smacking! It costed us some 30 to 50 bucks for a plate. The kulchas were thin and freshly roasted. 

We left that lane (a few metres from the metro station), and towards the end of the lane was Natraj. So my friend, Namisha Singal, asked me if I was up for a plate of Dahi Bhalla. Though the plate was a bit cold for a cold December morning like this, we still liked it. She was wanting an aloo tikki or something with it, but we could easily finish the plate. The spice mix that went on the Dahi Bhalla made the cut. “My mother used to save this spice mix and use it on salads later on,” Namisha told me. Her father came to Chandni Chowk almost every month, and he went back to Faridabad with a little bag of Dahi Bhallas. 

After a few minutes, we met our heritage walk leader, Jibin George. It was amazing how he had these old paintings to show us on his iPad and we could clearly compare the changes. Soon we tasted our third dish. 

Jalebis. The shop’s name is Jalebi Wala. It had a board nearby that said Haveli Dharampura. So don’t get confused when you see 12 more Jalebi walas in the area. I was not so excited about this, but I was totally blown away by these jalebis! Two reasons I loved them: The chaashni or the sugar syrup was not so sweet. Plus, it had a runny texture, and not your typical sticky texture. Second, the labelis were both moist and crispy. And these were not too sweet either. So, the key for a really yum plate of jalebis is, hold on to that sugar. It really refrains you from having more. It is one of the best things I have tried in my lifetime! Imagine, I’m almost 40! So, you don’t have to miss these ever! I was told this shop has been running for 3-4 generations. And it’s the simplicity of these shop owners who make you respect them even more. 

My fourth dish came about in the same lane. Daulat ki Chaat. When people told me about it, I imagined a big blob of aloo tikki with mithi chutney or something. But it was way beyond it. Daulat ki Chaat is basically milk froth. It stays as is thanks to the cold weather. Some of it is white, while some of it tastes of Kesar and is yellow in colour. It had a spoon of mawa too and a sprinkle of dry fruits like pistachio. Did I like it? It was too sweet for my palate, but I still managed to complete half a plate. The guy took 200 Rs for three plates of this Chaat. 

We entered a lane called Dariba Kalan. Interestingly, we happened to spot a Pani Puri wala. His cart looked super clean. He was also wearing gloves. So, I went ahead and asked my friend if she was up for a plate of Pani Puri. She ended up finishing her plate, but I couldn’t go beyond one puri. Even so, I didn’t finish that either. And I realised, if a cart is neat, it still doesn’t guarantee the best taste. Pani Puri is truly a tricky dish. She grabbed a nice cup of ginger tea, and we moved on to Parathe Wale Gali. Wow! I almost pinched myself here. As a mum of two toddlers, living in one of the best areas in Gurugram, what am I doing here? How could I manage to come so far? Am I mad? And I realised, it was one of the best decisions of my life. This heritage walks. We should take such walks often in life. Jibin explained the lanes and the history of the place so well—I could connect it so well; I will never get confused about any of the lanes next time. Delhi is truly beautiful if you take a chill pill and get the hang of it. Don’t just keep walking. Wait. Ask someone for the best way out, and you should manage to walk out of it with a smile! I don’t know if I make sense here, but anyway, here I was. Trying not to think of my elder child’s cough or the other child’s pick-up time from school. 

Enters: Pandit Gaya Prashad Shiv Charan. I have seen fried parathas on TV. Of course, I had my doubts if I would like any Parathas here. But I was wrong. The parathas were lip-smacking. But what truly made it work for me was the way it was presented. We get out seats early on, and are served a plate full of everything but parathas. We have tari wali aloo ki sabzi, sukhi aloo, hari chutney, mithi chutney, circa pickle (veggies in vinegar), and kaddu ki sabzi (pumpkin sabzi). The tables were wiped well, and the place looked tolerable in spite of the line outside the shop. The menu was damn confusing, but we somehow ordered two types of parathas. Lemon paratha was the first one. I was curious to see their style of serving lemons in a paratha and they were smart. There was a simple spread of lemon pickle inside the paratha. It tasted okay, and an eye-opener of a dish for me. Simple yet a bit complex. Next was a mixed veg paratha. And I totally enjoyed finishing my thali here. Will I go there again? Hell, yes. This is magic! 

The next dish in your list should be Chole Bhature. But we were too full for it. Of course, the next time I’m here, I’m going to try it. But Jibin pointed out the two places that serve the best Chole Kulche in Chandni Chowk. Kanwarji Bhagirath Mal and Tiwari Ji Chole Bhature. Life is simple, if we keep it simple. Going to the busy lanes of Chandni Chowk was so different than just reading about it on Instagram. We should go out there, more often. We shouldn’t abandon our historic, old corners of the city. It really brings so much together for me. Makes me feel small but valued. We got to value this. Do you know what I mean? 

End your trip with a glass of Falooda Kulfi at Gianis di Hatti.

All pictures credit: Deepika Bhutra Nandal