Dilwalon ki Dilli is well known for its lip smaking street food and in the winter months we would see some extra special treats on Delhi’s streets. Most of us would agree that during our childhood days, daily rounds of moongphali wallas marked the arrival of winter season. We would have rushed to them to buy moongphali complimented with different kinds of flavoured salt and enjoyed eating in sun kissed winters. The moongphalipeddlers are now vanishing gradually. In big city retail stores and via different websites, you can get neat little packets of roasted peanuts (in their shells) delivered to your doorstep however it’s not the same. The joy of eating peanut in their freshly-roasted warmth along with flavored salts gives a different feeling altogether.
While it’s chilling outside, getting out of the cozy blanket and roaming around may be tough for some people but I must say you won’t regret once you get out there and get eating. Plan an outing one day to walk around the streets Old Delhi and give a different flavor to your taste buds this winter.
Daulat ki Chaat
For the first time when I was roaming around in Old Delhi with my mom, we couldn’t resist ourselves from eating Daulat ki Chaat. The look of the sweet dish itself is tempting which is very delicate to eat, light and fluffy, disintegrates as soon as touches the tongue. It is made of milk and sugar that’s been whipped furiously for few hours, then garnished with some saffron and served with khoya and more sugar.
The same dish is known as Nimish in the city of Nawabs (Lucknow), Makhan Malai in Mathura while Malayo in Varanasi. If you happen to be at any of these places in winter you can try the delightful dish.
Chikki
Chikki is a combination of jaggery, nuts and seeds such as peanuts, sesame seeds, almonds, pistachios and coconut. This traditional Indian sweet comes in different varieties, styles, and doesn’t like the warm weather, so when it starts to get hot it will be gone for another year.
ShakarkandikiChaat
Delhiites love this healthy snack prepared of sweet potato cubes, squeezed fresh lime and mixed masala (Cumin, chilli, coriander, tang of black salt and a lot more mysterious masala). No ghee and oil makes it a healthy choice. You can also try adding few slices of kamrakh, starfruit, to the combo.
Ram Laddus and Street Side Chaats, Halwas
Laddus are not always meant to be sweet. Don’t be confused, laddus can also be tangy and a chatpata snack like Ram Laddu in Delhi’s streets. It’s basically moong dal laddus served on a bed of grated radish with chaat masala and lemon. You will also find hawkers in streets and lanes selling variety of chaat and halwas during this time of the year.
