If you love Delhi street food, head out to the nearest Barbeque Nation immediately as they are having a fabulous Dilli street food festival going on till Sunday.
I visited the last week to find out what was on offer, and as it turns out, there is quite a lot.
We started with chaat – mouth-watering pani puris and dahi paapdi chats to kick things off, followed by chole kulcha.
If that was not enough for a start, there were ample varieties of paranthas available. I gave the paranthas a pass as I know from previous experience they are pretty heavy, and instead gorged on the multiple varieties of kebabs.
For the vegetarians, there is the Nadru ke Kebab – a spicy combination of spices, lotus stem and potato, Tandoori Malai Khumb – stuffed mushroom cooked in cream with a hint of cardamom that will melt in your mouth (my personal favorite and I came to it again and again), Dal Shorba, Pudina Ananas ke Tikke – pineapple grilled and roasted with mint leaves, and their highly recommended Dahi ke Kebab (another thumbs-up choice from me).
If you are non-vegetarian, you can go for the Mutton Dehlvi Adraki Seekh – popular street delicacy, Nimoda Tandoori Jhinga – succulently roasted prawns marinated in lemon zest and dhabha style Murg Tikka. My non-veg buddies at the table lagaoed the murg tikka, and praised it highly.
I also couldn’t resist their lovely salad offerings.
The main course was the usual Barbeque Nation fare, but I have to highlight the delicious biryanis they had cooking in their handis.
These were named rather exotically, but I was too busy stuffing my gob to take proper notes, sorry. But they were delicious, and they were the only two vegetarian biryanis on offer, so if you visit, you cannot go wrong.
And of course, there were the equivalent non-vegetarian options as well.
I thought I was pretty much done after eating so much, but the gulab jamuns and the blueberry cheesecake tempted me enough to give them a try. I am sure you would also be tempted once you see these mouthwatering photos I have to share 🙂 .
Of course, these weren’t the only desserts on offer. They had some delicious Jama Masjid ka Shahi Tukda (deep-fried bread in sugar syrup) and even more yummy looking firnis.
Overall, I thought they covered a range of foods, and I loved pretty much everything I tasted there. Apart from these specialties highlighted in this post, they also had the regular barbeque and buffet options. So, yes, it’s a pretty big and expansive buffet.
I also thought they got the street food atmosphere note-perfect. The waiters were in costume, they even danced and entertained us with a few Punjabi/Hindi numbers, and the decor reminded me of good ole Delhi perfectly.
A must-visit if you are in the mood for some quality north-Indian food, dhaba ishtyle.
This festival is on from 22 July – August 7, 2016 in all Barbeque Nation outlets in south India. If you are living elsewhere, contact your local restaurant to check if they are currently running this festival.
Cost: Average meal for two: Rs. 1600
