How do I begin describing Paradise? Its a name that would pop-up at mere mention of word Biryani, specially when talking about Hyderabad. As known a name as it is, it mostly gets bad rep from almost everyone, at least on internet.
Infact if you have to prove you are a Biryani lover, your first start by slamming paradise. Your love for Biryani is directly proportional to how vociferous you are about your disapproval of what paradise serves for Biryani. If you are a bit mild you will still share how its no longer the same it used to be, but then don’t we hear this about almost every legend in any part of India? Few names that get regularly accused of not being the same or overrated – Bade Mian of Bombay, Tunday of Lucknow, Karim’s of Delhi, MTR of Bangalore – but then I have personally visited them all in last year or two – and no, did not find them to be overrated at all. Food served by all these places has lot of merit (refraining from using the word ‘still’ here), at least in their home branches and in few cases, their other outlets as well.
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Before I went to the Paradise’s outlet on Paradise Circle (Yes! they do give name to a super busy junction in heart of Secunderabad), I did try their Biryani in Bangalore, which I ordered in using some random food delivery app, and I remember having no complains at that time as well.
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| Biryani, Salan and Khubani ka Meetha |
Now coming to Paradise on Paradise circle. The outlet was just 10 minutes walk away from the hotel I was staying, making it a natural choice for my first meal in Land of Biryani. Stepping into the ground floor entrance, was greeted by a metal detector and a guard ready to frisk me, something akin to a big shopping mall. Was also told that ground floor was for takeaway only, and I need to climb up for dining area. Stepped into the first level, saw a few tables, none was empty, walked a little more and saw the dining area open up into space full of tables – all occupied. Thought would have to wait, however was guided to another level with a inconspicuous entrance and sitting area, however once I was inside I was surprised by the sheer size of the hall, number of tables and their occupancy.
Size of the place reminded me of ‘langars’ or public feasts in my native North India. Table after table full of families and groups feasting on their favorite dishes, with Biryani being the common factor on almost all tables. All of them overlooked and served by an army of attentive waiters, supervisors and support staff – all of them looked like they knew their jobs well, that said its not possible to run operations at this scale if the staff is not well trained and organised.
On conversing with a suited booted staffer, who seemed like a section supervisor – I was told that the place can seat 1400 souls at the same time – takeaways and deliveries excluded. It was lunch hour of a working Friday and the place was surprisingly full. But then I was the only one surprised, as the staffer told me that due to Navratras it was ‘only’ houseful, otherwise there usually is a huge waiting for tables. Just to remind you here, that 1400 is not the number of people they serve in a day or in a particular meal time – that is there seating capacity and tables keep moving with new diners occupying them as the previous occupants are done with their fill. More enterprising readers can do their maths now.
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| The way platter gets served |
So far so good, but as someone intelligent said – the proof of pudding is in eating it. Since I was alone, I decided to skip all monkey business in the menu and jumped straight to Biryani – Mutton Dum Biryani to be precise. Did not take long for waiter to bring that to my table, mirchi ka salan and raita came as its partners in crime. Service was courteous enough to serve the same and it did not take more than a few seconds for me to dig my eager fingers in the source of awesome fragrance on my table.
The moment fingers went in, a smile came out on my face – this was indeed a good biryani, something you can tell just by touching the same. A genuinely good biryani would not leave any traces of oil or fat on your fingers, spices or gravy of any kind should not stick to your fingers. After pleasing my sense of smell, another of my senses was made happy by the Biryani sitting on my table and I was yet to bite into the first morsel. Finally it was turn of my sense of taste, and was it pleased? Hell yeah! As it was experiencing one of the finest dishes it had experienced. Soft succulent pieces of mutton, which were coming apart by bare fingers adding to the aroma and flavor of high quality rice – all brilliantly accentuated by slightly higher than mild spices.
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| Soft and Succulent Mutton pieces inside fragrant rice. |
Served along with it was Mirchi ka Salan and mix vegetable raita. Barely felt the need for salan but occasional bite mixed with raita worked as an excellent cleanser and soother for the palette. Initially the portion size seemed to be too big for one person, however did not feel heavy while eating it or after finishing it off. Infact found it to be so good that had no option but to finish it off.
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| Mirchi ka Salan |
Though was full by end of it, however as they say – there always is a separate stomach for dessert and there was no way I was not ordering Khubani ka Meetha, a dessert made from Apricots, another specialty of Hyderabad.
After that tried Biryani from much legendary Shadab Hotel near Char Minaar and then Veg Biryani from Alpha in Secunderabad. Even though both were amazing in their own right specially the Alpha one and gave Paradise a serious run for its money, however there is no way that they could be termed finer or better that what I have had already eaten at paradise.
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| Khubani ka Meetha with Ice-cream |
If you are a Hyderabadi then I am sure you have a much finer palette and also a local favorite for Biryani, however if you are a food lover looking for genuine Dum Biryani then ignore all naysayers and head straight to Paradise – you will not be disappointed.
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Where to eat Keema Meat Curry & Rice in Delhi? – Gullu Meat Waala
First time heard about Gullu meat when they had opened shop in Neta Ji Subhash Place in Pitam Pura. However the feedback was not so great and was told by my meat eating friends that the name has lost glory and NSP one is mere a bad copy of the original somewhere in North Delhi. Plus there was never feedback exciting enough for me to visit the original one as well.
However all that changed this weekend when a friend told about her father being fan of Gullu’s meat and knowing how much of a meat eater and lover he is, it was difficult for me to curb my excitement.
Landed up at their Malka Ganj outlet which apparently is right next to North Campus of Delhi university. Google maps here would serve you very well, just in case its barely 100-200 meters from Bungalow Road.
The menu looked simple enough – Keema Meat, Keema Kaleji, Chicken Keema, Meat Keema Rice along with Tikka, Tandoori etc. In vegetarian it has Dal Makahni, Mutter Paneer, Raita, Pulao and Mutter Paneer rice. All dishes came in 3 sizes – priced from Rs. 150 to 360.
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| Keema Meat Rice, Keema Meat Curry from Gullu |
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| Abundance |
We ordered a medium sized Keema Meat curry which in their menu would be ‘regular’, along with a portion of Keema Meat Rice which come in a single size. In breads ordered a Masala Parantha and couple of Tandoori rotis.
They do not ‘serve’ you at this outlet, its a takeaway joint with no provision to dine, not even a solitary table to stand and eat. I guess its more to do with a booze shop right next door, the guys at Gullu have to stay clean unless they want to invite trouble from authorities.
But that does not mean you cannot park and eat there, infact that is how lot of patrons get their fill – in their cars or on their bikes, just like we decided to roll.
First thing I noticed in my package was abundance of Chutney and Pyaz. Just taking them out one after the other set the mood right and left a great impression.
Coming to the Keema Meat Curry – It was not oily at all with keema being hand grounded which means a chunky meaty gravy. The mutton pieces were well cut, cooked in a way that they were not falling from bone but were still tender & melt in mouth, which is unlike many places that serve fibrous and chewy meat these days. The spices were perfectly balanced and should suit all the palettes. No overpowering or strong flavors – just a light, flavorful infusion.
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Keema Meat Rice
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Same Keema Meat curry was used in rice as well. Rice were perfectly cooked and there was good quantity of gravy seeped till the deeper part of the container.
Masala Parantha that we ordered was surprisingly unique and well made. I was expecting a normal laccha parantha which would have some masala on top, but this one turned out to be different, very different. The parantha was stuffed with some masala that seemed to be mix of various things but dominated by methi. Tasted very nice with the meat curry.
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| Masala Parantha |
I guess we would all agree that in such meals chutney and pyaz play a very important role, and the quality of these two things from Gullu made an already tasty experience into a superlative one. The chutney was thick and thankfully was not curd based. The onions were well cut, fresh and crunchy – just what was needed to complete the meal.
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| Chutney and Pyaz |
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| Details menu of Gullu along with Phone numbers. |
It all costed us Rs. 484 which does not seem to be much for the kind of experience that we had.
Surely goes in the list of gems of Delhi. The closest competition would be legendary Ashok meat from Sadar Bazaar while Deena Meat of Gurgaon would be like a poor cousin of this kickass place!
Where to eat finest Kebabs & Biryani in Delhi?
Those are the really small structures on the pavements of Central Delhi selling Chai, Sutta and Snacks to the Babus working in those corridors of power. Most of those NDMC stalls are quite basic – Chai, Samosa, Kachori, Bread Pakore, Fruits, Biscuits, Cold-drinks, Juices etc. However not too far from palatial Presidential Estate in Delhi, next to Assam Bhawan, right in the diplomatic corridors is located a small stall, that does not bear any name, is poorly lit and is something that is very easy to miss. Nothing that would separate it from those quintessential stalls in Central Delhi.
And the answer is NOT Old Delhi. Read on… 🙂
Those who are familiar with Delhi, would know what NDMC stalls are. Those are the really small structures on the pavements of Central Delhi selling Chai, Sutta and Snacks to the Babus working in those corridors of power. Most of those NDMC stalls are quite basic – Chai, Samosa, Kachori, Bread Pakore, Fruits, Biscuits, Cold-drinks, Juices etc. However not too far from palatial Presidential Estate in Delhi, next to Assam Bhawan, right in the diplomatic corridors is located a small stall, that does not bear any name, is poorly lit and is something that is very easy to miss. Nothing that would separate it from those quintessential stalls in Central Delhi.
However if you are there in the evening hours, and pay close attention, you will find a beeline of cars standing next to it. Fancy cars are not very uncommon in that part of the town, however spend a moment or two, and you will see a steady stream of food flowing from the ubiquitous looking stall to those cars. Welcome to Al-Kauser. Or rather one of the outlets of Al-kauser which has developed into a much bigger chain now which has successfully spread its kebab fueled wings, atleast in Delhi.
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| A closer look at the stall of Al Kauser |
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| Inside the stall |
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| Making Varqi Parantha |
We will let the chain do what it does and focus our energies on this particular outlet, you might call me a romantic, but this little stall selling kebabs and Biryanis has managed to charm me..
Some of the dishes I have tried and liked there :
~ Galauti Kebabs : As melt in mouth as they are supposed to be by virtue of their name, they serve 4 round (tikki type) kebabs in a plate, and I doubt if its possible to make them any finer. Aficionados might draw comparison from here and there, but that would be matter of individual taste. Tunday Kebabi from Lucknow (they now have a chain in Delhi), Rajendra da Dhaba and some of the finer restaurants in town can only claim to touch this beauty served by Al Kauser. That said, I would not be surprised if Alkauser guys manage to beat everyone else in sheer finesse of flavors and spices.
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| Galauti Kebabs |
~ Kakauri : Again, melt in mouth, they serve 2 of them seekhs in a plate and are just slightly different from the Galautis in the way they are spiced. Personally I am not able to find much difference in their texture. The kakoris that I have eaten here are at par with best in business from Delhi – Al Quresh and Aap Ki Khatir are the other two names that come to my mind and the line separating them three is so thin that it is virtually non-existent. Honestly speaking would not be surprised if someone told me that Kebabchis working at these three eateries are fruits of the same tree or trained under the same Ustad, the Master Kebab maker.
~ Varqi Parantha : This calorie bomb is a perfect companion for those kebabs, Layers of shallow fried goodness, it has slightly sweet flavor, which surprisingly goes very well with both the above mentioned kebabs. Calorie conscious brethren can always opt for roomali rotis.
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| Varqi Parantha |
~ Biryani : Now this can be a show stopper for many. They serve Chicken and Mutton Biryani in a Handi, complete with a lid, sealed by dough. I am assuming that they put partially done rice and meat in the handi, seal it and then put it inside a tandoor or in a bhatti, where it spends some time. The process is called ‘Dum’ lagana, where various flavors from meat, spices and rice infuse among themselves. The lid is sealed with dough allowing nothing to escape from that handi. Ask then to serve you the Handi itself as opening it would release the aromas of extremely hot and well made delicacy and it is something that one must experience. Here let me warn you – they do not serve any salan, or raita with their biryani, and honestly speaking I have never felt the need for one too.
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| Handi of Mutton Biryani |
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| Mutton Biryani served in a plate |
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| Sealed Handi of Biryani |
~ Chicken Malai Tikka : Generally Malai Tikkas are white in color and creamy in taste, however the ones I have eaten here are more on the charred side, slightly overdone to give that taste and colors but just enough to make sure they still have some moisture left in them.
I was really surprised when I was told that people have been coming here from 70’s and now feel that the place is way past of golden years, but then that is something that I have heard about every legend. I feel generally when people get bored of someplace OR there are slight changes, that is when that accusation or tag of being past the best comes.Honestly speaking have never really paid attention to the prices so cannot comment on them, however last time I was there we had 2 portions of kakori, 2 paranthas and a biryani – we paid close to Rs. 800, which would not put it under cheap category, however with the kind of food they serve, I do not mind paying that kind of money.
Talking about service, I doubt if they know H of hospitality. If you are in a car, blow your horn and one of the boys would be there to fetch your food. If you are outside the car, then do not expect them to listen to you, seems like they are just too used to horns.
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| Kebabs and Tikkas being roasted.. |
That said if you go there in colder months, make sure you step out of your car, or otherwise put your air-conditioner to external mode just to get a whiff of those goodies being roasted on coal fire. Very rustic, Very delicious.
PS : This post if of my experience of the Malcha Marg outlet, cannot say much about other more shiney branches. And much thanks to Nitin Seth paah ji for introducing me to this joint.
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Lahori Gate – Where my Bade Mian Lives : Restaurant Review
Lahori Gate is a restaurant which has recently opened up in Meherchand Market, and when we decided to go on a food hop in the same market, Lahori Gate came up as strong contender, as it has recently featured in writings of some of the prominent columns of mainstream Media. However to set the record straight I have not read any of them and stepped into the place without any expectations and open mind.
Walking into the place we asked for a table for 11 of us and we were told that they were packed and we needed prior reservations. A level of activity that was hard to believe from the entrance which seemed quite. Went up to check out the dining area on upper floor and found reserved boards on 2 big tables, while one of them was about to get empty. After a fair bit of waiting we did manage to get the table and now was the time to place our orders.
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| Mutton Burrah |
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| Dahi ke Kebab |
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| Dahi ke kebab from inside – can you see the foliage? 😛 |
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| Mutton Burrah |
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| Shammi Kebab |
Dahi Ke kabab, Mutton Shammi Kebab & Mutton Burra – 2 portions of each were ordered for the starters. The Shammi kebabs were well made, but the taste was quite average, the mutton burra was very well made and pick of the lot. The chop that I managed to get my hands on, cannot forget that in a hurry (in a good way ofcourse). While the dahi ke kebab were a major letdown. Huge pieces of onion were there in the kebabs, which essentially should have been smooth and without overpowering flavors of onions and other add ons.
In main-course we ordered – Mutton Nihari, Dal Makhani, Kadahi Paneer, Chicken Khurchan and Chicken Chhole – I must admit that all these items were very well made. The meat in Nihari was very succulent and spices subtle, much different from the Old Delhi Nihari, however we will let it pass as they mention Lahori Nihari in the menu, maybe its different than ours, but tasted nice. Kadahi Paneer gave me no reason to complain, just the way as it should be with finest quality Paneer being used. Good time was spent in making of Dal makhani, the dal itself gave the creamy texture to the overall dish. Chicken Chhole was something I had for the first time, new for my taste buds however Chhole had proper spices and the chicken chunks were properly cooked and had absorbed flavors in a nice way. An unusual item item for sure, do try it if you like trying different flavors. Cannot say much about the Chicken Khurchan as got to eat only 1 bite of it.
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| Kadahi Paneer |
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| Chicken Chhole – very different dish, stable in Lahore they tell me. |
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| Chicken Khurchan |
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| Dal Makhani |
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| Nahari |
Its impossible for me to complete a meal without Biryani being served and this occasion was no different. They have 2 varieties of the same – A Mutton Version and a Chicken one, and as usual – ordered for both of them. The portions seemed small, however the aroma when we opened the handi was definitely enticing, the flavors very subtle however Biryanis did have character in them. They were served with a side of Raita, which was plain spiced curd, just done right.We tried an assortment of breads – Khamiri Roti, Laccha Prantha, Butter Naan – none of them gave any reason to complain.
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| Chicken Biryani |
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| Chicken Biryani |
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| Khamiri Roti |
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| Mutton Biryani |
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| Chunk of Mutton from Mutton Biryani |
As I was going without expectations, I cannot say the service was a letdown. However the service was ordinary to say the least. Infact the service can be said to be on the shoddier side, no clothe napkins were given to us, had to literally force them to give finger bowls that too were not given for entire table. Starters and main-course came faster than they took to clear & set the table and while for Biryani it seemed we had to wait till eternity. Teething issues? Not on my dime.
The place is adorned with numerous pictures of artists and the music they play is quite classical. Infact was surprised to spot a picture I shot of Bade Mian from Lal Kuan hanging in one of their galleries.
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| Surprised to see a picture for Bade Mian I shot hanging on those walls. |
Then came in the bill and everything changed. For the entire meal we paid Rs.12.7k – without Alcohol.
In terms of :
Taste – 4/5
Service – 2.5/5
Ambiance – 3.5/5
Value for Money – 2/5
Overall – 3/5
As much as I enjoyed the food and ambiance, the place does seem overtly expensive for the kind of food they serve.. Though the taste was 4/5, however in a city like Delhi you will get 4/5 type of North Indian food in way too many restaurants and for half the price.
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| Our bill for the evening. |
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Food Enthusiasts of Delhi & Shashank Aggarwal own the copyrights of all pictures and content. To use pictures OR content in any way commercially OR non-commercially connect with shashank@foodenthusiastsofdelhi.com.
FATBURGER leaves a BIG FAT Disappointment – By Harjeev Singh Chadha
With all the rave surrounding Fatburger I decided to visit and checkout the food at their outlet, so on the 06th of Sep’14 I visited this place.
They’ve opened up their 1st outlet in India at DLF Cyber City at CyberHub. Additionally as I hadn’t visited CyberHub earlier I wanted to see this place for myself.
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| Fatburger in Gurgaon |
We ordered the following:
– Chicken Twisters 250
– Chicken Wings 250
– Choco Shake 175
– Coke 95*2
– Crispy Chicken Burger 280
– Outlaw Chicken Burger 260
– Tenderloin Burger 295*2
Started with the Chicken Wings. They were ok but I’ve had better at places like Hardrock Cafe. The quantity was also nothing to write home about. I mean 250 bucks was a measly 5 pc of small chicken wings, Not done in my books. The sauce with which the wings were BBQ’d was still ok but sadly the same couldn’t be said about the Chicken Twisters. They were boneless strips of chicken fried in some batter and served with a sauce, I can’t recollect the name. All in all. After tasting the starters I was in half a mind to getup and leave, which now in hindsight I should have done, considering HRC was next door.
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| Chicken Wings |
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| Chicken Twisters |
Next I ordered the Chocolate Shake but was served a Vanilla shake. This was nothing but huge portions of Vanilla Ice-Cream mixed with milk and topped with Whipped Cream. I pointed this to the server ‘Sachin’ and he said that this is in-fact Chocolate Shake and this is how they serve it
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| Chocolate Shake – Oh yes! I can see some chocolate now. |
For the Burgers, all in all I’d say that the food was a BIG FAT disappointment. The burger buns were too soft for my liking. After taking a couple of bites the bun was falling all over the place. The Tenderloin Patty was also bland and tasteless. The ones served at places like Cafe Delhi Heights(Lamb), Hard Rock Cafe & MonkeyBar (Tenderloin) is LOADS, LOADS better. I personally prefer the Tenderloin Patty to be slightly chewy, but the patty at this place, lacked texture, totally tasteless, bland and left something, actually, a lot to be desired. The biggest disappointment was the size of the burger and the accompaniments. I mean approx 380 bucks (incl taxes) for a burger that can’t satisfy ones hunger, leave aside the taste buds, Na Na, not acceptable
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| Tenderloin Burger – What a disappointment |
My kids were having the Crispy Chicken and the Chicken Outlaw Burger. I tasted the Crispy Chicken and I’d say that it tasted much better than the Tenderloin, something which has never happened before at other places
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| Chicken Burger for kids. |
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| One of the Chicken Brugers |
To conclude I’d say, nothing will make me go back to this place unless I read consistent reviews that they’ve changed for the better. The final bill all inclusive was 2300 bucks and mind you, this was without any desserts. Had the Quantity and Quality of the servings been up to the mark, I’d say that this was money well spent. As a conclusion I’d just say that, I feel I’ve been cheated and this place doesn’t do any justice to the price paid.
NEVER GOING BACK TO THIS PLACE ANYTIME SOON.
Food Enthusiasts of Delhi & Harjeev Singh Chadha own the copyrights of all pictures and content. To use pictures OR content in any way commercially OR non-commercially connect with shashank@foodenthusiastsofdelhi.com.
Afghan Delhi Restaurant – A Morsel from Kabul
While riding towards Saket, after crossing Malviya Nagar Metro Station there is this market on the left hand side which is quite busy and quite unlike your suave South Delhi Markets. In those markets there is a section bang opposite Max Hospital where you see signage written in Arabic script besides English and it is not a usual sight in that part of the town. On Closer look you will see few eating joints nestled between them, and I am assuming that Max hospital gets lot of Medical Tourism from Afghanistan, and those places are to cater to visitors from Afghanistan.
Though I have been wanting to check those eateries out for last 2-3 years, but never got an opportunity. But tonight was different. Tonight after a Full Power session at a friend’s pad in Hauz Khas we were thinking about the places to visit for dinner and somehow those Afghani joints were on top of my mind as I was returning from Saket itself. And before we knew, we got in the car and reached Max Hospital around 10:30 pm, where we spotted Afghan Delhi restaurant, sans any customer however still catering food.
My earlier experience with Afghan food was at Kabul Delhi Restaurant in Lajpat Nagar and I somehow knew that we should not expect spices in the food here and for our Indian taste buds the food is very bland. This time I knew what I was getting into and I feel was well equipped to savor & appreciate subtle flavors.
Walking into the place, it was a small restaurant which 4-6 tables and two sitting platforms in corners complete with round pillows. Platforms where you can sit down cross legged with your group of 4-6 people and enjoy food in a communal way. Cleanliness level was 6/10 types, however then it was late and they were almost closing down.
Anyhow our waiter was from Kabul but spoke decent Hindi, which he said he has learnt over the last 2-3 years he has spent working in Delhi. A bit through our sheer enthusiasm and a bit through our expressions, besides whatever language based communication that was happening, our waiter understood what we were looking for. We waited for 15-20 minutes enjoying the Afghani numbers along with some classic Bollywood music that was being played on the LCD screen in there. To quench our thirst we were served Afghani Lassi which was filled in 500 ml bottles of a popular water brand. The Lassi was basically Chhach flavored with bits of Mint, Coriander and Cucumber. It was well appreciated by all three of us and found it to be very refreshing.
Though those 15 minutes seemed like an eternity however the first sight of what came out was good enough to tell us that the wait for well worth it. What came out was a meal that not only was well cooked, but gave us exactly what we wanted but were not able to communicate. There were Kebabs, there was a veg and non-veg main course dish and then there was a rice dish.
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| Our Afghani Dinner |
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| Dinner on Table |
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| Afghani Lassi |
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| Afghani Lassi – Chhach with Cucumber, Mint & Coriander |
We were served two types of Kebabs – Mutton and Chicken. As expected there were no spices expect salt and black pepper sprinkled on top, and we squeezed some lime juice on them. What came out was very well cooked chunks of meat, in which you could appreciate the actual flavor of meat, much different for Indian kebabs to which I feel spices add lot of detail. In Afghani food they do not serve Chutney & Pyaz, that we have come to expect with our kebabs and if you ask for Chutney, they most probably would return with a bottle of ketchup for you. But these were served with a decent enough salad, some cabbage, Tomato, Cucumber, Chilies, Capsicum etc. If you like eating your meats, followed by some vegetables, you gonna enjoy eating these, I did. There seemed to have no oil/butter/cream on them and were simple grilled meats.
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| Chicken Kebab |
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| Mutton Kebab |
There was a portion of Chicken Korma and if menu price of Rs.150 was any indication, it was a BIG frigging portion. Again no spices, simple chicken cooked in Tomoto and Onion gravy, and was the Okra (Bhindi) that they served as other main course dish, simple onion and tomato base. Both the dishes went very well with the bread that was served. The Cold Afgani bread, which for lack of better word I can only describe as a cross between Khamiri roti & Sheermal that you get in some Muslim owned eateries in Delhi (Karims,Changezi etc). It was cold, it was thick and it was dense, however not chewy & well cooked.
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| Chicken Korma |
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| Okra |
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| Afghani Bread |
Last but not the least : Kabuli Pulao – What an absolute delight it was. Rice, Raisin, Meat & Fat. Oh and some grated carrots too. Yup, that is all I felt was in there. Slighty sweet, it bears a very close resemblance to legendary Parsi dish – Berry Pulao. The similarity is not uncanny as ethnically Parsi’s are from Iran or Persia which is a neighboring country of Afghanistan. Chunks of meat that break with your hand, mixed with very flavorful rice and then those raisins. Mashallah! 😀
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| Kabuli Pulao |
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| Kabuli Puloa – Meat Chunks |
Mutton Kebab, Chicken Kebab, Chicken Korma (HUGE Portion), Okra, Kabuli Pulao, Bread and 4 bottles of that Afgani Lassi – The Bill was Rs.790 – No Taxes, No Service Charge. Left us with a smile and those boys a Rs.100 note which they accepted with broad grins on their face.
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| Menu of Afghan Delhi Restaurant |
For vegetarians it seems to be no go place, however if you can or do enjoy your meats for their own flavors then you should give it a try and see if it floats your boat. Though I love my spices, however its a place that I am definitely going back to, to try more dishes and to savor something which is so Desi yet not so Desi.
PS : Its located almost bang opposite the Max Hospital in Saket, for timings and other details you can call on the numbers which are mentioned on their board – 8800403753 & 8800403763,
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| Afghan Delhi Restaurant |
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| Afghan Delhi Restaurant – From the outside |
Food Enthusiasts of Delhi & Shashank Aggarwal own the copyrights of all pictures and content. To use pictures OR content in any way commercially OR non-commercially connect with shashank@foodenthusiastsofdelhi.com.
Qureshi’s Kebab Corner – Dhaba comfort in South Delhi
Lot of my friends who live in South of Delhi, specially near the Greater Kailash (1 & 2), Kailash Colony, CR Park, Kalkaji etc. have been recommending Qureshi’s for their non-vegetarian food. So this Saturday some of us food lovers from Eatlo decided to visit the place and see what their food was all about.
Here are some of the dishes that we savored and my views on them :
- Chicken Malai Tikka – When you say Chicken Malai Tikka the first thing that comes to my mind is the one served at Art of Spices in Rajendra Nagar / Karol Bagh area, which is white in color, melt in mouth and topped with grated cheese. However at most places when you order a Malai Tikka they serve you a Chicken Tikka which is then wrapped or coated with a white thing which they want us to think is Malai. Now these two are the extreme ends, most incredible to most pathetic. The one we had at Qureshi’s was different, this was tender & juicy, however had a bite – both in texture and spices. Loved it.
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| Chicken Malai Tikka |
- Chicken Tikka – Now this was not too different from the Malai Tikka we ate before this one, the only difference that I could figure out was in texture or bite the pieces offered, but then that again can be my drunk imagination trying too hard to find a difference. That essentially means that even Chicken Tikka is quite awesome, do try it.
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| Mutton Seekh Kebab |
- Mutton Seeth Kebabs – First things first – they were not frozen and these days that is more than half the battle won. I mean most of the food joins buy those frozen seekhs from meat shops and then sell them for seekh kebabs. But these were not the frozen ones and were made of fresh grounded meat with proper spices. That lends them a character of their own, and I am sure those who know and appreciate their seekh kebabs would end up appreciating these.
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| Mutton Burra |
- Mutton Burra – Have not eaten this at many places, had two pieces of it here at Qureshi’s, one seemed to be underdone while the other seemed to be cooked properly and I enjoyed eating it. Again the kick of spices was every apparent and everyone on the table savored the dish.
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| Afghani Chicken |
- Afghani Chicken – A dish as per the expectations. Well grilled chicken which was coming off the bone with your fingers, loaded with cream, curd and other spices. Loved the flavors of this one. That said, Afghani chicken sold in Delhi is no where to close what they would eat in Kabul, a place where food is quite bland. Afghani Chicken is a name given to another rendition of creamy chicken in Delhi by us Delhiites. Some just do it better than the rest, and Qureshi seems to be among the better ones.
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| Mutton Rogan Josh |
- Mutton Roghan Josh – All this while I thought Roghan meant Desi Ghee and Josh meant heat. unfortunately this dish had none. And under-cooked mutton pieces was like adding insult to the injury.
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| Mutton Korma |
- Mutton Korma – Ummm.. under-cooked mutton in some thick creamy gravy which was slightly sweet. This one was like adding injury to an insult.. >_<
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| Tawa Chicken |
- Tawa Chicken – Saving grace of the main courses, this was the pick of the lot. Well grilled chunks of chicken dunked in a rich gravy with chunky vegetables. Would not benchmark it with other Tawa Chickens that I have eaten, this one was delicious in its own right.
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| Chicken Biryani |
- Chicken Biryani – The MOST pathetic Biryani I have ever eaten. Period. Flavorless, tasteless, served with nothing on the side. But then the chutney that they serve is almost as good as raita and no that is not a complement for their chutney.
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| Chutney, which was more like a Raita. |
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| Assorted Breads – Decent Quality |
The place itself is located on the front side of a commercial market in a residential area, where they have some tables outside, they also have a well made air-conditioned seating area upstairs. Given its location its a favorite eating haunt of people who are going to party in one of the upscale markets nearby or are coming back from some party.
For me, the Chicken dishes definitely did a lot better than their Mutton dishes which was contrary to our expectations. Their food is on the rich and spicy side, generally speaking I would not complain about that and I am sure it would go very well with Chicken and Paneer dishes, however adding cream to mutton dishes just killed it. By the quality of their starters, I am sure they would be serving decent rolls and seeing Butter Chicken on other tables I am tempted to go back for it.
Overall this place is an Oasis in Good North Indian Dhaba food deprived South Delhi, and would serve as a very good option when you are in the area. Its a place that I look forward to visit again.
Don’t expect much from the serving staff, that said, the food does come fast. We paid Rs. 5000 for 8 of us but we ordered multiple portions of several dishes.
Its located in Narmada Market, Opposite Don Bosco School in GK2 area. They have another outlet in South Extension area, which you can Google up.
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