Parathe wali Gali ki Thali is a platter with curries, parathas and accompaniments from the famous Parathe Wali Gali of Chandni Chowk, Delhi.
Chandni Chowk is one of the most bustling areas of Delhi and a very famous area of Old Delhi. Chandni Chowk is said to be established when the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan laid the foundation of Shahjahanabad. It was initially shaped like a square at the centre of which was a pool that shimmered in the moonlight which is what the market is named after. The shops around the bazaar were arranged in a half-moon pattern around the square.
With time the market has changed and one no longer can see the pool, it is only a sea of people that we see! It was during our Delhi BM Meet that we took a food tour of this busy market and spent almost the full day just exploring food.
The market is full of clothes, spices, books, jewellery – you name it, it’s there, but the street food definitely makes you crazy. You have different areas in the market and they all are famous for particular food. Parathe Wali Gali is one of the most popular lanes and you can see a number of tourists especially visiting this lane. It has shops on either side with a specific menu and a variety of parathas. The parathas are cooked right n front of you and one can make out that they are fried in pure ghee. The aroma of these just pulls you into the lane. The crisp parathas loaded with ghee are truly a delight for any tourist. The locals find it a simple, cheap way to fill their tummies.
The menu of the parathas is very elaborate. They have the basic Aaloo Paratha, Gobhi Paratha, Mattar Paratha, Paneer Paratha...and many more of the regular ones, then they have some unique ones too, like Nimbu Paratha, which is slightly tangy. Another unique one is the Mirchi Partha which is a spicy paratha with green chillies!. It’s not only the savoury parathas that attract the customers the sweet parathas like the Malai Paratha, but The Khoya Paratha also make a special appearance for the ones with sweet tastebuds.
Today’s Delhi’s Parathe wali Gali ki Thali is the second Thali in the Regional Series for our Mega Marathon under the theme Thali and Platter Festival.
Parathe Wali Gali ki Thali
Menu for the Thali
Curries
( sweet and sour pumpkin curry )
Aloo Mattar ki Rasse wali Sabzi
( potatoes and peas made with basic spices, absolutely rustic way )
Bread
(Elimuccai is lemon in Tamil…I had to give it this name as we were doing A to Z series. This is a lemon paratha. A paratha from Parathe wali Gali of Chandni Chowk .)
Accompaniments
Dahi
( fresh yoghurt spiced up with spices )
( finger-licking sweet and sour tamarind chutney dressed with freshly sliced banana and melon seeds )
Hari Chutney
( spicy mint and coriander chutney )
Salad
( radish, carrots and cucumbers cut into batons seasoned with black salt and a drizzle of lemon )
Achar (store-bought )
( pachanga achaar, a popular mix pickle )
Sweet
Gulab Jamun with Rabri
(a heavenly combination of two classic Indian sweets )
For today I will be sharing the recipe for Kaddu ki Katti Meethi Sabzi.
Let’s look at the Thali’s I have posted so far for The Thali and Platter Festival-
Week 1
Everyday Thalis
Day 1 Sindhi Lunch Thali
Day 1 Guar ji Bhaji
Day 2 Chithiyal Gogdu
Day 3 Sindhi Moong Dal
Day 4 Sindhi Kadhi Dal ji
Week 2
Regional Thalis
Day 5 Royal Awadhi Thali
Day 5 Subz e Noor Chashm
Now I know the story behind the name of Chandni chowk and it makes sense. That thali looks like my kind of platter, Vaishali. I love everything in your platter and am tempted to recreate this in my kitchen.
Awesome platter Vaishali. I am so glad you finally went back to use the other one..I loved the entire platter and kaddu subzi has become our favorite one..
I had looked at your post and Valli’s for Parathewali Gali thali ideas. Both of you didn’t have the pumpkin recipe so I went with a dry version I usually make. Now that you have posted the recipe, let me check it out and prepare it the next time.
Wow the platter looks out of the world. Good to know the history of chandni chowk. I cannot decide which I like the best in there.
wow. I liked the story behind this thali and it looks like must visit place in Delhi. This is another mouthwatering thali and your gulab jamun with rabri is irrestible. Wish someone make such platter for me and host me.
As always your platters are amazing and love how you clubbed the dishes for other monthly BMs as well. I wish I could visit Chandni chowk one day. Thanks for the visual treat Vaishali.
I just had my dinner and seeing this post is like…Wish I had 2 stomachs 😀 😀 ….the thali is so tempting and that paratha where the stuffing is seen….I am drooling