Bedmi poori, kebabs, thukpa: Explore Delhi's winter food trails

Bundle up, hop on an e-rickshaw from Chawri Bazar metro, and zip through Khari Baoli to that old chhole poori joint – an ideal weekend for the holiday season. Then eat your way onward. AQI may be grim, but winter remains peak season for NCR’s food walks and culinary trails.

‘Kebabs, ras malai – Pack kar ke woh maza hi nahi aata’

From pre-Partition recipes to winter-only treats, food walks offer more than just a meal. Rohan Kumar – explorer who goes by the moniker Being Dilliwaala – has led Old Delhi walks since 2015. “Winter starts with daulat ki chaat,” he says, followed by bedmi poori, nagori halwa and pre-Partition chhole poori. “The idea is to balance flavours while tracing food histories – like jalebi’s Persian roots or recipes from across the border.”

In Zakir Nagar, the experience is equally immersive. “Kebabs come straight off the seekh, still sizzling,” says Saleha, who began leading walks with INTACH in 2021. “Chapli kebabs, biryani, hot tea, chilled ras malai – pack kar ke woh maza hi nahi aata.” Winter, she adds, is the best time to explore the city’s culinary delights until March, as the weather makes it easier to step out and walk for two to three hours.

‘In these walks, we trace global influences in Delhi’s food’

For Raghuveer Jadon of The Delhinama, food walks are a way to read Delhi through its plates. “We talk about how Delhi food carries influences from all over the world. Morning tours feature chhole kulche, bedmi poori, halwa nagori and jalebi, while non-veg trails near Jama Masjid include fish fry and tikkas. Even with coal tandoors giving way to electric grills, Old Delhi’s curry traditions remain rewarding,” he says.

Chef Sadaf Hussain’s Purani Dilli ke Subha ke Pakwan – Breakfast in the Bylanes of Old Delhi is all about starting the day the way Delhi actually does, simple, delicious, full of flavour.

Christmas in Chandni Chowk means visiting churches with Urdu inscriptions, listening to Hindustani carols, and looking at an example of syncretism. A recent Xmas special heritage-cum-food walk gave participants insights from old Delhi-6 residents into traditions of community cooking – sharing namak para, gajak and kachoris, followed by a warm lunch of korma, pulao and zarda," Ayushi, researcher with No Footprints Delhi.

‘Food walks are essentially heritage & culture walks’

Saleha notes that her walks, which includes an Afghan food trail, focus on coexistence through cuisine. “In Lajpat Nagar and Bhogal, we explore Afghan street food, bakeries and distinctive breads, while also discussing the refugee experience and the cultural value Afghans add to Delhi. The idea is to encourage acceptance by discovering a new cuisine.”

Rohan Monga and Abhishek Bhasin of Namastey Culture point to Majnu ka Tila and Humayunpur as neighbourhoods that expanded Delhi’s palate. They say, “In Majnu ka Tila, AMA Cafe anchors the area alongside Tibetan comfort food, with momos, thukpa and cult-favourite laphing found in the lanes and near the monastery. Humayunpur offers bamboo shoot curries and Manipuri thalis at spots like Hornbill and The Categorical Eat Pham – together reflecting how these flavours are now woven into Delhi’s everyday food identity.”

Food-forward experiences, supper clubs take over the city

If you are wary of staying outdoors for a three-hour walk, try a cosy, indoor food-forward experience at a cafe or attend a supper club. From Rajasthani and Bengali cuisine to Southeast Asian flavours, supper clubs in Delhi can offer an intimate dining experience, and as a bonus, you get to make new connections with fellow food lovers.

Abu Sufiyan, founder of Tales of City, recently organised a culinary experience with artist Tauras Stalnionis and Dastarkhwan-e-Jahaanuma with Chef Sadaf Hussain. “Food-forward experiences are community-oriented events, but touch people on a personal level too. While Dreaming Bodies is a meditative inward journey of lucid dreaming where six acts are paired with six food servings, the Dastarkhwan is a culinary evening tracing how food becomes a memory, an emotion, and a lived heritage in Delhi homes.”

Winter’s best food trails

Jama Masjid’s nahari, korma and kebabs

Chandni Chowk’s pooris, halwas, daulat ki chaat and kulfis

Zakir Nagar for biryani, kebabs

Humayunpur’s flavours of the northeast

Kamla Nagar for chhole bhature, chaat and more

Lajpat Nagar for Afghan food

Majnu Ka Tila’s Tibetan food

A trail to explore Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese food

CR Park for bhajas, kochuri and sweets

State Bhawan trail in and around Chanakya Puri

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