Just log on to savour Paranthewali Gali’s delights

NEW DELHI: To savour Ghanta Ghar’s halwa or paranthas from the Paranthewali Gali, you earlier had no choice but to make that obligatory trip to Chandni Chowk, navigate your way through the area’s famously circuitous lanes and alleyways, fight off the heavy crowd and brave the danger of electrocution from contact with the occasional live wire.
Not so any longer.For the first time, food sellers here have come together and started a website selling their ware online and home-delivering it within a 3-5km radius (it also depends on the availability of the delivery boy).
At present, there are eight people/brands associated with the website. They include the famous Lotan Chhole Kulchewala, Kuremal Mohan Lal Kulfiwala, Chaina Ram and Lala Ram—famous for his milkshakes, tikkis and chillas.
“For perishable goods to be consumed within a day, we are still working on better ways of delivery. Since delivery boys aren’t available all the time, as it is a start-up, we ask people to collect the food from the nearest Metro station. Since the demand for namkeen and sweets is high, it’s easy to deliver them,” said Rahul Garg, who started the website. On Fridays and Saturdays, they take orders from Gurgaon.
The website has also roped in Agra’s redoubtable Panchhi Petha. “Our main agenda is to provide the best of street food and some traditional cuisine through a single portal. We realized that going to Chandni Chowk can be sometimes taxing because of the rush and lack of parking. A lot of these people saw a dip in demand due to the congestion. But now people don’t have to go to the market to get them and relish the food at home,” said Garg.
With the success of online shopping, many other markets in Delhi are also going online to increase footfall. Meanwhile, Deepak of Lotan Chole Kulche has been receiving many orders. “There are days when we get more orders online than the number of people eating at the kiosk.” Started almost 40 years ago by Deepak’s father, Lotan Chole Kulche figures on everyone’s list of street food. Earlier, Paranthewali Gali’s shopkeepers were also a part of this portal but then delivering the paranthas was proving too difficult. “They aren’t part of the group now,” Garg said.
Even markets like Connaught Place have come up with their own website. Though they don’t deliver items, one can learn about the ware and discount deals and sales here. “In cities, congestion, busy timetable, lack of parking space and the summer heat are deterrents. Just as online shopping, online food will promises to be a success,” Mukesh at Lala Ram said.