Author: DFW Content Hub

On a recent quick trip to Nirman Vihar, I stumbled upon this momo shop called “Chalte Phirte Momos” in V3S mall at Laxmi Nagar. I had heard a lot about the place and had seen some beautiful, appetizing pictures of their momos along with some raving reviews. All this had me tempted and so I decided to give this place a try as soon as I saw their signboard.

With a lot of zest and curiosity, I entered the place only to be met with a small shop, with only one working fan and a million flies. I still decided to try some of their momos because let’s face it, not all best-tasting foods have the cleanliest of places to eat at. I ordered their steam Afghani mozzarella cheese momos and their Tandoori Gravy akkha paneer momos. The akkha paneer momo was for 120 rupees a plate and the mozzarella cheese momos were for 100 rupees. Both the plates included 8 pieces of momos. Each plate came with the sides of spicy red chilli chutney and a dollop of mayonnaise.

As a cheese fanatic, I was especially excited about the mozzarella cheese momos but boy, was I disappointed! I expected the momos to be filled with mozzarella or at least come with some kind of cheese inside as the stuffing. Instead it was just plain veg momos lathered with diced onions and MAYONNAISE. I personally just don’t like veg momos; I hate the combination of cabbages and momos and it just doesn’t work for me. I was extremely disappointed with the mozzarella cheese momos; there were absolutely no traces of mozzarella or any other kind of cheese in that dish.

The tandoori gravy akkha paneer momos were better but still, the stuffing had more cabbage than it had paneer. The gravy was super spicy, and I don’t handle spice very well. But at least in some senses, it was somewhat true to what it said it was. The momos were lathered with the spicy gravy, and red onions. Again what irked me was that each bite I took had at least few pieces of onion. It was a onion attack.

You might just have a great time eating the momos there if you enjoy spicy food and veg momos filled with cabbage, but I unfortunately did not like what I ate at Chalte Firte Momos. And it wasn’t just that, the place felt a bit dirty and unhygienic with all those flies and it got hot and stuffy very soon with only one fan as the source of relief. The man at the counter looked like he didn’t want to be there and the whole experience was just below satisfaction.

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I recently went to Lajpat Nagar to help a friend pick out some clothes. Lajpat Nagar is not only a place to shop but it’s also a place with tiny outlets serving some of the best street food, Delhi loves to eat. I always start my trip with a glass of banta from any of the small vendors serving them. On a hot day when you’re out to explore the market kinda day, the banta soothes you down. The tangy drink is the perfect way to start the exploration of this ever so busy market.

After having the refreshing drink we dived into the shopping part. However, soon the day started getting hotter, the sun got angrier, the humidity started crossing all limits, the good old Lassi came to our rescue. Shivam Suresh Chaat wala is a shop located right in the middle of the market serving amazingly delicious chaats, the shop is always crowded with people and it takes some time to get your order across. They serve raj kachori, dahi bhalle, batata puri, gol gappe, palak patta chaat etc. They also serve kulfi faluda, malai lassi and badam milk. I had their badam milk and malai lassi to hydrate myself, under the scorching sun it was all the hydration I needed. The lassi was the perfect accompaniment to the hot sunny day. It was sweet and so delicious. The badam milk was also very refreshing, however the milk seemed too thin and a bit runny but it was tasty nonetheless. Both the drinks cost us 50 rupees each.

I also found these cart vendors selling something which I initially thought was nimbu shikanji but they were actually the flavoured water of gol gappe, but mellowed down. It’s almost like a mix of Golgappe ka paani and jaljeera. A glass for 20 bucks, it was just so invigorating under the scorching sun. It was probably the favourite thing that I had that day.

Then I went to a tiny shop, Hot and Fresh corner, also serving chaats but they were serving something that I had never had before; Bharwa Golgappe. The shop is like a hole in the wall, with clothes’ shop surrounding it from both sides, it’s very easy to skip this shop. But the words Bharwa golgappe caught my eyes and I decided to taste it.

Bharwa golgappe are gol gappe but instead of serving them with the flavoured water, pieces of mashed aalu and dahi are stuffed in. They were served with red and green chutney made of imly and dhania respectively on top. The Bharwa golgappe were seasoned with salt and chat masala. One plate of Bharwa golgappe was priced at 60 rupees for 6 pieces of golgappe. The guy at the counter; Prem was extremely friendly and helpful. I got a plate for my mother, and once he got to know I will be travelling far with the food, he individually packed every single ingredient with two layers of packaging.

Shops like these are a perfect example of how you don’t need to spend a lot to eat well. And it’s also very exciting to set out on such street food tours where you explore hidden little gems that satiate your cravings without emptying your pockets.

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Quite close to the hustle bustle of the ever so busy Central Market in Lajpat Nagar, there is a quaint and quiet lane which teleports you straight to Afghanistan and introduces you to the art of Afghan bread-making. Located right across the market road, this lane is known as Afghan street and it’s easy to understand why. Almost all the shops have signboards written in English, but predominantly in Dari. And a lot of those shops are Afghan eateries, some of them restaurants and some street food stalls.

As you walk down the lane, you’re hit with the familiar smell of freshly baked bread and rich butter. For someone like me who loves the aromas of baking, it felt like walking in paradise. At one of the street stalls, you see a vendor serving out an intriguing dish that looks like a curious cross between a burger and a wrap. Below the tiny counter, the signboard said Afghan burger, veg and non veg.

I asked for a veg Afghan burger and Afghan Lassi, but unfortunately they weren’t serving the Lassi. Another vendor at the neighboring stall told us they’ll start serving it after Ramzan. The veg Burger was for ₹50 and the non-veg burger was for ₹ 100. They also had heaps of bread resting on a table, that were coming straight out of the tandoor (clay oven) nearby. The breads smelled divine and they only cost TWENTY rupees. On the table, you will find jars of pickle that looked like large chunks of diced vegetables drenched in vinegar. The pickles looked fresh and cost only 50 bucks. There were also sheermals and Afghan cakes for 100 rupees each.

So now coming to the main attraction of the shop, the Afghan burger is unlike any ‘Burger’ you’ve had before. It’s a thick, large Roti or lavassa bread encasing soft potato fries, perfectly seasoned and garnished with coriander leaves. Then, some kind of red sauce is drizzled on top of the burger, and voila our afghan burger is ready.

The burger tasted fresh and soft, but it was a bit too dry for my taste. The sauce used is made with a blend of tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, red chili and capsicum. And while the sauce adds a bit of zest and tantalizing flavor to the burger, the quantity of the sauce used was somewhat underwhelming for me. I would have preferred more of it.

They put egg in the veg burger so if you don’t eat eggs, you have to let them know while placing the order. You can also see beautifully marinated chicken stocked up to be put in the non-veg burgers, so you should try that too if you eat meat.

One burger is totally sufficient for a single person, as it’s more than a handful. Bring a friend along if you know you can’t finish large sided portions of food, because this one is not for those with little tummies. The burger is extremely fulfilling and scrumptious. You’re guaranteed to go home with your hunger satiated and all that without burning a hole into your pocket.

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I am sure we’ve all had those days when you’re famished and you feel like you can eat a horse but then you take a look at your wallet and your eyes start brimming with tears because you don’t have a lot of money and you have to go home as well. This happens to me all the time. I am a broke gourmand, a moose cheese lover with the budget of paneer.

For broke days like always, I regularly go to my favourite place in INA market which is the Pandit Ram Sharan Sharma shop to eat their celebrated DAHI KE SHOLEY.

It is a tiny shop in the rear end of the market and they serve mouth watering food items. The simple samosas suddenly taste unlike any other when served with their homemade aalu ki sabzi. You can also choose to have Kachodi with the aalu ki sabzi. They serve bread pakoras too, needless to say with their aalu ki sabzi. You can also find the occasional moong daal ke pakodes but they’re not a regular in their menu. My personal favourites are paneer ke sholey, and Dahi ke sholey. These sholeys are served with an onion salad and dhaniya and imli ki chutney. The sweet and sour taste of the chutney with the crispy outer layer of the sholey, mixed well with the seasoned to perfection dahi mix is absolutely phenomenal. The food is extremely well thought out flavor wise, the burst of tasty goodness in each bite is beautiful.

Pandit Ram Sharan Sharma has been serving these delicious items for more than two decades now and their quality just keeps getting better and better. The service is prompt and speedy, and the man at the counter is very sweet and chatty. He once explained that the coolness of the dahi makes the dish a must have during summers as it cools down the body, it doesn’t contain any unnatural ingredients and is a healthy junk food. One dahi ke sholey only costs 20 rupees and the paneer variant costs 30 rupees. And these are the expensive items from the menu.

Pandit Ram Sharan Sharma is a tiny shop which is not even known by its name. You just know it as the choti dukaan that serves dahi ke sholey. But never ever do you see this tiny shop vacant, because someone or the other is eating at it. It is the exact antithesis of the phrase: unchi dukaan, feekey pakwaan because never ever will you find their pakwaans to be feekey or anything less than sumptuous and delicious. 😛

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