What’s Eaten Where: Delhi: Delicious delights from the heart of India

India’s second most populous city is so vast, so old, so cosmopolitan that it goes by many names: the Heart of India for its central location; Dilwalon ki Dilli (which translates as ‘Delhi of the big-hearted’) for its welcoming nature; and the City of Rallies – not, as you might assume, for the hazardous traffic conditions, but rather for its frequent demonstrations.

With a population of roughly 17 million in an area roughly equivalent to the Republic of Cyprus, it’s a sprawling metropolis renowned for its overpopulation, terrible traffic, and dreadful pollution.

But it’s also a beautiful place, a melting pot of cultures and peoples; home to globally celebrated landmarks such as the Red Fort, India Gate and Qutub Minar. Delhi is also the site of the biggest spice market in the world: the centuries’ old Khari Baoli. And in this city, where the scent of spice colours the air, gastronomically audacious westerners will be spoilt for choice!

Chaat is probably the city’s most quintessential fare, and consists of a variety of foods all based on fried dough. The original chaat is a mixture of potato pieces, crisp fried bread dahi vada or dahi bhalla, gram or chickpeas and tangy-salty spices, with sour Indian chili and saunth (dried ginger and tamarind sauce), fresh green coriander leaves and yogurt for garnish. But other popular variants included alu tikkis or samosa, bhel puri, dahi puri, panipuri, and sev puri – all of which are usually served on a small metal plate or banana leaf.

Another traditional dish is aloo kulcha and chole, preferably with a side of pickle and lassi. Originally part of the Punjabi cuisine, this flatbread stuffed with spiced mashed potatoes, brushed with ghee, and served with spicy chickpea curry is now an iconic part of Delhi cuisine. So, too, are momos, a local comfort food inspired by Nepali street food. A dumpling made from plain flour and filled with either meat or vegetables, this is best enjoyed with a spot of chutney – the spicier the better!

Then there’s murgh makhana (better known as butter chicken), believed to have originated in Delhi itself in the 1950s when two chefs in the Daryaganj neighbourhood accidentally mixed leftover tandoori chicken with a buttery tomato gravy. Top off your meal with another traditional Delhi delight, kulfi – a sort of frozen custard that comes in every possible flavour from rose to mango, cardamom to saffron – and you’ll only just have scratched this city’s culinary surface!