New Delhi Cholle Bathoore

We’re at Shop No 34 in the Kartar Singh Sarabha Market, right across from Life Line Hospital at Gill Chowk. It’s a small shop, but we stay busy. We mostly just make cholle bathoore all day long. The kitchen starts early because the dough needs time, and the chickpeas have to simmer until they’re soft enough. We have a few tables, but a lot of people just stand and eat or take it home in plastic bags. It gets hot near the frying station, especially in the summer. We don't have fancy menus or anything. There’s a board with the prices, and that’s about it. People in Ludhiana know where to find us when they want a heavy breakfast or lunch. We use a lot of spices that we grind ourselves. Sometimes the line gets a bit long around noon, and we have to tell people to wait a bit. We’ve been here at Gill Chowk for a good while now. The market is always loud with scooters and people talking, so it’s never quiet around our shop. We don’t do delivery usually, you just have to come by and grab a plate. We put some pickle and onions on the side of every plate. It’s just simple food that we know how to make. We aren’t trying to be anything other than a local spot for a quick meal. The flour gets everywhere, but that is just part of the job. We enjoy seeing our regulars every morning.