Chole Bhature is a North Indian food staple. In the mornings you’ll see Delhites crowding the Chole Bhature stores or street carts enjoying the spicy dish. This incredibly addictive dish is a must try for all visitors to Delhi.
But what is Chole Bhature? Firstly, it’s a chickpea (chole) curry with a few chunks of spicy potato thrown in the mix. Secondly, bhature is a deep fried bread often laced with some mild tasting Indian cheese (paneer) and coriander. Because it’s a breakfast or lunch food all the best stores are sold out by 1 or 2 pm each day. I don’t know why they don’t remain open for dinner too because I can eat Chole Bhature anytime. I often buy the largest takeaway size available in the morning and indulge in it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
While you can try a very good Chole Bhature in Parahganj, to try some variation, you need to travel to the suburbs of Delhi. Below are my top 5 hygienic and authentic places that I eat Chole Bhature at in Delhi:
* Sita Ram Diwan Chand, Paharganj & PitampuraIf you’re a tourist, this is most accessible of the lot to get to. It’s located in Central Delhi at the tourist mecca of Paharganj. It’s a Delhi favourite and therefore one of the most widely known stores throughout Delhi.While this is probably the most well known Chole Bhature in Delhi, it’s not the best. In fact, it’s quite bland. If you can, try the below options first.
* Shree Gopal Ji Chole Bhature, PitampuraThis is the first place I ever ate Chole Bhature! It blew my mind, and I got hooked. If you don’t like very spicy food then is the store for you. They serve a mildly flavoured chole with less chilli and also the best fried bhature.
* Pundit Ji, Rohini
I found Pundit Ji because one day, for some unknown reason, Shree Gopal Ji was closed. I jumped onto Zomato and headed to the nearest store I could find to get my fix. I was pleasantly surprised by Pundit Ji, and it’s since become my favourite because their chole has the most spice and chilli in it.
* Chache Di Hatti, Kamla NagarChache Di Hatti is my latest discovery after a recommendation from a gym buddy. It serves the masses of hungry students at the nearby universities and has been around for over 30 years (that’s saying something!)
* BikanervalaWhile I eat at the above restaurants with my weak foreign stomach, if you’re still worried about cleanliness, Bikanervala is the cleanest place to try Chole Bhature. However, it’s not the tastiest and is less authentic than the 4 above. It’s also the most expensive place on the list. But still, it’s better than no Chole Bhature!