Food tour in Old Delhi

I can't believe I'll be home three weeks today. This epic adventure is coming to an end. There's still lots to look forward to, though, not least the Intrepid Golden Triangle Tour I'm doing with Fiona 😄.

For today, I had breakfast, which included poha (my favourite!), and then did some work ahead of my 12 noon pick-up for a food tour of Old Delhi. I had my fingers crossed that this would work out better than yesterday's 'tour' 😂.

Old Delhi is the anarchic, charming, and unmissable heart of the city. Wandering through the tangled lanes is said to give you the sense of going backstage to where Delhi's real life takes place. We will be doing a walking tour here on the first day of our Intrepid trip, but I wanted to visit before then to get an idea of what it's like.

Shah Jahan moved his capital here from Agra in 1648, the same year that work was completed on the Taj Mahal, his wife's mausoleum. He named the city Shahjahanabad and built the Red Fort and the Jama Masjid, while his daughter Jahanara Begum designed Chandni Chowk. The half-moon-shaped walled city had 14 gates, including Kashmiri Gate and Ajmeri Gate, which are still important city landmarks.

At the appointed time, I was waiting in my hotel lobby for my guide, Zubair, and my driver, Ali. I was fascinated to see cars driving through my hotel past reception! I managed not to fall for the scam a dodgy tuk-tuk driver tried to do on me, and made it to the correct transport! We drove to Old Delhi, where Zubair and I transferred to a cycle rickshaw, as no motorised transport is allowed in the Chandni Chowk area. I felt very sorry for the driver who had to pedal hard to keep us moving through the traffic.

Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi's main drag, is lined by Jain, Hindu, and Sikh temples, plus a church, and bookended by the Red Fort and Fatehpuri Masjid. In Mughal times, the street was tree-lined and elegant. Now, it is chaotic with numerous tiny bazaars leading off it.

We got on and off the cyclo as we went from one food stop to the next. The first was to try jalebi at a shop that's been open since 1884! Jalebi is a common sweet snack made from deep-fried batter soaked in sugar syrup. It is ridiculously sweet and not something I should be eating. I had a small taste to be polite. I'm afraid the rest went in the bin!

Our next stop was to have aloo paratha and chole bhature upstairs in a tiny restaurant tucked away down a back alley. Both were delicious, although one of the side curries was far too spicy for me! There was just too much food for one person. I did my best, but I had to leave some on the plate.

We then crossed the road to have kulfi, Indian ice cream flavoured with vanilla, saffron, and almonds, and served on a long stick. It was just what I needed to cool me down after the spicy curry!

The next tasting was golgappa, a popular North Indian street food snack made with crisp hollow puris filled with spiced potatoes, chickpeas and tangy mint-flavoured water. It is especially famous in Delhi. The spicy, tangy pani, along with sweet tamarind chutney, gives golgappa its signature burst of flavour in every bite. Zubair told me he doesn't usually offer his clients this, as the mint water can be a bit dodgy for people who are new to India. He was happy for me to try it, though, as I have been here for months! So, I tried it. It was delicious, and no, I didn't suffer any bad effects from it!

We then went for a masala chai. It's never been my favourite, and this one was particularly sweet and sickly. I would have much preferred a black coffee!Leggi altro