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Delhi, India, specifically Old Delhi, is a haven for food lovers. Some of the cities most renowned and popular legendary street food stalls are within the winding lanes of Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi. This area of town is a throwback in time – things are ancient and classic. No food tour of Delhi would be complete without navigating the crowded waters of Paranthe Wali Gali, translated meaning the lane or street of fried bread. Let me tell you, this is literally what you’ll find, and you’re going to love it when you’re in Delhi!
So one day I headed to Paranthe Wali Gali, not the easiest place in Delhi to find, but just walk through the back alleys of Chandni Chowk, ask locals, and eventually you’ll find it – in all its glory. The day I went the alley was packed out with pedestrians. It was so full it was almost hard to walk through the density, but single file we walked until we could smell the parathas being fried – the aroma of Paranthe Wali Gali. On this back street there are a number of restaurants all serving parathas, but I chose a restaurant called Babu Ram Paranthe Wale. Some claim this one is the best, while others favor other spots. I think they are all pretty much the same, with similar flavors and similar prices. Just choose one, I don’t think you’ll go wrong with any choice when you’re on Paranthe Wali Gali!
Part of the joy of eating on Paranthe Wali Gali is the crowded ambiance, everyone searching for the delicious flavors of a paratha fried bread. So what is a paratha? Well it all begins with a ball of roti like dough that’s first kneaded out into a roti shape and then stuffed with a choice of fillings and then rolled out some more. The paratha is then transferred into extremely hot oil where it bubbles up in seconds and scorched the paratha through and through so it’s crispy on the outside and baked through the middle. At Babu Ram Paranthe Wale, the parathas are then dished onto metal plates and served with a couple chutneys that include a pumpkin curry, a peas curry, and a red sauce that sort of tasted like the American version of sweet and sour ketchup. All these side dishes are used to take a piece of paratha and then dip it into for extra delicious flavoring.
The menu is an indicator of just how good and how popular Paranthe Wali Gali is. It’s covered in grease and barely readable. I ordered a couple of mixed parathas and a peas only paratha. They were delivered to our table piping hot with some oil still oozing out. To eat them you just break off a piece and dip it into your sauce of choice and enjoy. Each paratha cost around 40 Rupees. Although they were extremely delicious, if you can’t handle the grease, it’s not for you – these are greasy! I had 3 and I wasn’t full, but I was feeling a little greased out. That being said, they were super tasty and any visit to Delhi should include a visit to Paranthe Gali Wali. Many customers also choose to guzzle down a few creamy lassis served in earthenware cups to go along with their stack of parathas.
Prices: Each one is 30 – 40 INR ($0.55 – $0.73) and you can probably eat 3 – 5, that is if you can handle the grease!
Open Hours: 9 am – 11 pm daily
Address: 1984 Gali Paranthe Wali, Chandni Chowk, Delhi
Follow my food adventures at http://migrationology.com/ & http://www.eatingthaifood.com/ Delhi Travel Guide: http://migrationology.com/delhi-travel-guide-ebook/
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Thai Food Guide: http://www.eatingthaifood.com/eating-thai-food-guide/
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