Top 8 foods to try in New Delhi

8 New Delhi dishes to try

1. Parathas

These flaky, buttery flatbreads are a favourite of mine. Go to Paranthe Wali Gali (flatbread lane), a narrow street in the Chandni Chowk. Either stuffed with vegetables or plain, they often come with chutney and pickles.

Try making your own paratha to soak up your favourite Indian curries.

2. Spices

Khari Baoli is Asia’s largest spice market located in the old city. It’s the wholesale end of the market and is known for its heady aromas and vibrant colours. Buy something to take home and cook with.

Use your spices in one of our easy curry recipes for an extra punch.

3. Street-food staples

Full of childhood nostalgia, aloo tikki (potato cakes), samosas, bedmi poori (deep-fried, puffed bread made with urad dal), nagori halwa (crisp, crumbly pooris) and kachoris (stuffed fried pastries) hold a special place in my heart.

4. Sweets

Two bowls of kheer topped with almonds and raisins

Swirly jalebi and creamy rabdi with nuts from the 17th-century market Chandni Chowk capture the charm of Mughal-era treats. Try kheer (rice pudding) from legendary Bade Mian Ki and fresh naan khatai from Chawri Bazaar.

5. Kebabs and royal dishes

The roads around Jama Masjid are a hot spot for these historical dishes. Look for seekh and shami kebabs, nalli nihari (slow-cooked mutton) and rich shahi tukda (bread pudding with cardamom).

If you want to try cooking a dish worthy of royalty for your guests, try our nihari recipe.

6. Fruit kulfis

Four ice cream serving glasses filled with pistachio ice cream topped with cherries

Visit Kuremal Mohan Lal Kulfi Wale of Chawri Bazaar for these ice cream treats. There’s an array of flavours from mango and guava, to falsa (a sweet sour berry-sized fruit) and imli (tamarind).

Kulfi is a great way to cool down after a spicy meal – end with our stunning bright pink plum kulfis or vibrant green pistachio & rosewater kulfi.

7. Sufi flavours

Around white-domed Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah, the mausoleum of the Sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya in the green leafy Nizamuddin West area, you’ll find sheermal – a slightly sweet saffron-infused bread – as well as halwa poori.

8. Chole bhature

Delhi’s iconic comfort food comprises chana masala (chickpea curry) served with a bhatura or puri (breads). Available city-wide and popular for breakfast, try it when visiting the central market of Lajpat Nagar.