India, Oct. 27 -- The unwieldy e-rickshaws are stuck beside one another. A handcart loaded with a large parcel is caught between them. Beside his fruit cart, the vendor rests his chin on folded arms. Overhead, cables sag past signboards advertising wedding cards.

Just another difficult afternoon in Old Delhi's super-congested Chawri Bazar. The traffic is going nowhere. A little away, a vendor stands motionless behind a giant platter of daulat ki chaat. Mubarak! The wintertime street dessert is back.

His shirt sleeves rolled up, vendor Sunil says he hit the streets with the season's daulat on October 16. A fine white net, held with binder clips, is shielding the dessert from flies. Through it, the golden-yellow top is visible, with white...