Venue: Parathe wali galli, Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi
Date: 15 Nov 2014

Open any tour guide of Delhi and one of the must dos is Galli parathey wali. Located in the busy Chandni Chowk area of old Delhi, this is one of the by lanes after Gurudwara Sheesh Ganj (8 to 10 minutes walk from the Chandni Chowk metro station). This lane boasts of a cluster of vegetarian food joints that have been selling parathas (Indian fried bread) since generations. The parathas are stuffed with a variety of strictly vegetarian ingredients so much so that onions and garlic are also not used.

A few steps into the lane and the smoke emitting from the huge woks indicate that one is at the right place. We have always had to queue up to get seated in these open rooms. This time we stood in front of Pt. Gaya Prasad Shiv Charan Parathey Wale. Once seated, the menu is available hung from the walls and choosing from the wide variety (aloo, gobhi, mooli to outrageous karela, mirchi and papad)  is quite a task.

In contrast to the roasted home variety of parathas, the parathas here are deep fried. Consequently the crusts are crisp but the insides are soft. These are served with alu matar, pumpkin curry and a divine sweet chutney made of tamarind and sugar with banana slices!

The lassi is available here are served in khullars (clay cups ) and are way above standard.
While everything was delicious, the surprise items were the Rabri Paratha and the Khurchan Paratha. These were sweet parathas with rabri or coagulated milk and dry fruits. The experience can be described as Christmas for taste buds.

Small rooms – many diners – smoke from the frying parathas maybe a little too hot to handle during summers. However this can turn out to be an offbeat dining experience on any winter weekend. In fact, the fare is rich and heavy to digest making it a more suitable diet for winters.