Delhi, which is the capital city of India, is famous for its marvelous monuments, especially the India Gate. But Delhi is also renowned for its popular Indian cuisines, which make it the food capital of India. People of Delhi take pride in their unending variations of famous food options, of fine dining culinary at pocket-friendly prices.
Do you know? Many food items from India were originally invented in the heart of Delhi, Old Delhi, also known as Purani Delhi. This part of Delhi is tremendously famous for its delicious food items. The best quality Indian food cannot be found in any part of India, except for Delhi.
People living outside India miss these delicacies, and on getting a chance, they often get confused about what to eat. If you go out to eat, this list will certainly help you.
In this article, we have picked out 12 popular Indian cuisines, which come straight from Delhi’s heart for you to taste.
1. Butter Chicken
Butter Chicken, popularly known as Murgh Makhani, has its origin in Delhi is a creamy delight. A blend of creamy gravy with succulent chicken and a touch of spices makes it one of the best curries. It is famous for its distinctive taste and heavenly experience for food lovers. Butter Chicken is one of the most ordered cuisines in restaurants across Delhi and in the west.
2. Malai Kofta
Malai koftas are traditionally made out of meat, you can also replace the meat with mashed potatoes or tofu paneer mixed with spices to make kofta, fry it until the golden brown color is obtained. The meat kofta is spiced with Indian spices and mixed with saffron sauce and cream. These soft textured heavenly meatballs will make you want more when they melt in your mouth.
3. Chole
This cuisine is one of the most popular breakfast options in the Northern part of India, which also gained popularity in the western world. Paired with pooris, it is the best cuisine to serve large crowds. This cuisine is best enjoyed with diced onion and can be found anywhere in Delhi. If you love spicy food, you must definitely try this cuisine.
4. Naan
Naan is the most popular Indian flatbread around the world. This delicious leavened flatbread is made out of all-purpose flour and clarified butter (Ghee). Naan is traditionally baked in an earth oven, commonly known as Tandoor. This soft, fluffy flatbread can be paired with any curry cuisine, such as butter chicken and palak paneer. Some exciting varieties of naan are:- Garlic Naan, Butter Naan, Pudina Naan, etc.
5. Tandoori Chicken
Tandoori chicken is everyone’s favorite cuisine after butter chicken. Tandoori chicken is made by roasting marinated chicken in an Earth oven. If you don’t happen to have an Earth oven in your backyard, you can use your regular oven to make it. Tandoori chicken is different from all types of chicken cuisines because it does not have any gravy.
6. Chicken Tikka Masala
This cuisine is made by combining thick creamy tomato gravy with grilled chicken. Marinate your chicken overnight with all the spices, and don’t forget to add some of India’s favorite Garam Masala. When combined and eaten with basmati rice or naan, the taste of this cuisine enhances.
7. Vindaloo Curry
By this time, you might have figured out that people of Delhi love chicken, so here you have another cuisine made of chicken. Vindaloo curry is a chicken curry with a mildly sweet-spicy taste. Curry paste of this cuisine is its main attraction, and chefs spend a lot of time mastering it.
8. Rogan Josh
Rogan josh means red lamb, which comes from the Kashmiri language. Kashmiri red chilies are the key ingredient in this cuisine, which gives it a red color. Chefs flavor it with all the spices and add cream in the end to lessen the effect of red chilies.
9. Pot Chicken
Want a replacement for butter chicken with less preparation time? Then you should try Pot Chicken. This chicken takes half the time butter chicken takes to cook, and tastes as delicious as butter chicken. Although it is similar to butter chicken, it has its own unique taste. Pot chicken is served in different styles across restaurants in India. All ingredients used are the same as butter chicken, except curd.
10. Palak Paneer
When you think of cuisines made of paneer, the first one to pop up in your mind is palak paneer. Palak paneer gets its name from the ingredients used that are palak and paneer(spinach and cottage cheese). Palak paneer is popularly served at weddings and restaurants.
11. Kali daal
Kali daal is prepared by soaking black lentils overnight and cooking them the next day with spices and ghee (clarified butter). It is often paired with butter chicken, as it enhances the taste of butter chicken.
12. Chaat Papdi
It is the most famous North Indian snack, served everywhere from a street stall to a five-star restaurant. Chaat papdi comes in all shapes and sizes, you can try to pair it with different types of chutneys. From fried foods to fresh fruits, Chaat Papadi, which you find in the capital, is irresistible.
Delhi was the capital city for all the great kingdoms mentioned in history. Each dynasty gifted Delhi with the cuisine of their time, and is passed on from generation to generation. The Mughal dynasty gave Delhi many things, including mouthwatering delicacies like chicken Mughlai, which still prevail in the heart of Delhi. So anywhere you find these popular Indian cuisines on the menu card, go ahead and try them