As the winter nip leaves you hugging your jacket, crispy paranthas become a hot favourite. And to relish the best of them, head to the Walled City. Located in a bylane, just off the main street in Chandni Chowk, after Sisganj Gurudwara, Paranthe Wali Gali is one of the oldest surviving relics of the Mughul era, serving the best paranthas in town, and it is almost 300 years old. There is often talk about how the lane is not what it used to be with only four shops selling paranthas now, which were 20 in number a few decades ago. But despite the dwindling numbers, they promise a taste to remember. The same family controls all existing shops.
“Our shop was established in 1872 and our sixth generation is running this shop now. Earlier in 1984, we used to sell a parantha for just 75 paise but now due to rising prices we have increased the price to `30 per parantha weighing 100 gm,” says Rajiv Sharma, owner of one of the shops.
Photographs of India’s first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru and his daughter Indira Gandhi relishing and tucking into paranthas in these shops adorn the walls. Down the years, the gali has added Salman Khan to its list of clients.
The speciality of paranthas is that they are prepared with pure desi ghee (clarified butter). The 26 varieties of paranthas include khurchan (sweet parantha), paneer, badam, banana, gobi, muli, rabdi, carrot and dal (pulses). “We serve them with aloo-methi, aloo-matar and pumpkin curry, mint and banana chutneys along with a glass of lassi,” said Rajiv.
Another special feature of the paranthas here is that they are deep fried in a kadhai (wok) full of ghee, and not shallow fried on a tava.
The gali caters only to pure vegetarians, and you won’t find a single variety with onion and garlic. The real taste comes from cottage cheese, potatoes sprinkled with chopped ginger and exotic Indian spices.
Giving us a few tips, Rajiv shares, “Fried paranthas are more delicious than the ones made on a tava. And to make the parantha dough soft, prepare it with milk, along with a little salt and ajwain.”
The shops in the gali are small, but able to accommodate around 25 to 30 customers at any given time. Nostalgia hits home as the regulars share their love for the famous gali.
Sandeepan, who came from Katwaria Sarai in South Delhi to check out the food here, says, “Though I am not very fond of paranthas, I was curious when I heard about the specialty of the gali and decided to check it out. And now I’m truly addicted to them. I come here with friends whenever I get time.” Manoranjan Sharma from Kolkata shares, “I liked the mewa parantha made with dry fruits. I love the whole feel of Purani Dilli, which adds to the joy.”