Miss ghar ka khaana?

This Moti Mahal Delux serves it just as well

The more you travel, the more you miss home. The newer the places, the more they remind you of where you came from. This basic contradiction of human nature applies to the food we eat too. Which is why ghar ka khaana will always be the one thing we will always treasure and crave, no matter where we go. And which is why there is a certain joy in going to restaurants that serve you food that still tastes the way you remember when you were young.


Though the location is starkly south Delhi and the plush interiors and
efficient service more so, the food piping hot off the grill or dished
from a pot full of creamy, buttery goodness is as saadi dilli as it gets.

Something the managing director of the swank new Moti Mahal Delux, the very young Yuvraj Kohli, at Select Citywalk understands fully. So though the location is starkly south Delhi and the plush interiors and efficient service more so, the foodu00a0-- piping hot off the grill or dished from a pot full of creamy, buttery goodness --is as saadi dilli as it gets.

Because Moti Mahal Delux is an institution, and because the healthy part of my guilty conscience does not allow me to indulge in the rather sinfully heavy food often, I decided to go the whole nine yards. I began with tandoori prawns, which were excellent because despite the spicy dressing, I could still taste the meat. Then I had the mutton burras, which were well marinated, well grilled and had the just the right amount of spices (a rarity in most other burras). Followed by the milder Afghani chicken, yet another excellent entree, though I wish I had reversed the order and began with the chicken.

I was almost content already but in the tradition of good Mughlai foodu00a0-- and Moti Mahal Deluxeu00a0-- being content is not enough. You have to be so stuffed that you have to rest for a bit after eating a good meal. So I acquiesced to the trademark butter chicken and dal makhani (not Mughlai but how can an Indian meal in Delhi be replete without it?) and some brain masala. Thankfully, I had the good sense to skip the rather tempting long list of rotis, naans, and kulchas and go for plain roti.

In ascending order of the quantities I consumed: the dal was as tasty as tasty can be and I was grateful that it had very few kidney beans as even my unlimited love for Punjabi food cannot make me like rajma - in any form; the butter chicken had its trademark taste though a little less tomato would have done no harm; the brain, though quite spicy was very delicious. It also made me want to eat cold kulfi and falooda for dessert, which with the cool, rose flavour was a perfect ending to a heavy, satisfying meal on a hot, summer night.

Moti Mahal Delux
Food: Homely
Service: Attentive
Ambience: Luxe
At: 9&10/D-2, Southern Park, Next to KFC, behind Select City Walk.
Timings: Noon - 11.45 pm.
Call: 41054141.
Meal for two: Rs 1,200.