A Foodie's Self-Guided Walk Around Old Delhi, Delhi, India

Our walk starts in the heart of Delhi, at Sri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir, just outside the Red Fort Entrance on Chandni Chowk - perpetually crowded thoroughfare where tumultuous, action-packed India comes to life in its miniature form. Walking the length of the road from the Red Fort to Fatehpuri Mosque, we will encounter, alongside many notable places of worship, a wealth of street food, spices, and bargain goods on sale. This crazy, noisy, and peculiarly scented part of the city is a home to several truly unique, centuries-old restaurants and halwais (confectioners).

One such place is the shop called Jalebi Wala(h) standing on the corner of Dariba Kalan Road and Chandni Chowk. Established back in 1884, this family-run business (spanning four generations) specializes in samosas, but most importantly, jalebi – traditional Persian delicacy introduced to India in the Middle Ages. This doughnut-like, coiled and crispy sweet is made of flour-based batter deep fried in boiling home-made desi ghee (melted, clarified butter) over a coal fire until it turns distinctively orange in color, upon which it is soaked in a syrup made of unrefined desi khandsari sugar (free from any harmful chemicals), sometimes mixed with spices. The created here jalebi – product of a secret family recipe – are unique and not found anywhere else in the city. Founder of the shop, Nemi Chand Jain, had experimented a lot with different ingredients prior to developing his own know-how. For ultimate enjoyment, it is recommended to eat jalebi scorching hot, fresh from the fire. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).