Delhi’s street food is a siren song — intoxicating, irresistible, and capable of luring the unwary onto the rocks.
The variety is staggering: samosas fried to a golden crunch, kathi rolls sizzling on hot griddles, chole bhature so rich they border on the spiritual, momos steaming in bamboo baskets, and a whole galaxy of chaat — tangy, spicy, sweet, crunchy, all at once, like a fireworks display on your tongue.
The golden rule of street food is the same one that governs nightclubs: follow the crowd. A stall with a queue means fresh food, fast turnover, and a cook who hasn’t had time to let anything sit.
A stall with no queue and uncovered food baking in the Delhi sun is a health inspection waiting to happen.
What’s safer: anything fried and freshly cooked. The heat, in this case, is your friend. What to avoid: raw salads, pre-cut fruit from street carts, and chutneys made with water of uncertain pedigree.
These are the Trojan horses of Delhi street food — pretty, tempting, and full of surprises you didn’t sign up for.
Start slow. Your gut is a tourist too, and it needs time to acclimatise. Ease into street food over several days, the way you’d ease into a cold swimming pool rather than cannonballing in.