Get ready to embark on a culinary rollercoaster through the gullies of Purani Dilli with Delhi’s most surprising street food – Daulat ki chaat! This heavenly delight, known as the ‘snack of wealth,’ is no ordinary chaat; it’s a mysterious blend of sweetness, creaminess, and fragrant nuts, wrapped in a cloud-like foam that disappears on the tongue. Join me to unravel the secrets behind this tantalizing treat, from the whispered recipes of old ladies to the contemporary interpretations in high-end restaurants. But beware, Daulat ki chaat doesn’t travel well; you’ll need to navigate the bustling alleys of Old Delhi to savor its ethereal goodness. So, buckle up and get ready for a flavor adventure unlike any other!.

Daulat ki chaat is perhaps Delhi’s most surprising street food. This heavenly delight makes a brief yet unforgettable appearance in the gullies (alleys) of Purani Dilli – from the fading echoes of Diwali firecrackers to the washing away of Holi colors. Daulat ki Chaat vendors roam the bazaars with their snowy platters shining in the pale winter sunshine.

Daulat ki chaat (DKC) loosely translates to ‘snack of wealth’. Unlike the punch, kick, and spice of conventional chaat, DKC is an intriguing puzzle in its subtlety – more molecular gastronomy than raunchy street food. It’s like a light foam that disappears instantly on the tongue, leaving behind the slightest hint of sweetness, cream, fragrant nuts, and saffron. Madhur Jaffrey recalls it from her 1930s childhood as a breakfast treat in Delhi. She describes an old lady in an immaculate ghagra and a well-starched muslin choli, carrying an enormous brass thaal on her head, filled with small matkiyaan containing a frothy ambrosia.

"The recipe has always been a mystery. Madhur managed to coax the lady in white to reveal her secret, and her guarded response was....It needs all the right conditions! First, take milk and add sea foam to it… Then pour the mixture into clay cups… Leave the cups on the roof in the chill air under the moonlight. Then the most important ingredient is the dew!! If there is no dew, the froth would not form. Too much dew is also bad… just the right kind, just the right intensity… it needs all the right conditions… the Dew! You have to leave it to the gods. Early morning, if the froth is good, sprinkle each cup with khurchan (scraped caramelized sugar from a flat pot) and top the foam with pistachio dust as garnish."

A more earthly description of this food of the gods – which is still made in old Delhi alleys and not in a food lab – is a complex transformation of a pail of milk. Milk and cream are whisked by hand before dawn (preferably under the light of the full moon) into a delicate froth, then left out on brass plate to set by the morning dew. When the day breaks, touch the surface of the froth with saffron and silver leaf and dress with nuts and bura (unrefined sugar).

As you can imagine, it is only possible in the coolness of winter months as the first ray of sunshine will make it collapse. It doesn’t travel well either, so one must hunt this treasure through the arduous pilgrimage of the bustling alleys of old Delhi. DKC certainly has been rediscovered with the social media hype of blogging. The angel food is available to the masses with multiple vendors and carts available in most popular streets in old delhi in the winter season.

The saga of sea froth, full moons, and the tears of Shabnam always had me hooked on wanting to try it. But my first encounter with DKC wasn’t amidst the chaotic alleys of Old Delhi; it was in a posh restaurant nestled in the leafy lanes of Lutyen’s ‘New Delhi’ – The Indian Accent at Lodi. Chef Manish Mehrotra, the wizard behind the scenes, conjured up a contemporary version of this celestial dish in his kitchen lab. Picture this: a 50-gram dollop served in a bowl adorned with 500-rupee notes (fake prints, mind you) to underscore the chaat’s Daulat. Yet, alas, it failed to leave a lasting impression. Perhaps it was the aftermath of hours spent indulging in Mehrotra’s other culinary delights. But fear not, the real DKC adventure awaited me in the bustling bylanes of Old Delhi.

I still had to wait few more years to get the taster in old delhi…and then I knew why it’s the favourite of many.  you’re strolling through the chaotic alleys of Old Delhi, dodging rickshaws and bargaining with street vendors, when suddenly, you catch a whiff of something heavenly. It’s not just any scent, mind you; it’s the aroma of creamy goodness, the kind that makes your stomach do a happy dance.

You follow your nose (and your growling stomach) until you stumble upon the holy grail of street food – Daulat ki chaat! But before you can say “fluff me up,” you’re greeted by a vendor who’s more magician than chef, whipping up clouds of sweetness. The tantalizing nothingness of this delicate dessert of a chaat.  Yummy!!

It would appear that we really are looking for familiarity/ comfort of reminiscing an experience/ nostalgia.

Mathematically Flavor = Taste + Smell + Sight + Sound x Sweet Melody of Nostalgia / Memories + Food Stories = Culinary Curiosity fueled by Research & Experimentation.