Parathe Wali Gali, Chandni Chowk
The Parathe Wale Gali was a place in my bucket-list since childhood, mainly because of the enticing name and also its numerous reviews on TV shows. Even though I've travelled frequently to Delhi, I couldn't get the opportunity to make a visit there. Finally, meeting an old friend Bhavesh, we decided to try it out. Getting out of the intensely crowded Chandni Chowk Metro Station, you face a number of narrow lanes and you'll find that the most crowded one is where you want to go. The gali is surrounded by two kinds of shops on both sides - one offering primarily lassi, rabdi and gajar ka halwa while the others had parathas. The spaces between them were filled with kachaudis, fruits and other snacks. We had to try all that we could and ended up with a 3-course meal.
We set out with dal kachaudi, which were served with an aloo curry that had one flavour which distinctly stood out, which was that of hing. They were good, one of the better ones I've had till now, but they weren't something you'd visit the place for.
Gobhi and Paneer Paratha, and a lassi
Then came the turn of parathas. As you wait for a chance to get your order across at one of the Baburam's Parathe Walas, you'll be overwhelmed with the range of parathas they can make. Almost anything that you eat has been turned into a paratha by them - kaju, neebu, daal, apart from the ones we normally eat. I thought I'd have a standard one, just so that I can make out what makes them special. Served with a sweet chutney, curry and a couple of pickles, came a crisp gobhi paratha generously loaded with shudh deshi ghee. The parathas weren't much spicy and even had a bit of sweetness in it. The taste was something you would get only there, and worth trying out but wasn't my type, I prefer the spicy ones. The lassi was impeccable though, managed to impress a non-lassi person like me.
We ended the course with the famous Kunwarji's gulab jamuns. The elongated ones being a first for me, these utterly supple jamuns give a perfect closure to the visit with their adequacy in sweetness and the temperature at which they are served in. I was tempted to try other sweets as well, such as the perfectly round and spongy-looking rasgullahs but my stomach was too full to let me do so.
