Food In Gwalior: Five Must-try Dishes

After touring the massive Jai Vilas Palace and Gwalior Fort, you’re bound to be craving something delicious and hearty. Luckily, Gwalior doesn’t disappoint when it comes to food. More specifically, street food. From deep-fried golden kachoris to decadent paneer jalebis, foodies have a long list of culinary charms to explore. If you’re headed to the city of Tansen soon, get your appetite ready to savour some of their favourites. 

 

 

If you’re not a morning person, it’s time to change so that you can get your hands on SS Kachoriwala’s crunchy creations. These may look like kachoris found in any other city or shop, but the subtle hint of spices, added in the correct measure, sets it apart from anything you may have had before. The fact that they are over before noon is a testament to it. So, if you want to have the breakfast of champions, make sure to head there by 8 am, when they’re sold just fresh off the kadhai. 

 

 

 

 

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Yet another ubiquitous delicacy. But we promise the difference between the ones sold at Bahadoora ke Laddoos and anywhere else is unignorable. Just a stone’s throw from SS Kachoriwala, the shop looks run-down and is hidden behind an unassuming facade. But the crowd in front of the decrepit balcony says all you need to know about the laddoos here. The boondis are fried fresh in a giant cauldron filled with ghee every hour and are then moulded into little balls by experienced hands. 

 

 

The thought of visiting another city and eating poha–a dish that can be whipped up in under 10 minutes with staple ingredients–may sound boring. But you might want to make an exception when you’re in Gwalior for Aggarwal Poha Bhandar’s version. It is one of the many remnants of Gwalior’s Maratha heritage. The heap of yellow, loaded with an unrestrained splash of bhujia, onions, peanuts and coriander, and tied together with a dash of lime, makes for a perfect evening treat. 

 

Address: Phalka Bazar Rd, in front of Sarobar Plaza, Jayendraganj

 

 

If you thought the list ends at golgappas, gupchup, pani puri, fuchka and patasha, you’d be proven wrong in Gwalior, where lambi paani puri steals the show. The name reveals its uniqueness, as it has been derived from the deep-fried shell’s oblong shape. They are filled generously with mashed potatoes mixed with spices and topped with sweet tamarind chutney and spicy water. 

 

 

A distant cousin of jalebi as one may know it, this variant is thicker, sweeter and denser. The best in the city is found at Shri Jodhpur Mishtaan Bhandaar. The sugar-syrup-soaked dessert is made every morning and evening with freshly strained paneer (cottage cheese), giving it a distinctive spongy texture. It is undoubtedly the best way to conclude your food trail in Gwalior.