A mouthful of "chaat"-er @ Delhi

Food-on-the-go has an unparalleled charm. If Bangalore’s quick bite includes idlis and Mumbai snacks on vada pao, Delhi’s food-in-a-hurry is chaat. That spicy, tingly mouthful of alu tikki or a cool bite of dahi bhalla is a sure winner in this city of hurry, worry and curry.

Known for its chaat on the street with vendors famously tilting their donas full of teekha pani or chatpate chole, Delhi swears by this ultimate comfort food. Unfortunately, with the MCD’s ruling, street chaat is suddenly not so happening. Yet, you can still take the metro to Old Delhi’s bustling Chandni Chowk and lose yourself in the lip-smacking flavours at Radha Swamy Chaat Bhandar. Here the famous tea-time snack becomes a culinary extravaganza, the humble papdi chaat achieves a near perfection with generous helpings of chutney and saunth.

There is no better way of beating the city’s raging summer than with a cool bite of dahi bhalla from Raju Chaat Bhandar or Natraj Dahi Bhalle Wala. Dig into a plateful of this delicacy and savour the tentative mix of flavours. Nathu’s in Bengali Market also serves up bhalla papdi and desi ghee ke samose. Even on a weekday, swarms of hungry hordes don’t mind waiting for a table: such is the pull of the tangy and the spicy, we guess.

Talking of chaat, it’s well-nigh impossible to miss the most popular and ubiquitous gol guppa. This small puri, stuffed with potatoes and soused in spicy water is deceptively simple. But, ask a true Delhiite eating the snack at Prince’s Paan and Chaat Corner and he’ll tell you that it involves an elaborate ritual to turn out that perfect gol guppa. Prince also does great bhelpuri, raj kachori and pao bhaji.

For alu chaat and fruit chaat spiked with peppy chaat masala, pick any vendor around Sarojini nagar market or Lajpat Nagar market. Evergreen is sure to bowl you over with its excellent samosa chaat and Bengali Sweet Centre is the place to go to if you are craving for that spicy plate of alu tikki with chole or chutney. But the alu tikki vendor near the erstwhile Odeon Cinema at CP bags all the masala.

The outlets of Haldiram’s and Bikanerwala too are known for a wide range of such palate-teasing fare.

As far as chaat goes, variety seems to be the spice of Dilli da dona.