Why is Indian food so tasty?

It is said that Indian food is renowned across the world for the flavours with which it is cooked. There had been several researches which prove that the combination of the spices that are there in the Indian curries makes it stand apart from the rest of the world. The other day, I visited one of the popular North Indian restaurants in Gurgaon and I was bowled over by the taste of the foods they served it made me realize that no matter what, i would always consider Indian food as my first love!

Indian cuisine holds a special position in the hearts of all Indians. No matter how much we all swear by Continental or Tex-Mex cuisine, we all return to our home made Rajma chawal at the end of the day. After doing a bit of research, I found out that Indian food is so delectable due to lesser amount overlapping flavours in it, unlike western cuisines wherein the ingredients used are similar in flavour.
Indian food stands apart in this sector as it has at least 7 types of flavours in an average simple preparation. The cooking procedure too has a lot to do with the taste which is generally an extensive process including several steps. The spices contribute in its own way to the final taste pf the meal.

My friend, who happens to be a chef in one of the renowned restaurants in Saket Dhaba by Claridges, said that Indian have a distinct way of pairing up staples with main course which adds to the quantity and the taste of the meal. The way some dishes are best paired up with roti, paratha and rice is something which Indian have been adept at since time immemorial. In fact, the breads that Indians have their individual taste like, Missi roti, tandoori naan etc. So I believe Indian food can be the best culinary experience for us Indians, and for people outside India.

History of Butter Chicken

No matter how many times you have butter chicken, you’re always going to lick your fingers after feasting on it. Chicken’s lavishness in a creamy curry along with butter naan will give you a calorie shock but your taste buds will go into frenzy. Although it is usually a Punjabi dish, butter chicken has gotten palettes of a large global audience addicted. Such is its craze that the Canadian PM Stephen Harper especially took out the time to enjoy butter chicken at a North Indian restaurant on his visit to India.

There’s no doubt that butter chicken is a top, north Indian cuisine in Delhi. The reason behind that is butter chicken’s roots can be traced to city. A certain Kundan Lal Gujral invented this recipe at his small hotel called Moti Mahal in Peshawar, Pakistan, before partition. After Punjab was split in two, Gujral moved to New Delhi, India and re-opened his Moti Mahal restaurant. It was here that butter chicken became a super-hit, especially among the Sikh community, who took it across the globe with their diaspora.

Dhaba by Claridges has continued the tradition of cooking delicious and tongue rollicking butter chicken. It is prepared by marinating chicken for some hours in a yogurt and spice mixture. The spices vary across different preparations and can be garam masala, ginger, garlic, pepper, coriander, chilli, turmeric etc. Chicken pieces are cooked in tandoor, grilled, roasted or pan fried. A curry is prepared which is a bit on the sweet side and includes a lot of butter. There are any variations on the spices used for the sauce. Spices for the sauce can be cloves, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, pepper and fenugreek. Garnishing the butter chicken with more butter, cream and coriander prepares a lavish, mouth-watering dish. 

Why Mughlai food is the most royal amongst delicacies

Mughlai cuisines have thrilled palettes all over the world. Although, there have been amazing empires all over the world, Mughals always stood out because of their love for art, architecture and food. And just like their lavish lifestyle, their meals were sumptuous, to say the least. The royal looking Mughlai dishes taste much like what an emperor would have on his table. Masalas, oils and colour add to the dishes’ grandeur. There won’t be a single foodie in the world who has eaten biryani, murgh musallam, kebab, rogan josht etc and not got hooked to them.

The display of the royalty in the food has toned down a bit. In the peak of the Mughal era, cuisines were made to look lavish, colourful and fragrant and it was eaten with proper respect and table manners. Decorating the food was also seen as a nutritional benefit on the advice of the royal physician. For example, the royal biryani had each of its grain of rice coated with silver oil, because silver aids digestion along with acting as an aphrodisiac. Even the best restaurants in Delhi now are unable to match that level of grandeur.

Mughlai food turned out so well because it infused the best of many cultures including Iranian, Persian, Afghani, Kashmiri and Punjabi. The cuisines are not only non-vegetarian though as some emperors even liked vegetarian food. For example Akbar ate vegetarian three days in a week and Aurangzeb was an out and out vegetarian though he did fancy his occasional mega-biryani, as it is referred to by the historians. Being the national capital, Delhi’s food was influenced by a lot of cultures. Although, North Indian cuisine in Delhi remains the favourite of every one mainly because of its Mughal background. So hurry up and order, it’s time to feast like a king. 

The North-South combo!

I am a ‘mixed breed’ as my friends call me. That’s because I have a Punjabi mom and a Malayali dad. I am the by-product of cultural diversity in India and I have experienced a lot of such ‘diverse’ things right form my childhood. I have been brought up in Delhi, so I must say that I have its influence slightly more than the southern corner of our country. But apart from that I have always encountered the best of both!

For instance, language has been one of significant things of my life. I know Punjabi from my mom’s family and Delhi has always been my teacher when it came to the accent of authentic Punjabi language. Also, I acquired the knowledge of Malayalam from my grandparents who lived with us and dad who wanted me to be fluent in his mother tongue as well!

So I used to be a wonder kid back in school who knew Hindi, Punjabi, Malayalam and English! Even I never realized how I picked up so many dialects, accents and dictions!

The next inevitable point that I must mention is food. Breakfasts were never boring as I would either get aloo paratha or dosa and the likes. Although I have been exposed to North Indian food in Delhi more, I am equally attached to South Indian cuisine.

We have explored the best restaurants in Delhi serving both North and South Indian cuisine! I am at times surprised at my undivided love for both idli and chole kulche at the same time!

Festivals were the best part of my upbringing into a culturally ‘mismatched’ family like this. Pongal used to be so much fun! And Diwali was just as grand!

The best thing is I never realized while I was growing up that I was imbibing two different cultures together which otherwise the society considers ‘impossible’. Everyone creates ‘norms’ but few realize that there is an inexplicable peace (and joy) beyond that.

My best friend’s farewell food!

The fact that my best friend- that one person I can share anything and everything with- would soon move to Mumbai to pursue her higher studies was already too hard to sink in; but planning her surprise farewell party where everybody would shower her with good wishes for a brighter future was even harder. I was happy for her of course, but not happy enough to let her go pursue her passion in a different city.

But I did what was needed to be done. I wanted to throw her the most memorable farewell party, and I did. While she was at work, we decorated her room with her favourite flowers, ordered the most magnificent cake we knew she would devour in just an hour, but most importantly we arranged for a lot of North Indian food (her favourite cuisine) from one of the famous home delivery restaurants in Saket. I still remember the surprised look on her face when she entered her room. She loved the party and we all just ate, sang, and danced the entire evening. This might sound clichéd, but in the end, we all hugged and cried together. We all have been friends since childhood and the fact that one of us would be moving away just made us emotional. And then when everyone went back home, I stayed over and while munching on the leftovers, we just talked and talked.

She left yesterday but not before lunching with me in one of her favourite North Indian restaurants in Gurgaon. She loves to eat and doing anything else before leaving for airport would have not been quite right. She, her parents, her twin sister, and I spent some happy moments together at that lovely restaurant. She would be back for Diwali holidays but being a big foodie, she can’t wait to have her favourite North Indian food from her favourite restaurant. Well, at least there is something that can lure her back to Delhi!

The Perfect Lazy Sunday Plan

There’s nothing better than spending an entire Sunday lazing in the comfort of your home. Though for many of us, weekends are a time of partying and socialising and what not, every now and then, we all love that one Sunday we have just to ourselves –to eat delicious food delivered right to our doorstep from the best of the best restaurants in saket, or to watch a movie cuddled up in bed, or just sit in the verandah and take in the sun and sip a warm mug of coffee and contemplate the philosophies of life! We all have our very own ideas regarding how to spend that perfect lazy
Sunday. Well, here’s mine!

• Somewhere around noon:

That lazy Sunday always begins with a good night’s sleep. Anywhere north of the regular 8 hours of sleep is the most essential ingredient to kick-start my lazy Sunday. In fact, there is no kick-starting at all, it’s all slow and steady!

• After an hour of attempts at waking up, when one finally succeeds:

Considering the fact that it’s well into the afternoon now, the hunger begins to grumble in my stomach a little too loud. And while I’d really like to go in for some delectable buttery, fatty meals from restaurants with food delivery in saket, what really gives a good fix is a large mug of coffee. Whether it’s in bed, out in the balcony or lazily sprawled out on the couch watching some mindless television, a mug of frothy coffee just does the trick for me.

• Time to freshen up…or not:

Okay, time for a little confession. I’m not the biggest fan of getting around to bathing. Though I absolutely love it once I’m in the shower all frothed up, getting around to it is a Herculean task for me. So more often than not, my Sunday morning (afternoon) routine just involves brushing my teeth and washing my face!

• Lunchtime, or shall I say breakfast:

Too lazy to cook myself anything, Sunday lunches almost always involve ordering in from the best restaurants in saket.

• Time to hit the internet:

And ladies and gentlemen, sorry to pop the bubble, but there’s nothing more to a lazy Sunday than being lazy! Hit the internet, stay in bed, and do whatever you want. Tada! 

LET’S GO ON A TASTY TOUR

India is an epitome of diversity. Be it culture, tradition, clothing or food- versatility is what makes India a fascinating place to live in. India has a variety of food to offer and each food item assures you a distinguished experience. North Indian food, for example, is distinguished by the high proportionate use of milk and dairy products such as ghee, cheese and butter. Other specific feature of north Indian food is a use of lot of spices. We love spices and even if we would have our tongue burning out of spice, we would continue to lick our fingers dipped in delicious curry! The most common spices used in north indian food are black pepper, red chili, garlic, ginger and garam masala. (We cannot do without garam masala!) Some of the most common north indian food Delhi are mutter panner, tawa naan, chicken curry and chhole- chawal. The mere mention of these delicious dishes makes our mouths water. Imagine the pleasure of these dishes being physically present before you! Well if the mention of it gives a mouth-watering experience to you too and you suddenly find yourself craving for the deliciousness, then you must visit a north Indian restaurant that serves finger licking north Indian cuisine, vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian.

There are a number of north indian restaurants in saket, cannaught place, karolbagh and other famous hangout locations of Delhi. When it comes to serving north indian desserts, the menus of some restaurants for desserts are even longer than the main course! Gulab Jamun, Gaajar ka Halwa and Jalebi are hot favorites of the people of Delhi. Some of the other common sweet dishes that a number of north indian restaurants offer are kheer, ras malai and kulfi.

A bad day that ended well

Have you ever experienced those days when nothing seems to go right? I am sure you have. I too was having a terrible day very recently. Each thing I attempted to do on that particular day fell apart one by one. It was a Saturday and yet I had woken up early in the morning to take care of a few tasks. By around 7 in the evening, I felt completely exhausted- mentally, physically, and emotionally. Having read a lot of inspirational books in my life, I decided to change my attitude towards the situation and deliberately made a dinner plan with my sister and her friend. We decided to visit one of the well-known North Indian restaurants in Gurgaon. 

I tried to cheer myself up by wearing nice clothes. The moment we sat in the car, my eyes started burning. I was really sleep deprived and hence we made a slight change to the plan. Instead of visiting the Gurgaon chain of Dhaba By Claridges, we landed at its Saket branch. We ordered the famous Balti Meat and Butter Chicken along with Butter Naan and Garlic Naan. The Balti meat was served in a cute, little bucket and the meat was extremely tender and tasty. The butter chicken dish too was very well prepared. Trust me, after a long and tiring day, the food really cheered me up. While we were eating, we suddenly heard loud cheers from the crowd downstairs. After performing in the lower region of the restaurant, the staff members came upstairs and danced together on a popular Bollywood song. Their smiles and their energy really set the mood of the place and managed to raise my spirits further. 

I came back home much happier. Even though my day had started on a bad note, it ended well!

Back To My Roots With North Indian Food

Today, amidst the Mexican spaghettis and the Italian pizzas, amidst the complicated sounding salads and equally disturbing looking dishes, we youngsters find our food paradise! While some swear by Sushi, others die for Lasagna! and me? I just crave Indian cuisine, especially north indian food. I know a lot are surprised with this statement of mine, because in a metropolitan where you have practically all the exquisite dishes of the world at your disposal, I still crave the traditional naan and butter chicken, like seriously?? You go OUT to eat north indian food in Delhi?That’s crazy my friends tell me! But, I couldn’t care less. For me, North Indian Cuisine is pure bliss. It’s a blessing; it’s Food porn for me.

The juicy chicken dipped in rich smooth gravy and the hot buttery naan, just makes my mouth water every time I even think of it! Friends ask me what’s new in it, it is the same old thing prepared at home during family parties, but I completely disagree, to anyone out there who feels it’s boring, you have probably never had a bite of the food offered at Dhaba by Claridges!

As the name suggest this food paradise actually envisions a ‘dhaba’ like rustic setting to make you feel connected to your rural background while you enjoy their sumptuous meals. The place boasts of vibrantly coloured walls and posters of trucks and lorries (as we would call them in the typical ‘desi’ style) giving it a more village theme. But do not be misguided about the quality of food served here. This is Claridges, so food has to be heavenly, and it surely is! It serves you pure traditional north Indian Food in a sophisticated way, yes, though they use traditional utensils for serving, standards and hygiene wise they make it top notch. They are one of the reasons I fell in love with north Indian Cuisine. You should definitely try some really soon. With them offering food delivery in Saket and other places in Delhi, it is the best opportunity to experience the magic of the best north indian food at home!

Dhaba by Claridges: The best restaurant in Delhi

“If you're a person who says yes most of the time, you'll find yourself in the hotel business and the restaurant business.”

Said Mr. Francis Ford Coppola, and Oh! How right was he!  At Dhaba by Claridges, the staff just never learnt to say no. Putting forward your request with a mesmerizing smile and infectious  enthusiasm, they make your meal, not just food but such a wonderful experience.

Serving exceptionally delicious dishes, it finds its place as the best restaurant in Delhi. The sumptuous Butter Chicken and Balti meat, presented in an even authentic look traditional dish, the small “kadai”are the place’s supreme specialty and never fails to tingle your taste buds every time you have a bite of it. This awesomely designed restaurant with a warm rural Dhaba like décor, is sure to WOW anyone who enters here. It’s got that “ desi” rustic appeal and solitude which is such a blessing in a busy cosmopolitan like ours.

Also, being one of the best north Indian Restaurants in Gurgaon, Dhaba by Claridges has found its place among the “must visit” restaurants for many top notch entrepreneurs and businessman, but it’s just not limited to a certain strata of society alone. This place serves something special for everyone, From customers choosing it as their first date venue, to couples celebrating their 50th marriage anniversary, Dhaba by Claridges, becomes a part of every customer’s special moments in life, to the extend that it is one of the reason behind those memorable moments.

If you thought food was nothing but  just an everyday routine, Visit Dhaba by Claridges and they will show you just how wrong you were! They emit this sheer happiness that serving their customers gives them, Hospitality here touches this new height, a height so unparalled by other eateries out there.

Truly, as one of the signboards at this Dhaba says: “HAMARE YAHAN KHAYEGA, DOBARA AAYEGA!” I  just couldn’t agree more, you should definitely visit this place. Come on, just put on that “bucket list” of yours, this is an experience you just can’t miss!

Perks of Being a Vegetarian

Going by the recent data collected, we can very well infer that the new trend says ‘Go Vegan’. While reasons may vary, but there is one universal voice that calls out to switch to the vegetarian lifestyle. Though the motives may vary, the perks stay the same, remarks the best restaurants in Delhi.

Having said that there is enough scientific evidence to prove that you can readily avail several health and environment-based benefits by going for a vegetarian diet! Since most of the illness, including the most fatal ones like cancers amongst others source from the diet plan. However a plan-based-diet then reduces the risk of various chronic diseases, leading you to a healthy lifestyle, observes an owner of a top restaurant in Saket.

Here are some more benefits of turning vegan:

-Longevity of life

Since the non-vegan eating habit results into a consumption of saturated and four legged fat, it must be noted that it reduces your average life span. Studies reveal that animal products block your arteries and slow down the immune system. But going for a vegetarian diet keeps you safe from these and prevents unnecessary loss of energies.

-Lower the risk of chronic diseases

A low on fat vegetarian diet is one way to keep the chronic and other fatal diseases at bay. Rich in fibre and antioxidants, they facilitate both a better digestive system and also wards off the free radicals, reports a dietician after a food review for the top restaurant in Saket.

-Keep a tab on your weight

Since a regular non-vegan diet has plenty of saturated fats and processed foods, they are known to be a major cause adding to obesity. However switching to a low-fat vegetarian diet not only regulates your weight but also checks your cholesterol levels.

Common Indian Cooking Styles

Welcome to the food paradise! India is a land of varied tastes and flavours with the flavours that vary with different cultures and regions. Many might not know this but the country has some 35% of the people that are strictly vegetarians and there are roughly 30% that are regular meat eaters, states the top North Indian restaurant in Delhi.

It might be interesting to note that the tastes and preferences vary highly with the changing geographies along with the climatic conditions. With such an immersive variety that the Indian food offers, it in fact is imperative to have a look at the common cooking styles that Indians have:

-Roasting Dry Spices

Spices such as garam masala, ground cumin, coriander seeds and other curry spices are roasted dry in a frying pan. This is one of the common practices when preparing north Indian cuisine in Delhi or any household. Once the frying pan or the iron girdle is preheated on a medium flame, the spices are added and are continuously stirred until the spices turn a few shades darker.

-Adding Seasoning to the Dals (cereals)

Commonly known as tarka, some oil (ghee) is added to a pan followed by masalas like mustard seeds, cumin, chopped onion and garlic, chillies and heeng (asafoetida). Then these are cooked and stirred for some one minute until the mustard seeds start popping.

-Grinding Masalas

It is one of the ways we store our spices. We use a coffee grinder or a specific spice grinder to powder spices like garam masala, turmeric and red chillies amongst others, explains a top North Indian restaurant Dhaba By Claridges. 

-Cooking in Tandoors

Exclusive and unique to Indian cooking is tandoori cooking style. Now that meat, seafood and chicken is cooked in Tandoors, tandoor cooking has become a significant style of cooking.

Indian Food and Its Relative Calorie Coun

India which is the second most populous country of the world enjoys a rich mixture customs and individuals. This exuberance through diverse regional races is then reflected in the clothing habits, food habits and various religious beliefs. As one moves from the northern region to the southern parts and vice versa there is a complete shift of tastes and culinary respites. It is in fact amazing that a north Indian food in Delhi may taste uniquely different when cooked in some other region. The popular food which we enjoy has also a historical heritage attached to it. One can clearly distinguish the impact of ancient civilization as has been invaded by the British, Mughals and others, mirrored in the domestic food and as is served in the best restaurants in Delhi or any other region.

However with the world increasingly becoming aware of the importance of healthy food, it has become all the more necessary to understand how a particular food affects your body. To aid this consciousness here are some most popular regional food items and their respective calorie count:

-Roti

It is a traditional Indian bread and is pretty thin. A 6-inch roti offers a number of 85 kilocalories. With thin crust it becomes a parantha, which can then be stuffed with potatoes, spinach or onion as per the taste. This version of Indian bread then offers a surplus of 180 kilocalories.

-Rajma

The staple platter for north Indian food in Delhi and other northern regions is well served with rice. A melange of spices, tomato puree and onion, it contains good quality of proteins. Being excellent for health, it also works well for muscle-building. Generally 150 grams of rajma add to 153 kilocalories.

-Rasam

Most popular in the southern region of the country, it is a household dish. Low in calories it is ideal for those struggling to manage the weight. 150 grams of it, only contribute towards 30 kilocalories.

-Fish

Since the southern region of the country is closer to the coastline, fish is one of the most cooked dishes in this region with several variations to suit the taste. 200 grams of fish curry contains 460 kilocalories.

Special Navaratri Menu at Dhaba By Claridges

Were you going nuts, thinking you will have to be on a soul-less and colorless ‘diet’, to be at par on spiritual days of navratri? Well, to my understanding there’s certainly nothing wrong in fasting all the while, indeed i would say you can stretch a bit and delight your taste buds with wide array of scrumptious dishes. Sounds weird?? Yes, even i agree!  If i would have had come across something like this in navaratri, would have reacted in the same way! But …good is news that keeping all your hunger pangs satiated with delicious dishes, one of the best north indian restaurant in delhi, Dhaba by Claridges has come up with something special as always. 

This time, this remarkable delighter of north indian cuisine in delhi, have come up with a special menu, named as navaratri specials, and will be served to the diners here at Dhaba till 2nd of October. So those who just can’t resist without good food, but have dared to do things differently by fasting throughout navrtri, no worries!

The special menu at Dhaba entails Aloo sabut dane ki tikki, tawa arbi, dahi aloo, kache kele ka kofta, jeera sendha namak ka pulao, samak chawal, singhade aate ki puri, kheere ka raita, makhana sabiut dane ki kheer. 

My God! This is crazy menu and is attracting hordes to its shore! Why not! There’s so much so that anyone and everyone can get tempted to savor these lip smacking dishes. There’s a lot more to it so what all are you thinking and wasting your time over much? Rush to Dhaba by Claridges! Afterall it’s a no stone carved rule where God ask their followers to starve them. 

Overview of Flavors and Cuisines from North India

Geographical and Cultural Influence on the Food: North India is blessed with extreme climate conditions which is a summer is too hot and winter is too chilly. This weather offers an abundance of fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables. The richness owing to the geographical location with relation to the rest of the Sub-continent implies that the region has had a great influence of by Central Asia both in terms of culture and food. Mughlai and Kashmiri type of cooking form the most popular cuisine for the best restaurants in Delhi and across the globe.

Opulence of Food: North Indian curries are thick, creamy and spicy in texture. The use of dried fruits is common when preparing North Indian Food Delhi. Various dairy products like milk, yoghurt, cream, cottage cheese and ghee have a significant role when preparing this relishing palate. Also due to the availability of sumptuous variety of foods and vegetables an incredible kind of vegetarian dishes are cooked the entire year.

Staple Food: Unlike south Indians the North Indians prefer wheat bread over rice. North India is an abode to tandoori roti, naans and stuffed paranthas.  However you will also come across rice made into elaborate biryanis and pilafs in the region. This preference of wheat can be greatly observed in the menus of the best restaurants in Delhi.

Use of Cooking Oils: The oils which go into making these dishes include sunflower and canola. Mustard oil is used only in some regions of the state. Ghee goes into the preparation of special dishes and reserved for specific occasions.

Significant spices and Ingredients: Coriander, cumin, Dry red chilies, turmeric, chili powder, cinnamon, cloves, garam masala and fennel are some of the dominant ingredients and spices which go into the making of the best north Indian cuisines.

Best-Known Dishes: Mutter Paneer, Biryani, Dal Makhni, Dahi Gosht, Chicken Tikka, Fish Amritsari, Samosa, Chaat and Motichor Ladoo are some of the popular palates from North India. 

Satiate hunger pangs the right way

It’s no secret that that each one of us are so very hooked up in hectic schedule that an individual one hardly gets time for anything. Half the time we are concerned to finish the allotted tasks, which hovers on our head like anything. Well, we cannot certainly blame ourselves, weekends come and fly away and the only thing that we are left with is to again wait for the weekends. This is not the story of one or two individuals, indeed is common among all. In conjunction to combatting stress and tension, one hardly takes intuitive to pop-into the kitchen and cook what they have had been craving for. Consequentially, there’s no option left but to rely on jiffy meals. 

There’s undeniably a spiralling hike in manufacturing of ready to eat meals in the recent days, in comparison to a few years back, for which the increasing demand has to be accredited. Be it school going school child or an office going chap, prioritizes of pouncing upon ready to make food is same aid everyone. But alas this does not come with the surety that people do not wish to have butter infused naan, paratha, shahi paneer, kadhai paneer or butter chicken. Well, putting a full stop to mere-craving, north indian restaurants in Gurgaon comes as a happy call. No matter you’re vegetarian or a non-vegetarian enthusiast, restaurants like Dhaba by Claridges becomes a one stop destination for all. Flooded with range of vegetarian and non-vegetarian lip smacking cuisines, Dhaba by Claridges, restaurants in saket has it all to please the taste buds of every diner. Last but certainly not the least; the tharra menu comes as a happy call for all the cocktail lovers. So from next time onwards, whenever you happen to feel hunger pangs, instead of relying on those ready to eat food, it is presumed that you know what has to be done!!!

Looking Out for the Restaurant Faux Pas!

I can’t tell how it feels to be robbed at a place where nobody comes to your rescue, mainly because you make the plunge at your own peril. No, I am not talking about some deadly terrorist encounter. I am talking about setting a foot into a restaurant and setting the same foot out, robbed of all money and sadly, satisfaction, too.

One such encounter that I had at a restro, supposedly one of the best restaurants in Delhi, left me thinking about the authenticity of the word -‘best’. While some restaurants, like Dhaba By Claridges, Pind Baluchi, or Dawat live upto their names, others just come across as a terrible disappointment. While zeroing on a North Indian Restaurant in Delhi, here are the most common things NOT to look out for!

The old, boring food

Every North Indian Restaurant in Delhi will have the usual Dal Makhani and Shahi Paneer on its platter. How the restaurant reinvents it decides how things click with the customers. Nobody would splurge their hard earned money on a dish that can be as easily cooked at home too. New is the fad these days. Adopt it, and stick to it!

Candle lit Ambience and Non engaging Staff

Ask today’s youngsters or even elders for that matter, Candle lit ambience is a thing that has ceased to be a charmer. People these days hunt down places that could cater to their frolicky taste and enjoy their meals and drinks in a wacky manner. Quirky ambience punctuated with bizarre elements like cool feedback chits pasted on the walls strike a chord with the audience. Well that’s closely enough to leave a long lasting impression on the foodies.

A non engaging staff is a big turn off, too. Imagine an attendant who makes an unbothered expression at your orders and doesn’t nod or say yes as a token of affirmation? An engaging and a warm staff, hence, is imperative to a pleasant dining experience. 

How Planning Comes in Handy While you are Cooking

I remember waking up to my mother instructing me to have things in control at home while she was leaving for a holy trip for a few days. For days I was baffled to wake up and sleep back with a concern about what to cook buzzing all around and about the day. What to prepare is the only thing I was perturbed with. It wasn’t the case that I haven’t cooked before but planning a meal is going to haunt me for ages now. It is not solely about the taste which may decide a meal but there are a lot many considerations and thoughts which get into while preparing a meal. 

When I was preparing a meal I made it a point to make it with a right balance of taste and health. Though it was a lot of trouble I confess, to prepare an appetizing palate considering the health part of it but few tips which I learnt from a chef from the best restaurants in Delhi came to the rescue. Sticking on to the nutritious value I prepared a plan to make the supper delectable. After chalking out a strategy I decided to prepare the breakfast nutritious, lunch savouring and heavy and dinner mostly light with a dessert with some home-made snacks in between.

Here are a few tips I adhered to while I planned and prepared the meals-

-Avoid including processed and readymade food, since we don’t have any control over its make-up. When having salads do not include pickles and dips into it. Apart from adding unnecessary calories they are unhealthy.

- I learnt this from a chef of a North Indian restaurants in Gurgaon that you must revisit the list of your groceries before you actually go shopping. Generally we don’t have a fixed idea what we will be buying and therefore the unrequired fuss about what to prepare. This kind of planning becomes much important in a big set up like a restaurant where managing an inventory itself is a task complex enough. 

-Pick a leaner piece of meat for palates which cannot be cooked with a lot of oil. Choose for extra virgin olive oil to make it healthier. Pick the organic, non-polished variants of rice and  pulses. While stocking on essential herbs and exotic vegetable for extra flavours do remember to opt for whole grain bread and pasta. 

Conclusively a bit of planning and sticking to something healthy and tasty at the same time helps you sail through even through the toughest time you are having while cooking.

Splurge on the Street Food at Saket this Monsoon!

How often do you find yourself binging on that one extra plate of Pani Puri or those two extra glasses of the street vendor’s lemon water? Very often, right? No one understands the ethereal feeling of gorging on the street food like a typical Delhi-ite does. But then, a Delhi-ite must also understand that if there is anything that holds the potential to give you turbulent pangs of sickness in Monsoons, then it is the street food only. 

It’s already Monsoon in Delhi, are people are becoming increasingly wary of what they splurge on. Parental sermons reek of ‘don’t-eat –out-anywhere’ stuff. Street delicacies have become brutalities, and are a big No-No. But can we really wait for the monsoon to terminate to dwell on these dainties? I guess no. 

Street food doesn’t necessarily have to be eaten at the streets. There are a number of north Indian restaurants Saket where you can easily gobble down your favourite spice without even remotely worrying about the health consequences. Many good quality restaurants that offer north Indian cuisine in Delhi have arrangements for healthy street snacking. You will often find the sellers wearing protective gloves while making dishes, in addition to taking extra care about the cleanliness of utensils. The water that the high profile restaurants in south Delhi use is uncontaminated, and hence safe to be used for cooking purposes.  These restaurants hire professionals who make sure that contamination never meddles with taste and health. And that’s precisely what makes them stand apart from the various other restaurants in Delhi.

In a nutshell, spend your weekend at some restaurant in Saket, south Delhi that will offer delectable street spice with absolutely no compromise on your health. You can always let your appetite loose for the taste buds that demand to be fed only by the spice of street!

What goes behind a successful restaurant?

Good food is so much more than just having something well-cooked to satiate your taste buds; rather it is a complete experience. Pleasing all the senses together, it is an inseparable aspect of luxuries of life. This is why, the food industry is undergoing an exponential growth. 

Picking up the cue on this, several north Indian restaurants in Gurgaon have revamped their services to offer nothing but the best. Taste obviously comes foremost, so, the best chefs are hired. Experienced and the best in the industry, they tactfully play with each and every ingredient to bring out the best flavours. Ideally, the rich and zesty tastes are preserved with perfection yet tweaked around to give it a distinctive tinge. And since every mother in Indian household knows how to cook excellent north Indian food, the expectation levels are high. The patrons want their favourite dishes served uniquely and then it is even more difficult to give it a signature hint and maintaining the consistency forever. The flexibility to play around is limited and yet you are expected to give outstanding results, says a chef at one of the best restaurants in Delhi. 

Then, as we know, mastering the taste buds isn’t the only challenge. The dish will be dressed well to give the patrons value for money. ‘Balti Meat’ would have lost half of its charm if it were not for the dressing of the curry in antique utensils with the cream and nut. Everything is touched-up to perfection before it is put on a table. 

Ambience is the next necessary factor. The look and feel of the place should be of comfort. Depending on the kind of theme you want to adopt, it can either be kept simple on the cue of country kitchen format or for the five-star luxury, it can be furnished like a fine-dine. A soothing interior with a laid back interior works the best, though you are pen to experiment your own fancy ideas.