Best Winter Street Foods to Try in Delhi in 2026

New Delhi — There’s something about a chilly Delhi evening that makes you crave that first bite of something hot, spicy, and straight off the street. As soon as the sun dips, the streets start sizzling — not with traffic, but with woks tossing momos, griddles roasting parathas, and rows of hungry people waiting for that perfect winter snack fix. If you’re in Delhi this season and haven’t tried these iconic street eats, are you even doing winter right?

Why Delhi Winters Are Street Food Heaven

Unlike the sweltering summers that make gulab jamuns feel like punishment and chaat taste like regret, Delhi winters turn the city into a gourmet playground. We’re talking smoke-billowing stalls near college gates, DTC stops that double as food hubs, and longtime vendors by the roadside who customers greet on a first-name basis.

Think spicy aloo tikki crackling in a pool of ghee in Lajpat Nagar, or a plate of shakarkandi chaat sprinkled with lemon and chaat masala near Patel Chest. Winter is when flavors get bold, oils are unapologetically generous, and the chill in the air only makes you reach faster for that extra bite of garma garam jalebi.

Locals say that the best finds don’t come from fancy food guides but from areas like INA Market or Majnu ka Tilla where generations of Dilliwalas swear by secret chutneys and timing—because trust us, that rajma chawal hits different right at 2:30 p.m. after college lectures.

What Locals Are Buzzing About

For students in North Campus, the momo cart opposite KMC (Kirori Mal College) sees a line longer than DTC Route 753 traffic on a Monday. Heated debates happen over who’s got the best stuffing — some swear by pork momos in Humayunpur, others claim the steamed chicken ones at Laxmi Nagar Metro exit are undefeated.

Office-goers in Connaught Place have their own codes. The early birds swear by the bun maska and chai combo from Bengali Market, while post-6 p.m. crowds dive straight into kulhad chhola-kulcha near Janpath.

A shopkeeper near Kamla Nagar told us, “Sabse zyada sale toh November se February mein hoti hai. Garam chaat ka maja sirf thand mein aata hai.” The city’s food carts extend operations till late — even beyond midnight outside AIIMS — and many families now travel across zones just to hit their favourite golgappa stops. For real. You’ll see entire families bundled in hoodies, nimbling down plates of piping hot pakoras near Tilak Nagar petrol pump.

From Chandni Chowk to Today: The OGs of Winter Street Food

Delhi’s street food story goes back centuries — and winter’s the chapter where it all peaks. Chandni Chowk, one of the oldest food haunts in the city, has been serving Daulat ki Chaat, that airy, sweet concoction made only in the coldest months, since the Mughal era. This dessert is basically Delhi’s answer to seasonal snobbery — you won’t find it once March hits.

Karol Bagh and Yusuf Sarai have also held onto their food legacies, dishing out soya chaap and silky rabri in small bowls under yellow bulbs. Cities like Mumbai and Bangalore might offer monsoon pakoras or coastal chaats, but Delhi owns winter like no other.

The key ingredient? The chill. It lets heavy gravies thrive, deep-fried foods stay crisp longer, and gives pedestrian corners enough edge to turn into culinary destinations — sometimes, quite literally overnight.

Ready to Eat Like a Local? Here’s What to Try & How

Timing matters: Hit stalls between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. when they’re freshly prepped. Avoid stuff lying around since noon — especially for items with dahi or chutney.
Carry cash & wet wipes: Many beloved vendors around RK Puram or Rohini still don’t do UPI. Also, street snacks + winter + woolen gloves = messy affair.
Explore season specials: Try Daulat ki Chaat in Chawri Bazaar, til laddoos at weekly haats, and gajar ka halwa from Bengali Sweet House in Pandara Road.

📍 Spot Check:
Must-visits include Chandni Chowk (Gate No. 5 exit, Chandni Chowk Metro), Sarojini Nagar Market (via AIIMS Metro), Humayunpur lane near Safdarjung Enclave, and North Campus’s Tom Uncle Maggi Point for spicy pre-dinner snacks.

The Final Word

Let’s call it what it is — winter street food in Delhi isn’t just about hunger, it’s an emotional meal. It pulls you into tiny gossip gatherings outside stalls, strong spice hits followed by unplanned dessert detours, and shared thermos flasks of chai over park benches. Strewn across areas like Tilak Nagar or Laxmi Nagar, these seasonal bites give taste and temperature a perfect handshake.

So this winter, skip the inflated mall food courts. Go where the real queues are. What’s your go-to winter snack in Dilli? Gimme your spot — I just might meet you there.