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From The King’s Table to Street Food : A Food History of Delhi
‘A wonderfully evocative book on Delhi and its food combining decades of scholarship with personal experiences and memories by one of our greatest food writers.’—Vir Sanghvi, journalist and author, Rude Food
‘Pushpesh Pant weaves a magical mosaic in his inimitable style about his personal, and Delhi’s, food journey, spiced with anecdotes and tales. A must-read book.’—Rocky Mohan, food connoisseur, author and custodian of Old Monk rum
Who is an ‘asli Dilliwala’—a true-blue Delhizen—and what is his cuisine? To answer this question, Pushpesh Pant, food historian and raconteur par excellence, takes us on a culinary journey from the Mahabharata’s Indraprastha—the first city of Delhi—to the present day, through the Sultanate, the Mughal Empire and the British Raj.
On this fascinating food trip, we savour the rich qormas and kebabs of Shahjahanabad and the Shepherd’s Pie and mutton cutlets of ‘angrezon ki Dilli’, with a light snack in between of papri or undiya, washed down with bael ka sherbet in a good Baniya home. But that is not all. As Delhi’s population grew to include migrants from across the country, so did its culinary repertoire. The Dilliwala of today is as likely to enjoy Calcutta-style street food—chops, cutlets, puchka and jhaalmuri—in the south Delhi colony of C.R. Park, as he is to relish a berry pulao and dhansak at the Parsi Anjuman. And what better tiffin than idli-dosa-sambar from the South Indian outlets that dot the city? From a city identified largely with Punjabi and Mughlai food—butter chicken and biryani—Delhi is now a melting pot of cuisines ranging from Kashmiri, Bengali and Bihari, to Andhra, Naga and ‘Indian-Chinese’.
Pushpesh Pant also tracks the growth of the city’s restaurant culture, from wayside dhabas and McDonalds to high-end restaurants that can compete with the best in the world—justifying its claim to being a global food capital where virtually every cuisine can be found, including Japanese, Thai, Mediterranean and Korean.
Drawing on a wealth of historical records and literary sources, Pushpesh Pant has written a delightful, anecdotal account of the life and food habits of each period of Delhi’s history, that is as much a feast to be enjoyed, as the food he describes.
‘Pushpesh Pant weaves a magical mosaic in his inimitable style about his personal, and Delhi’s, food journey, spiced with anecdotes and tales. A must-read book.’—Rocky Mohan, food connoisseur, author and custodian of Old Monk rum
Who is an ‘asli Dilliwala’—a true-blue Delhizen—and what is his cuisine? To answer this question, Pushpesh Pant, food historian and raconteur par excellence, takes us on a culinary journey from the Mahabharata’s Indraprastha—the first city of Delhi—to the present day, through the Sultanate, the Mughal Empire and the British Raj.
On this fascinating food trip, we savour the rich qormas and kebabs of Shahjahanabad and the Shepherd’s Pie and mutton cutlets of ‘angrezon ki Dilli’, with a light snack in between of papri or undiya, washed down with bael ka sherbet in a good Baniya home. But that is not all. As Delhi’s population grew to include migrants from across the country, so did its culinary repertoire. The Dilliwala of today is as likely to enjoy Calcutta-style street food—chops, cutlets, puchka and jhaalmuri—in the south Delhi colony of C.R. Park, as he is to relish a berry pulao and dhansak at the Parsi Anjuman. And what better tiffin than idli-dosa-sambar from the South Indian outlets that dot the city? From a city identified largely with Punjabi and Mughlai food—butter chicken and biryani—Delhi is now a melting pot of cuisines ranging from Kashmiri, Bengali and Bihari, to Andhra, Naga and ‘Indian-Chinese’.
Pushpesh Pant also tracks the growth of the city’s restaurant culture, from wayside dhabas and McDonalds to high-end restaurants that can compete with the best in the world—justifying its claim to being a global food capital where virtually every cuisine can be found, including Japanese, Thai, Mediterranean and Korean.
Drawing on a wealth of historical records and literary sources, Pushpesh Pant has written a delightful, anecdotal account of the life and food habits of each period of Delhi’s history, that is as much a feast to be enjoyed, as the food he describes.
- GenresFood
371 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 5, 2024
16 people are currently reading
106 people want to read
About the author
Pushpesh Pant
37 books33 followersPushpesh Pant is a noted Indian academic, food critic and historian. He retired as a Professor of International relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 29, 2024
Pushpesh Pant's From the King's Table to Street Food: A Food History of Delhi offers a unique and insightful journey through Delhi's rich culinary history. The book delves into the evolution of the city's food culture, starting with mythical references to Indraprastha in the Mahabharata, exploring how ancient dishes like krisara influenced modern favourites like kheer and balushahi. Pant meticulously traces how successive rulers and communities have shaped Delhi's food. The Sultanate period brought delights like pilaf and baklava, while the Mughal era saw a culinary renaissance with dishes like navratan korma and murg mussallam. He also highlights the role of figures like Muhammad bin Tughlaq, who invested in culinary documentation and innovation, helping establish staples like samosas through Silk Road exchanges.
Delhi's cuisine reflects its multicultural population. Refugees from the Partition and communities like Tibetans, Afghans, and Parsis added layers to its culinary fabric. Pant also discusses regional dishes adopted into the city's mainstream, such as Rampuri kebabs and Patiala-inspired dals, blending flavours from neighbouring regions into what is now considered quintessentially 'Delhi food'. The book celebrates Delhi's iconic street food—from chaats to kebabs—and its transformation over time. Pant examines how globalization has impacted food culture, with fast food and delivery apps coexisting with traditional eateries. Yet, he emphasizes the resilience of classic dishes and the creativity of younger generations in preserving and evolving the city's culinary identity.
As Pant's book reveals, food in Delhi has always been intertwined with politics and social stratification. Pant's exploration of how dining options historically signalled class divisions, with spaces like Triveni Tea Terrace and India Coffee House becoming melting pots of ideas and art, offers a fascinating insight into the city's history. His exploration of the symbolic importance of food during royal feasts, coronation events, and rituals showcases its role beyond sustenance. Pant's reflections as a 'Dilliwala' add depth to the narrative, as he shares memories of curating historical menus and navigating Delhi's changing foodscape.
Pant's vivid writing makes historical feasts and modern street snacks leap off the page. His ability to connect food with broader cultural, historical, and economic shifts offers readers a holistic understanding of Delhi's gastronomic heritage. The book has been described as celebrating the city's flavours, blending nostalgia with academic insight.
This book is a must-read for history buffs, food enthusiasts, and anyone curious about the symbiotic relationship between food and identity in one of the world's most dynamic cities.
Delhi's cuisine reflects its multicultural population. Refugees from the Partition and communities like Tibetans, Afghans, and Parsis added layers to its culinary fabric. Pant also discusses regional dishes adopted into the city's mainstream, such as Rampuri kebabs and Patiala-inspired dals, blending flavours from neighbouring regions into what is now considered quintessentially 'Delhi food'. The book celebrates Delhi's iconic street food—from chaats to kebabs—and its transformation over time. Pant examines how globalization has impacted food culture, with fast food and delivery apps coexisting with traditional eateries. Yet, he emphasizes the resilience of classic dishes and the creativity of younger generations in preserving and evolving the city's culinary identity.
As Pant's book reveals, food in Delhi has always been intertwined with politics and social stratification. Pant's exploration of how dining options historically signalled class divisions, with spaces like Triveni Tea Terrace and India Coffee House becoming melting pots of ideas and art, offers a fascinating insight into the city's history. His exploration of the symbolic importance of food during royal feasts, coronation events, and rituals showcases its role beyond sustenance. Pant's reflections as a 'Dilliwala' add depth to the narrative, as he shares memories of curating historical menus and navigating Delhi's changing foodscape.
Pant's vivid writing makes historical feasts and modern street snacks leap off the page. His ability to connect food with broader cultural, historical, and economic shifts offers readers a holistic understanding of Delhi's gastronomic heritage. The book has been described as celebrating the city's flavours, blending nostalgia with academic insight.
This book is a must-read for history buffs, food enthusiasts, and anyone curious about the symbiotic relationship between food and identity in one of the world's most dynamic cities.
February 22, 2025
3.5 rounded down to 3.
A fantastic mish mash of history, anecdotes and food stories from Delhi. I didn't like the writing as it was very meandering and jumped between topics quite fast without an overarching theme sometimes. However, the depth and breadth of information about Delhi, its food and its history is quite remarkable.
A fantastic mish mash of history, anecdotes and food stories from Delhi. I didn't like the writing as it was very meandering and jumped between topics quite fast without an overarching theme sometimes. However, the depth and breadth of information about Delhi, its food and its history is quite remarkable.
September 1, 2025
#Binge Reviewing my previous Reads #History of Food and Cuisine
From The King’s Table to Street Food: A Food History of Delhi by Pushpesh Pant is nothing less than a gastronomic chronicle of a city that has been a cultural cauldron for centuries.
Pant, a food historian par excellence, takes us on a sumptuous journey across time, where Delhi’s cuisine is not just about flavours but also about dynasties, migrations, power, and people.
The book begins at the lavish courts, where emperors of the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughals turned meals into spectacles of authority and refinement. Royal banquets were not merely food gatherings—they were diplomatic statements served on gold and silver platters.
From kebabs perfected in imperial kitchens to rich qormas simmering with almonds and saffron, Pant demonstrates how food was a visible extension of power and prestige. Each chapter immerses us in the sophistication of culinary exchanges between Perso-Arabic traditions and indigenous Indian elements, birthing the Delhi Mughlai identity we still recognise today.
Pant then shifts our gaze to colonial Delhi, when the British presence altered food habits subtly yet profoundly. Afternoon teas, bakery culture, and hybrid dishes started creeping into the cityscape. By the time India approached independence, Delhi’s foodscape had absorbed influences from the influx of refugees and migrants—Punjabi dhabas, Sindhi specialities, and more—which broadened the palate of the capital.
But perhaps the most evocative section of Pant’s exploration is when he steps away from gilded thrones and looks to the gallis. Here lies the real, living soul of Delhi—street food. Chaat stalls, paratha wali galli, nihari shops near Jama Masjid, jalebi sellers, and kabab carts—all pulsating with energy and layered histories. Pant describes these not merely as eateries but as social spaces, where communities gather, stories circulate, and traditions adapt.
What makes the book powerful is the way Pant underscores that food history is inseparable from social and political history. Delhi’s plates carry memories of invasion, assimilation, survival, and celebration. Recipes and food habits are as much archives as manuscripts or monuments. In Pant’s telling, every bite of Delhi cuisine is a layered experience—mango pickles whispering tales of grandmothers, kebabs echoing the grandeur of courts, and golgappas exploding with the chaos and cheer of bazaars.
Stylistically, the book flows like a banquet itself—platter after platter of historical anecdotes, cultural insights, and sensory details. Pant’s prose is richly descriptive without slipping into excess, and his scholarship is balanced by his love for food as lived experience. The research is meticulous, but the writing never feels academic; instead, it invites the reader to sit down at Delhi’s ever-expanding table.
What lingers most after finishing From The King’s Table to Street Food is the understanding that Delhi’s cuisine is not static—it is a living, evolving tradition.
The kitchens of emperors and the stalls of Chandni Chowk are part of the same continuum, constantly borrowing, reinventing, and thriving. Pant ensures we appreciate that food is not only sustenance—it is memory, heritage, and identity.
This book is essential for anyone who wishes to see Delhi not just as a city of monuments and politics, but as a city that speaks most intimately through its food. To read Pant is to taste history itself.
From The King’s Table to Street Food: A Food History of Delhi by Pushpesh Pant is nothing less than a gastronomic chronicle of a city that has been a cultural cauldron for centuries.
Pant, a food historian par excellence, takes us on a sumptuous journey across time, where Delhi’s cuisine is not just about flavours but also about dynasties, migrations, power, and people.
The book begins at the lavish courts, where emperors of the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughals turned meals into spectacles of authority and refinement. Royal banquets were not merely food gatherings—they were diplomatic statements served on gold and silver platters.
From kebabs perfected in imperial kitchens to rich qormas simmering with almonds and saffron, Pant demonstrates how food was a visible extension of power and prestige. Each chapter immerses us in the sophistication of culinary exchanges between Perso-Arabic traditions and indigenous Indian elements, birthing the Delhi Mughlai identity we still recognise today.
Pant then shifts our gaze to colonial Delhi, when the British presence altered food habits subtly yet profoundly. Afternoon teas, bakery culture, and hybrid dishes started creeping into the cityscape. By the time India approached independence, Delhi’s foodscape had absorbed influences from the influx of refugees and migrants—Punjabi dhabas, Sindhi specialities, and more—which broadened the palate of the capital.
But perhaps the most evocative section of Pant’s exploration is when he steps away from gilded thrones and looks to the gallis. Here lies the real, living soul of Delhi—street food. Chaat stalls, paratha wali galli, nihari shops near Jama Masjid, jalebi sellers, and kabab carts—all pulsating with energy and layered histories. Pant describes these not merely as eateries but as social spaces, where communities gather, stories circulate, and traditions adapt.
What makes the book powerful is the way Pant underscores that food history is inseparable from social and political history. Delhi’s plates carry memories of invasion, assimilation, survival, and celebration. Recipes and food habits are as much archives as manuscripts or monuments. In Pant’s telling, every bite of Delhi cuisine is a layered experience—mango pickles whispering tales of grandmothers, kebabs echoing the grandeur of courts, and golgappas exploding with the chaos and cheer of bazaars.
Stylistically, the book flows like a banquet itself—platter after platter of historical anecdotes, cultural insights, and sensory details. Pant’s prose is richly descriptive without slipping into excess, and his scholarship is balanced by his love for food as lived experience. The research is meticulous, but the writing never feels academic; instead, it invites the reader to sit down at Delhi’s ever-expanding table.
What lingers most after finishing From The King’s Table to Street Food is the understanding that Delhi’s cuisine is not static—it is a living, evolving tradition.
The kitchens of emperors and the stalls of Chandni Chowk are part of the same continuum, constantly borrowing, reinventing, and thriving. Pant ensures we appreciate that food is not only sustenance—it is memory, heritage, and identity.
This book is essential for anyone who wishes to see Delhi not just as a city of monuments and politics, but as a city that speaks most intimately through its food. To read Pant is to taste history itself.
February 14, 2025
A bit meandering at times, this is more of a history of Delhi than just a history of food items. Much like the multidisciplinary nature of Dr Pant's scholarship, this book tried to balance multiple boats but eventually falls short of the goal, falling into meanderings which Don't do much for the narrative. Still an interesting book with tonnes of TIL moments especially if you're visiting Delhi or are big into travelling for culinary reasons
January 14, 2025
As a lover of Indian history, food and Delhi, I absolutely loved the first half of this book. The second part which covers modern day Delhi is a little monotonous but overall the book is worth a read.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews