Best Indian Street Food in Old Delhi!! (Sells Out in 30 Minutes)

TL;DR

A guided tour through Old Delhi's legendary street food spots, culminating in a buffalo nihari stew that sells out in 30 minutes every evening.

Key Points

• 1.Pateki Kachori is the most popular kachori spot in Delhi. Served from a bicycle, the flat puffed pastry is stuffed with dal lentils and topped with chickpeas, tamarind-mango chutney, ginger, coriander, and green chilies.
• 2.Ashok Meat Dhaba is a hidden curry spot open only 2–3 hours a day for lunch. Founded in 1984 by two friends both named Ashok, it serves chicken and mutton curry cooked with 16 spices and ghee, reheated tableside over charcoal.
• 3.The mutton chops at Ashok Dhaba were described as a pivotal life moment. The fat was so tender it dissolved without chewing, blending black cardamom, long pepper, and ginger into what the host called one of the greatest curries of his life.
• 4.Nandi's Chole Bhature has been open since 1940 and is considered the best in Delhi. The chickpea dish uses dried pomegranate seeds for tartness and cumin-heavy masala, served with fluffy bhatura fried in ghee — now expanded to three Delhi locations.
• 5.A closet-sized stall in Old Delhi serves rajma chawal and palak paneer chaval. Kidney beans and spinach-paneer sauce over rice, topped with sliced onions and multiple chutneys, was described as pure comfort food that improves with every bite.
• 6.The nihari spot opens precisely at 5:30 p.m. and sells out within 30 minutes. They cook 70 kilos of buffalo nihari for 10 hours, resulting in an intensely rich stew served with fresh kamiri roti — a yeast-leavened tandoor bread designed to absorb the fat.
• 7.The nihari includes nali nihari peda — bone marrow, meat, and buffalo brain in one bowl. The marrow and brain melt completely on the tongue without chewing, and the selling process was described as a chaotic auction-like crowd scene.
• 8.The entire day was guided by Anub, a Delhi food walk expert with 16 years of experience. He is credited with promoting and preserving Old Delhi's legendary food vendors through food tours he still runs today.