Sizzle and stir

Chandni Chowk, often called the food capital of India, is famous for its street food.

But the aloo chaat here is the king of all the dishes and you haven’t relished Delhi food yet if you haven’t stopped by for a bite.

One of the oldest and the most famous shops here for aloo chaat is Bishan Swaroop Chaat Bhandaar. The shop was established in 1920 and is currently being run by three generations of the same family.

Now Suraj Yadav is carrying forward the “delicious” baton from his father and grandfather.
He explains,  “My grandfather Lallu Ram started the shop and then it was passed on to generations. Now I am taking care of the shop. Other than aloo chaat  we also make fruit chaat but the aloo chaat served here is everyone’s favourite.”

And the recipe is right there for everyone to see. “Peel and cut potatoes into cubes and fry them in oil. Grind garlic, green chillies, coriander leaves and mint leaves and make a fine paste. Mix the potato cubes and paste, while adding roasted cumin powder, black salt, salt, black pepper powder, lemon juice and chopped onion. Toss well and serve. This is the way I have been making aloo chaat since 40 years at the same shop,” reveals Ashok Kumar, worker at the shop.

So what pulls the customers to Bishan Swaroop Chaat Bhandaar is the magical recipe used to make the aloo chaat. The shop doesn’t have any other branch in Delhi and don’t plan to open any other either. They believe that a chain of shops might hamper their quality and prestige.

Priced at Rs 25 per plate, this delightful street food is also prepared with people’s choice of spices, ranging from less spicy, medium spicy to very spicy. But an instant hit is the hot and spicy aloo chaat.

“Whenever I visit Chandni Chowk I always come to this shop to eat aloo chaat. It is like a ritual for me to eat here whenever I am around. Ashok blends the flavours exactly as they should be,” says Rakesh Sharma, regular visitant at Chandni Chowk.