Top 20 Delhi Famous Food Items

Delhi is the capital of India, and it has always fascinated travelers with its mixture of both old and new cultures. But this city is also famous for its Mughal-era monuments, bazaars, mosques, and bustling street food.

So what are Delhi’s best street foods? Here are our top 20 picks (and please let us know your favorites!).

20. Chole Bhature (Chickpeas and Fried Bread)

One of the most popular dishes in the capital, Chole Bhatura is a combination of puffed fried bread (bhatura) served with chickpeas and a spicy sauce. This dish is very filling. It’s available everywhere, but to try it out at its best, go to Connaught Place or Karol Bagh areas for some serious street food time!

19. Dahi vada (Lentil Desserts)

During summer in India when the climate is very hot, people prefer soft cool food items like Dahi vada. Dahi vadas are made of lentil, coconut and sweetened yogurt. They are commonly served with chatni or imli chutney (sauce made with tamarind).

18. Kachori Chaat (Sweet Dough with Chutneys)

This dish is very popular in Delhi, especially in Gurgaon & Noida. It is basically a small dough ball made up of flour & water which is deep fried to make it crispy on the outer side and soft inside. Flavored with different chutneys and dry fruits, the kachori chaat is a real treat!

17. Khakra Farsan (Dumplings with Curries)

A great delicious combination of dumplings with Indian and Pakistani food, Khakra farsan is a delicious treat that can be found in Delhi’s famous old bazaars. The Khakra farsan is a mixture of small puffy dumplings that are fried until well cooked, then marinated in garlic butter, tomato chutney and some spice paste. You can find khakra farsan all over India but there’s no way to resist the taste of this dish!

16. Pani Puri (Baked Bread with Stuffing)

Pani Puri is a popular Indian snack enjoyed all over Delhi. Pani puri is basically a hollow puri filled with chickpeas, potatoes and different Indian spices. The puris are then topped with chutney, tamarind sauce, sweet and sour sauce and some raw onions. It is best eaten by putting everything inside the pani (water) at once and sucking it out through one’s mouth after having popped the whole thing in!

15. Triangular Bread Pappadam (Idli, Dosa and Uthappam)

This is a combination of three delicious Indian dishes – Idli, Dosa, & Uthappam. These are made from rice and have a deep fried outer crease with the soft inner portion. It is served with chutney.

14. Vada Pav (A mix of Potato & Peas Fritters)

Vada Pav consists of a mix of potato and peas fritters filled with gravy or chutney (coconut chutney, tomato chutney or aloo-tikki). It is served with the pav (bread). It can be eaten straight or wrapped in the pav. The vada pav is a famous dish of Mumbai but it has become famous all over India.

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13. Chaat Papri (Sweet Mixed Rice)

This snack consists of a sweet combination of fried rice topped with Sev, sweet chutney and dry fruits. The chaat papri is very popular in Delhi because it contains all three sweet food items – sev, sakkar pare and bor di chaat together! It’s mainly served near the metro stations during evenings by street vendors.

12. Mawa Bhanda (Sweet and spicy White Cheese)

Mawa Bhanda is a sweet semi-firm cheese that has a crumbly texture. It is very popular in Delhi but the word ‘mawa’ itself is used everywhere in Punjab so it’s kind of a spread which can be found across India.

11. Aaloo Tikki (Potato Cakes)

This snack is made out of potatoes and chickpeas, fried till golden brown and then topped with sweet chutney, tamarind sauce and sometimes some dry fruits. Aaloo Tikki is a very popular dish in Delhi because it can be found everywhere.

10. Khakhra (Whole Wheat Crackers)

Made from whole wheat flour and salt, these are some very popular crackers that can be eaten anytime and anywhere! You get different shapes of khakhras like the circle-shaped Chana Khakhra, the triangle-shaped Rajasthani Khakhra, etc. They are leavened flat breads and are usually deep-fried.

9. Dahi Handia (Indian Curry Fritters)

Indian Curry fritters are a mixture of different types of dals cooked in a spicy gravy. The curry fritters are made from the different types of lentils such as masoor dal, moong dal, chana dal and mintel peas (pudina). There are many variations with the main ingredients. Each region has its own type of curry fritter but they all have the same taste and flavor. Some popular ones include: Tunde Handi (Bengal), Gatha Handi (Maharashtra), Bhagwani Handi (Rajasthan), Kunji Handi (Uttar Pradesh)..

8. Pani Puri (Baked Bread with Stuffing)

A popular street food, Pani Puri is made of a hollow puri, which is filled with a mixture of chickpeas, potatoes and various Indian spices. The pani puris are topped with tamarind sauce, sweet and sour sauce and some raw onions. It is best eaten by putting everything inside the pani (water) at once and sucking it out through one’s mouth after having popped the whole thing in!

7. Malpua (Sweet Pancake Rolls)

Malpua are made from refined wheat flour and packed into a triangular shape. It is then deep-fried and soaked in sugar syrup. Malpua is mainly eaten during the festival of Holi. It is often served with rabri and kheer.

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6. Chole Bhature (Chickpeas and Fried Bread)

One of the most popular dishes in Delhi, Chole Bhatura is a combination of puffed fried bread (bhatura) served with chickpeas and a spicy sauce. This dish can be found all over India but there’s no way to resist the taste of this dish which comes from Delhi!

5. Phirni (Sweet Milk Pudding with Mixed Nuts)

It comes in various flavors like mango, strawberry, kesar phirni etc. Phirni is made out of rice powder and milk. It has a mild flavor and is only mildly sweet. It contains mixed nuts which makes it very delicious!

4. Makhana (Lotus Seed)

Makhana can be found during the summer season where it grows in abundance. It’s basically a green pod-like seed of lotus plants that are grown mainly in the Gangetic plains of India. They grow underwater so they need to be harvested with special equipment and are then sun dried to preserve them for the year ahead. Makhana can be eaten as a snack or added to many different dishes.

3. Dal Makhni (Black Lentils)

Dal Makhni is one of the most popular dishes in the northern region of India and especially in Punjab. It is made with black lentils and butter and is cooked on a slow fire with ginger, garlic and many other spices. It’s a very popular dish which can be eaten with rice, roti, naan etc.. In fact, there are many restaurants named “Dal Makhni” where you can get only this dish!

2. Dahi Puri (Fried Bread with Curried Vegetables)

1. Shrikhand (Yogurt Cheese)

This is a very popular dish in the northern region of India. The main ingredient is yogurt and some other spices and fruits. It’s eaten cold and is considered to be a sweet dish.

To sum up

We hope you’ve found your favorites in this list. Is there anything that we have left out? Let us know in the comment section below!

20 Delhi Famous Food items that you must try as a delhiite