Category: Daily Delhicacies

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Health Juice Centre, A Tastier And Healthier Substitute

Hot summer days of Delhi and cold chilled beverages go together perfectly. However, not always can one indulge in smoothies or shakes. So why not go for something different and a lot healthier? Whether you are looking for a quick fix post a taxing workout or have a sweet tooth, fresh juice never fails to disappoint.

That’s where Health Juice Centre comes in.

Having made its mark among the public in Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad, Health Juice Centre has set up its very first outlet in the Vijay Nagar area of Delhi. Situated among several cafes serving everything from Italian to Asian cuisines, Health Juice Centre still manages to stand out. This outlet is known for serving a wide range of fresh juices and milkshakes which do not contain any water content. They serve everything from the basic mausambi juice to some very interesting flavours called Boom, Zoom, Diamond, etc. Health Juice Centre also serves different sorts of sandwiches, each of which is listed with the amount of fat, calories, carbs, etc it contains.

The Health Juice Centre was first established in Mumbai around 20 years back. Since then, it has only grown. They attract mostly the younger health-conscious generation, in part due to the price at which juices are offered, and their quality, certified by their 100 percent fruit content. The juices and milkshakes are incredible and one can truly taste the fruit. Here, you can also try out samples of juices before placing your order. This quaint cafe is easy to reach, located close to the GTB Nagar metro station. It is small in size but makes up for it with its quality and soft-spoken staff.  

This year, Health Juice Centre is bringing their huge range of juices to the NBT Flavour Fest- Street Fusion Food Court taking place at Baba Kharak Singh Marg on the 14th and 15th of October. The festival is curated by Delhi Food Walks and aims to bring to the forefront the talented minds behind the various fusion food items.

 

Address- D 1/3, Near HDFC Bank, Main Road, Vijay Nagar

Contact info.- +91 8527694131, +91 8376086588

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Mysore Cafe, Serving Delectable Dosas Since The 70s

When you have a craving for something “good” yet do not wish to overindulge, South Indian is the cuisine to go for. The crispy golden-brown dosas paired with sambar, and delicious nariyal chutney on the side make for a yummy and healthy meal. Dosa, originally from South India, has made a place for itself in the hearts of Delhiites.  One can find multiple outlets, from well established, dine in restaurants like Sagar Ratna, Udupi, Saravana Bhawan, to their cheaper counterparts, street vendors, all around Delhi.

Mysore Cafe, located in the serene and beautiful South Avenue area, is a pure vegetarian cafe which serves South Indian dishes. This cafe, a popular breakfast spot among cyclists, offers a range of dosas stuffed with fillings like potatoes, onions, which are served with the staple sambar and chutney and can be paired with tea or the famous filter coffee which is served in a steel glass. Their speciality is the fusion, Bombay dosa which is stuffed with cheese and pav bhaji masala to add that touch of Bombay and is paired with equally delicious nariyal and tomato chutney.

This quaint little cafe, located close to India Gate, has a wonderful ambience and is much loved by the locals for its authenticity and taste. They also sell uthappam, vada, idli, etc, all at a reasonable cost and have generous servings. The cafe has been in business for the last 46 years and is currently owned by RJ Deepak, a friendly and humble guy. It is easy to locate and can be reached by metro, the closest metro station being Udyog Bhawan.

This year, Mysore Cafe, in order to not limit themselves to South Avenue area has participated in the NBT Flavour Fest- Street Fusion Food Court taking place at Baba Kharak Singh Marg on the 14th and 15th of October. If you consider yourself a foodie, you cannot give this a miss. The festival is curated by Delhi Food Walks and aims to bring to the forefront the talented minds behind the various fusion food items.

 

Address- South Avenue Market, Near Sena Bhawan, India Gate, New Delhi

Contact info.- +919312646611   

 

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The Waffle Baker, The Newest Kid On The Block

Waffle, considered to be Belgium’s “culinary gift to the world” is no longer a plain and simple dish as it originally was. It has found its variants across the world and is served either with strawberries, maple syrup, whipped cream, chocolate syrup, sometimes frozen, at others, freshly cooked. But, have you ever had a chocolate-laden, waffle on a stick?

In Delhi, one can find multiple outlets selling waffles, each trying to outdo the other. The Waffle Baker, a newly opened outlet in GTB Nagar area has gone a step further. Situated on Hudson Lane, in the midst of North Campus’ food hub, this waffle place offers waffles with a variety of toppings like Nutella, chocolate, Gems, and also ice-cream on the side. Their much-loved waffle and an especially innovative one is the Berry Express which is served with a topping of Magic Pops.

The Waffle Baker’s rampant popularity is due to their ingenious idea of serving waffles on a stick. These waffles are made without using any eggs and the batter is prepared by them, without the use of any machine. The end product is, absolutely delicious waffles with the perfect amount of crunch, which are then dipped in chocolate sauce or topped with a dash of colourful sprinkles and served to you with a smile. The place is quite small and lacks proper seating, therefore an, even more, reason to go for waffles on a stick. They are not that expensive and the quality that you get makes it a bargain. One also has the option of creating one’s own waffle, customising it according to liking. This outlet also serves coffee and various shakes, a lovely combination with a waffle. This place opens around 11 am and is easy to reach, the nearest metro station being GTB Nagar on the Yellow line.

This year, The Waffle Baker is trying to make waffles on a stick accessible to the wider public by presenting them at the NBT Flavour Fest- Street Fusion Food Court taking place at Baba Kharak Singh Marg on the 14th and 15th of October. The festival is curated by Delhi Food Walks and aims to bring to the forefront the talented minds behind the various fusion food items.

 

Address- 2507, Hudson Lane, GTB Nagar,

Contact info.-  +91 7503045505  

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De Paris Bakers, a Hidden Gem in West Shalimar Bagh

A crispy, crumbly, butter-soaked patty, which is baked to perfection to get that lovely golden brown coloured crust, and makes a crunch sound as you bite into it. Isn’t that enough to make one’s mouth water? Moreover, if it is stuffed it with some of your favourite food items like pasta or pizza ingredients well, then who can say no to that?

De Paris Bakers, located in North West Delhi’s Shalimar Bagh area, is a small outlet that sells various bakery items like pasta, pizza, fries, shakes and patties. On the outside, this bakery looks plain and simple, in other words, not appealing. Yet, it manages to stand out from the various fancy and expensive bakeries in Delhi. De Paris Bakers was established around 20 years back and is now run by Saurabh, a polite and soft-spoken guy. The bakery is popular in the neighbourhood for selling scrumptious aloo patties and other unconventional ones filled with macaroni, tandoori pasta, mushroom, and pizza toppings which are served with ketchup. These patties are filled with mozzarella making them taste heavenly and just a look is enough to make your mouth water.

The bakery lacks an organised seating area and can be a little hard to find as it is located on the backside of BP Market in West Shalimar Bagh. All the bakery items are priced at a reasonable cost starting from Rupees 20. They also have various types of burgers and special combos consisting of burger or pizza, with coke and fries which are quite filling. The bakery can be easily reached by metro or, those living close by can also have their food home delivered.

This year, De Paris Bakers are trying to broaden their horizons and at the same time leave a lasting impression on their customers by selling these varieties of innovative patties at the NBT Flavour Fest- Street Fusion Food Court taking place at Baba Kharak Singh Marg on the 14th and 15th of October. If you consider yourself a food enthusiast, then you cannot miss this. The festival is curated by Delhi Food Walks and aims to bring to the forefront the talented minds behind the various fusion food items.

 

Address- BP 66, Club Road, West Shalimar Bagh

Contact Number- +919911700887, +919811156704

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Cafe 96 Square, A Cafe Unlike Any Other

In the recent times, Delhi has seen a boom of the casual dining outlets, better known as cafes. There are tons of these sprouting in every locality selling similar items like pizza, pasta, etc. Then one might ask, what is so different about Cafe 96 square? What sets it apart?

Cafe 96 square, located in the commercial area of Krishna Nagar in East Delhi, looks like a conventional cafe on the surface, but one look at its menu is enough to mark it off as “different”. The cafe was established four months back by relatively young entrepreneurs, Siddharth and Shivam, with the aim to offer innovative and fusion dishes. A lot of thought was put into the menu to give the customers dishes like the Ayurvedic Pasta which consists of dry herbs like thyme, basil, and rosemary and the paan flavoured drink which is made using the liquid extracted from the paan leaves, thus giving it a rich and pungent flavour, which is sure to bring back memories of Ravalgaon’s Pan Pasand toffee.
Cafe 96 Square’s signature dish has to be the Makhani Pasta. It is made from the base of dal makhani and khoya and elaichi powder are added later, to give it that distinct Indian flavour. In this, two popular cuisines, North Indian and Italian, are intertwined to give us a creamy and delicious pasta. The cafe also offers the staple North Indian and Continental dishes and variety of shakes, smoothies and other drinks. Another dish that has more of an aesthetic value is their miniature and tasty burgers called burger shots. The serving of the various dishes is substantial and is easy on the pocket as well. The cafe starts serving from 11 in the morning till 11 at night. Majority of its crowd are people from the younger generation, looking for a place to relax and enjoy some good food. It is easy to reach, the nearest metro station being Preet Vihar on the Blue Line, and easy to spot as well.

This year, Cafe 96 square is participating in the NBT Flavour Fest- Street Fusion Food Court taking place at Baba Kharak Singh Marg on the 14th and 15th of October. If you consider yourself a food enthusiast, then you cannot give these innovative dishes a miss. The festival is curated by Delhi Food Walks and aims to bring to the forefront the talented minds behind the various fusion food items.

 

Address- F-3/20, Krishna Nagar, New Delhi

Contact Number- +919650804858

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Samosa’s Authentic Indian Food Making Samosa’s Great Again

Be it a rainy day or just a craving for something “good”, aloo samosa with dhaniya and imli chutney is the go-to snack for almost every Indian. Just when you think everything that could have possibly been done to and modified about a samosa, has been done for, you couldn’t be more wrong. Samosa’s Authentic Indian Food, located in the bustling lanes of South Delhi, is here to revolutionise the basic aloo samosa.

Situated in the J block of the Amar Colony area of Lajpat Nagar 4, amidst the honking cars and the crowded lanes, Samosa’s Authentic Indian Food may seem like a regular shop on the outside, however, you’ll be assured of its uniqueness once you take a look at its menu. This samosa outlet has broken away from convention in just a period of 4-5 months. Samosa’s Authentic Indian Food offers upto 38 varieties of vegetarian and non-vegetarian samosas having fillings of paneer tikka, chicken keema, malai mushroom, creamy corn, and even a newly introduced samosa desert or ‘samoert’, stuffed with khoya and Dairy Milk Silk. One also has the option of two different types of samosa base, either aata or maida.

Rajiv, the owner of the outlet has collaborated with Swiggy and Ubereats to provide a swift and efficient home delivery experience to his customers and even has a website dedicated to the same. The different samosa stuffings are prepared every morning but no samosa is cooked beforehand. They are freshly prepared, using little marking of food colouring for differentiation, as per the orders received, in a small kitchen at the back of the shop. The samosas are served with the staple dhaniya and imli chutney. These golden brown crispy samosas start at rupees 10, going high up only till rupees 60. The outlet opens up at 11 in the morning but receives huge crowds only in the evening around 4-4:30.

This year, Samosa’s Authentic Indian Food is trying to expand its reach and “make samosa’s great again” by being a part of the NBT Flavour Fest- Street Fusion Food Court taking place at Baba Kharak Singh Marg on the 14th and 15th of October. The festival is curated by Delhi Food Walks and aims to bring to the forefront the talented minds behind the various fusion food items.      

 

Location- J-9, Shop No 2, Amar Colony, Lajpat Nagar 4

Contact info.- +919650673039

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Rajiv Bhai ki Spl. Pizza Omelette, a Speciality of Dwarka Sector 7

Omelette, etymologically a French word, has since been modified and its variants, like the frittata or the Greek omeleta, can be found across the world. In India too, the vendors of Delhi, have taken the omelette up a notch. The staple ingredient of every household has been spruced up to give us the pizza omelette.

Pizza omelette, a crossover between a pizza and an omelette, has become a speciality of Dwarka Sector 7. One can find many street food vendors selling the same, however, the one sold at Ramphal Chowk by a stall named Rajiv Bhai ki Spl. Pizza Omelette is truly a delicacy. The stall is owned by Shiv Kumar who has been doing the same for the past 3 years. People from the neighbourhood start lining up at his stall as soon as it opens. He also sells various other sorts of omelettes including cheese, chicken, paneer and even dry fruits. Shiv Kumar sets up his stall at 3 pm and serves till 11 pm, making for a great evening snack. The stall is easy to spot, being quite popular in the locality and can be easily reached by metro.


The pizza omelette is prepared live and its price varies from rupees 80-240, depending on the number of eggs used to make the omelette, going upto 10 eggs. The omelette is first cooked in large quantities of butter, either in Amul butter or its healthier alternative Nutralite, then stuffed with tomatoes, onion, ginger, and chillies, and later 4 slices of bread attached to it while cooking. So far, the dish looks pretty basic and simple, however, what follows, makes it stand apart. The omelette is finished off with toppings of liberal quantities of grated cheese, cream, beetroot, paneer, pomegranate, and fresh coriander. The finished product truly looks like a pizza and as you dig in, you’ll discover the variety of ingredients used in the making. The pizza omelette is served with two types of chutney, and a little salad on the side. If you are looking for an indulgence and do not mind the calories, this is the dish to go for.
This year, Rajiv Bhai ki Spl. Pizza Omelette is trying to give every Delhite the taste of their special pizza omelette by being a part of the NBT Flavour Fest- Street Fusion Food Court taking place at Baba Kharak Singh Marg on the 14th and 15th of October. The festival is curated by Delhi Food Walks and aims to bring to the forefront the talented minds behind the various fusion food items.

Location- Rajiv Bhai ki Spl. Pizza Omelette, Ramphal Chowk. Dwarka Sector 7, Delhi

Contact info.- +919015062819

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K.B Chaat’s Famous Moonglet

Some call it the “Vegetarian Omelette” or the Indianised Pancake, but it is popularly known as the ‘moonglet’. Moong dal and Omelette, two food items that seem to not fit well together have been combined by the vendors of Karol Bagh to give us the super delicious ‘moonglet’. In simple terms, ‘moonglet’ is a moong dal cheela, but at the same time, it is so much more than that.

K.B. Chaat, located in Karol Bagh, is known in the neighbourhood for its scrumptious butter soaked ‘moonglets’. One can find multiple vendors selling this delicacy in this area, but it is for K.B. Chaat’s ‘moonglets’ that people line up and wait patiently. Located opposite the Stellato’s showroom, the stall is set up at 3 pm and keeps serving its various chaat items till 10 at night. Apart from the ‘moonglet’, they also sell other basic chaat items like Gol Gappe, Aloo Tikki, Chole Kulche, among others. KB Chaat first came into service in 1970 and was initiated by the father of the present owner. The owner, Dinesh Kumar, introduced the ‘moonglet’ in the stall’s menu about 6 years back. Since then, this dish has become popular across Delhi and has become synonymous with the stall’s name.
The cheela moonglet is prepared live and the process is a visual treat. It is made from moong daal, stuffed with onion, capsicum, sweet corn, etc and is cooked solely in layers and layers of butter, later topped with beetroot and coriander. Watching the moonglet being prepared is truly mouthwatering and makes it taste a lot more delicious. One can enjoy the cheela with 3 different types of chutneys, imli, mint, and a special one made out of khajoor. The price of the cheela varies from rupees 50-70, depending on the quantity of butter.

K.B. Chaat is easy to reach, the nearest metro station being Karol Bagh on the Blue line. The ‘moonglet’ is entirely made from vegetarian ingredients, yet it still manages to imitate the texture of an omelette. It makes for a perfect and relatively healthy evening snack.

This year, K.B. Chaat is trying to expand its reach by being a part of the NBT Flavour Fest- Street Fusion Food Court taking place at Baba Kharak Singh Marg on the 14th and 15th of October. The festival is curated by Delhi Food Walks and aims to bring to the forefront the talented minds behind the various fusion food items.

Address- K.B. Chaat, Opp. Stellato’s, Karol Bagh
Contact info.- +919873469437

 

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Raju Idli Wala, A Gem in Noida’s Sector 34

An internet search about South Indian food stalls in and around Delhi will give you a multitude of options to choose from. One can find a thela serving a range of South Indian dishes in almost every neighbourhood of Delhi or NCR. However, no amount of Google searches will help you find this place. But once in this neighbourhood, this food stall is hard to miss.

Angel South Indian Food better known as Raju Idli Wala, is a small food vendor located in Noida’s Sector 34 who is quite popular in the neighbourhood for making delectable dosas at an affordable cost. As the name indicates, he sells wonderful, light as air idlis. However, refusing to confine himself to just this, he also makes a range of South Indian food like Uttapam and Vadas and serves them with sambhar and delicious nariyal chutney, all at an affordable cost ranging from rupees 40-50.

Raju, the owner and the head chef, sets up his thela at 6 in the evening and closes only when every one of his last customers has been served. He has a team of two who help him with the cleaning and the management of his affairs.

Raju’s story goes as follows. Before being a small business owner, he used to work at an office canteen, making the very same things, until the company was shut down and he was out of a job. This was probably his wake-up call to do greater tastier things. He named the food stall after his daughter Angel, but the shop is synonymous with his name.

As soon as this place opens, it starts humming with activity, witnessing a line of hungry people all eagerly waiting for their order. Raju makes the best of what he has in order to accommodate them. The thela serves as a cooking station and also doubles up as a table. Everything, from the cooking to watching people indulge in the food is a visual treat. The option of “Take Away” is also available. But the locals say the food is more enjoyable and seems tastier when you eat it there, surrounded by fellow foodies.

Raju Idli Wala’s thela is easy to spot, located opposite the B12 Market, next to a huge park, and close to the Wave City Centre metro station. This is a must try for the locals, and worth hopping onto a metro and travelling the distance, just to gorge on some delicious Vadas and Uttapams.

So the next time you are in town, do not forget to grab a plate of your preferred South Indian dish at Raju Idli Wala.

Location- Opposite B12 Market, Captain Shashi Kant Marg, Sector 34, Noida, Uttar Pradesh
Timings- 6 pm onwards, except Friday
Contact Number- +917503611520

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Ashok and Ashok Meat Dhaba

This Dhaba Started by Two Friends Sells The Best Mutton

Korma in Delhi

Navneet Virdi Delhi Food Walks

( This Article was first published in NDTV Food )

This Dhaba Started by Two Friends Sells The Best Mutton Korma in Delhi

Highlights
  • This shop was started way back in 1984 by two friends: Ashok and Ashok
  • The korma is made with 30 different kinds of spices and loads of ghee
  • The gravy is served with rotis interwoven with coriander leaves

Photo Credit: Facebook/AshokandAshokMeatDhaba

Walking through the lanes of Sadar Bazar in the scorching heat, I was quite determined to find the extremely famous “Ashok and Ashok Meat Dhaba”. Once I did, it was nothing like I imagined it to be. Since it was extremely famous and had the word ‘Dhaba’ attached at the end, I thought of it to be a fairly medium-sized joint but it turned out to be just a very tiny hole-in-the-wall. But don’t get me wrong, I never judge a book by its cover and I’m glad I did not deviate from my policy this time as well.

The food here makes up for the size of this shop and the story behind it makes it larger than life. This little shop was started way back in 1984 by two friends namely; Ashok and Ashok, well no surprises there! These two friends were titled as the “Macho gangsters” of this area. Alongside their rowdy business, they also loved to make and serve meat curry to the localities. What followed is history. They turned their passion of cooking into their profession and became proud owners of the Ashok and Ashok Dhaba.

Ashok and Ashok are no more with us but their legacy continues. The shop is run by the younger generation. A medium sized dusty frame holds the picture of Ashok and Ashok smiling ear to ear, looking upon the shop still running successfully.

The shop opens at 1 P.M and you’ll always find a crowd hovering for their meat delights.  The Mutton Korma is made only on Wednesday and Saturday, and it finishes off in a matter of half an hour while the Chicken Korma and Biryani are prepared every day.

The korma prepared here would definitely pass off with an A grade in a royal kitchen. Why I am saying this is because 30 different kinds of spices are added to the gravy and the entire thing is prepared with loads of desi ghee. The meat is tender and falls off the bones perfectly and the glistening golden gravy is full of aroma. It is so fragrant that your hands and tummy are provoked to eat it right away. The gravy is served with rotis (chapatti) interwoven with coriander leaves.

This gravy is not your ordinary gravy. It is cooked with minced meat. The process is rather elaborate. A large tin of ghee is melted in a huge pan and then ginger, garlic and onions are added and stirred until golden brown. Next, the 30 secret spices are added to the mix and are left to ooze out their flavour and aroma. Mutton pieces and minced meat are finally added to this enticing mix and left to cook for 20-30 minutes. Later, the perfect amount of water is added and some chopped tomatoes are thrown in and it is further cooked for an hour and a half depending or till the gravy attains a smooth texture. The same procedure is followed to prepare the chicken curry. The biryani served here is very rich as well and is equally delicious. It was a matter of time when the clock struck 2:30 P.M. while we were still devouring the delights and the Ashok and Ashok Meat Dhaba was already out of their famous delicacies.

Price: Rs. 300 for 2

Timings: 1 P.M. – 3 P.M.

Location: 5820/42, Subhash Chowk, Sadar Thana Road, Near Sadar Bazaar, Chandni Chowk, New Delhi.

About the Author:

Delhi Food Walks provides a platform for food enthusiasts to share their culinary journey while keeping the rich and diverse culture of Delhi alive through specially curated food trails and food festivals. This year, Delhi Food Walks is organizing the first-ever Street Food Awards which aims to recognize various street food vendors present in the narrow alleys of Delhi and honour them for the delightful services. The winner will be decided from a pool of nominations across 20 categories and a few special mentions by our esteemed jury of food connoisseurs like Marryam H Reshii, Sourish Bhattarcharya and Rahul Verma. If you want your favourite street food outlets to win, do not forget to vote for them!

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