If you thought North Indian food was all about the fragrant, but mildly spiced butter chicken or the highly flavourful paneer tikka, you might be forgiven. Because not only is this the perception shared by most people in India, but also across the globe.
Straight from a Punjabi kitchen, it is true that butter chicken has been an instant hit through the years. But it is also true that the kitchens of Delhi dish up a wide and amazingly delicious variety of authentic food beyond what we already know. “A mix of Nawabi, Persian and local elements sourced from the city itself, the cuisine is subtle, delicate and delightfully aromatic and its origin can be traced back to the times of the Mughal Empire,” says Executive Chef Sunit Sharma who along with his team of masterchefs will transport you to the kitchens of ancient Delhi with a specially crafted menu for lunch and dinner.
One bite and you will be lost in the layers of richness. “Mughlai cuisine is a style of cooking developed by the imperial kitchens of Mughal Empire and as such, it is a very elaborate and rich cuisine loaded with ghee, saffron, freshly-ground spices, and cashew nut paste,” says Chef Sharma. Fit for a royal treat indeed.
Called 'Dilli ka Khaana' the food festival, being held at Cidade de Goa from September 23-25, celebrates a cuisine that never had a geographical boundary... as it evolved with different regions and influences with the dish still managing to hold its own identity. Known for their rustic smoky essence, Delhi's historic food elevates cooking to a fine art using a variety of age-old techniques like bhunna, dunghar and dum.
And that is what the chefs at Cidade de Goa are paying homage to. From the Kachhe kheema ke kebab (rich aromatic shallow fried spiced mutton mince patty) to the Chicken Lukhmi (lightly spiced chicken stuffed in a shallow fried refined flour parcel), the Paneer Aloo ke Kulle (cottage cheese, kala chana and puffed rice served in a potato basket) to the Kanji ke Bade (deep fried black gram balls soaked in asafoetida flavoured tangy water), Cidade de Goa promises to take your taste-buds on a truly historic journey.
“Lukhmi is a traditional and authentic savoury starter. The preparation includes stuffing meat into bread and cooking them together“ another typical Mughlai-style preparation,” informs Chef Sharma, adding, “Even the kulles ” stuffed fruit or vegetable cups ” are quintessential Delhi street food bursting with sweet and sour flavours.”
For main course, savour originals like Pateela Gosht (tender mutton slow-cooked in a brass pot), Dum ki Machhi (mustard marinated steamed Mahi Mahi fish finished with spiced yoghurt gravy), Badi Bua ki Handi (spiced chicken cooked in an earthen pot to absorb the earthy flavours) or the Bhuna Tangdi (chicken drumsticks slow-cooked in onion and tomato masala).
There is even a tender prawn cooked in a coconut gravy called Jhinga Lazeez that is creamy and bursting with flavou.
Vegetarians can choose from Dum Karela (stuffed bitter gourd slow cooked in rich gravy), Dhungare Paneer (cottage cheese cooked on an onion peel placed on burning coal for a warm smoky effect) or a traditional urad dal dumpling dish called Nimona, among others. “We also have a yam dish called Bhuna Zimikhand (where freshly ground spices are fried in oil and then mixed with yam) which is very popular in the North,” says Chef Sharma, adding, “Root vegetables like yam, colocasia and even raw jackfruit when cooked have a very non-vegetarian-like texture and hence very popular, especially during long Hindu fasts. The jackfruit is given the same treatment as mutton“ it is even cooked in similar masala.”
And of course there is the traditional accompaniment that every Delhiite lives by “ tadkewali pili dal, missi roti, stuffed khasta kachori and the paratha.
The desert, of course, is the highlight of the festival. Gulabi kheer garnished with nuts, shahi tukda, and the unmissable giant-sized jalebis, each weighing 250-300 gms and served with rabdi. “The purani jalebi ki dukaan in Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi have been whipping up these delicacies for the last 300 years. Even today, the jalebis they serve weigh nothing less than 250 gms each,” says the Chef.
Subtle, delicately-spiced and delightfully aromatic, the cuisine of Delhi, which elevated cooking to a fine art, stays true to its rich tradition. Chandni Chowk is undoubtedly the street food capital of Delhi, but if you can't make it there, why not hop on over to Cidade de Goa to take your taste buds on the same authentic journey?
Dilli ka Khaana
Upto September 25
Cidade de Goa
Vainguinim Beach, Goa
Contact: 2454545
