Whoever thought the words ‘crispy, fluffy and soft as cotton’ would ever be used to describe the same thing? But bhaturas shoulder this responsibility excellently well. Couple them with tangy spicy chole curry and you’ll agree it’s a match made in heaven. While desis do not dispute this fact, ask them where the best chole bhature in Delhi is served and the debate commences.
The dish, you see, is not just a prime piece of desi gastronomy, but rather an emotion. And it seems everyone has a special memory associated with a place that serves it. So instead of zeroing in on the best refuge for chole bhature lovers in Delhi, we bring you eight hubs that people swear by.
1. Civil Lines Wala
When cricket sensation Virat Kohli swears by a chole bhature outlet, we blindly accept it. Hours spent during childhood frequenting various eateries around the national capital have made Kohli an expert in identifying the best ones.
In a recent interview with food and travel platform Curly Tales, Kohli spoke about the delectable chole bhature served at Civil Lines Wala — a haunt in Sector 15 of Gurugram which has been treating loyal customers to Punjabi dishes, such as rajma chawal, aloo kulchas and more, for over a decade now. But, among everything they serve, their chole is winning hearts.
2. Nand Di Hatti
Here’s some great news for all those who like to stay away from onion and garlic in food because of religious and dietary preferences! This chole bhature spot tucked in Delhi’s Sardar Bazaar claims they have a secret. Their recipe delivers appetising chole bhature without the use of onion and garlic.
But this is not the only thing that makes them special. The owner Bharat Makkar shares their fascinating story with anyone who will listen — the tale of how his late grandfather Nand Lal Makkar started the outlet after fleeing to Delhi following the Partition of 1947. It is their family that made bhaturas popular, he smiles.
3. Rama Chole Bhature
Another of Kohli’s favourites, this outlet on Jail Road dishes up a scrumptious chole bhature paired with meethi lassi.
Sharing his love for the snack, Kohli said in an interview, “Hands down they are the best chole bhature I have tasted. You should go and have it fresh. The bhaturas are so soft that a finger’s touch can flatten them. Paired with onions, green chutney and mirch ka aachar, it’s just fabulous.”
4. Sita Ram Diwan Chand
In a sprawling place like Delhi where numerous chole bhature eateries have marked their territory, continuing to be hailed as the ‘best’ is a feat to be proud of. And this 74-year-old eatery certainly is.
The story goes that the brand was started by a duo Shri Sita Ram ji and Shri Diwan Chand ji who came to India after Partition. At the time they would pedal the snack on a bicycle in front of Delhi’s Paharganj DAV School. Today, they have built an empire, whose client list includes chef Sanjeev Kapoor.
5. Bhogal Chole Bhature Wala
Fair warning: The eatery is almost always crowded with queues lining up for their decadent chole bhature, which as one customer describes “tastes like heaven on a plate”. Along with the chole, the matar kulcha is equally delicious, and the duo have earned this eatery its reputation of being one of Delhiites’ first choices for a sumptuous Punjabi affair.
MasterChef India 2016 finalist and author Sadaf Hussain proclaimed his love for the dish in an interview with Conde Nast. “I love places, especially food joints that are non-pretentious, and this one reeks of simplicity and really solid homestyle food. Instead of black chole, they serve up the regular yellow-coloured one, which is what you’d usually have at home. And the pickle that they serve tastes like what your grandmother would make.”
6. Chache Di Hatti
“The place does not have any competition,” says Aayush Sapra, an Indian food blogger whose videos chronicle the city’s best eating haunts. He recommends the aloo chole bhature from here stuffed with potatoes, a true feast for the eyes and mouth. It is astounding what this 10 ft x 4 ft eatery has managed to achieve with its ‘true to consistency’ motto.
As Kawal Kishor Saluja, the second-generation owner of the shop shared in an interview with The Indian Express, “Any student who has studied in the North Campus definitely knows about our shop and would have come here at least once.” He adds that actor Amitabh Bachchan, who studied at KMC, “used to jump over the walls of his college to gorge on the famous chacha ke chole.”
7. Manohar Dhaba
So famous is the place’s Japani samosas that it even made it to a Japanese news publication, as the owner shares in the video. While no one knows why these samosas are named so, there is a theory that their name comes from the shop being started during the Second World War, when Japan was one of the combatants.
Since 1924, the eatery’s snack has been its selling point. But, the chole bhature is as popular and determined not to be left behind. In fact, as the owner mentions, celebrity chef Ranveer Brar too loves it and frequents the outlet.
8. Kwality Restaurant
“A crowd puller” is how fans of this 1940s eatery describe it. The story goes that it was a gentleman Peshori Lal Lamba who came to Delhi from Lahore and started an outlet serving hand-cranked ice cream along with au gratin, sandwiches, a la kiev, mulligatawny soup, and puddings.
Eventually, however, the place’s identity came to be the butter-soft chole bhature that Lamba would prepare using a recipe he learned from a halwai. The place has found love in a wide diaspora of people from actors to politicians with Rahul Gandhi too frequenting it!
Edited by Pranita Bhat
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