Delhi’s culinary history has evolved with every ruler and discovering a few pearls of its true culinary essence is quite rare. ITC Hotels continuing with its tradition of rediscovering this fleeting essence recently did a festival on Dehlvi cuisine conceptualized by Sadia Dehlvi and her family. Launched at the  Delhi Pavilion restaurant, the food from the older houses of Delhi tasted quite a mouthful.

What did we eat at the Delhi Pavilion?

We started off with some mutton kebabs. The round balls of meat cooked along with a lovely balance of spices and a delectable chutney to go along with it. But the essence of Indian food has always been in the main course and that is where we headed off to.

Although it was a non-vegetarian’s delight with Haleem, Nihari and even Keema on the menu, I did decide to try out the vegetarian sections of the menu too. Although the warm flavors of the Nihari had me warmed up on a chilly night and the intricate flavors of the Haleem had my tongue tied up, it was the flavors of the Keema that drew me in. The velvety texture enclosing within it a flavor of umami and some spices. Sadia ji adds some more kick to it with ginger juliennes. We combine it with some Mirchi Ke Paranthe which comes from the nearby Rampur kingdom. The vegetarian section of the menu also had some delicacies, especially the Sarson ka Saag. Although this is a pretty common dish all over North India during the winters, this one was quite different. A few of the mustard leaves had been left in various stages of being made into a puree, this giving it a texture I hadn’t experienced before. Combing with a Makke Ki Roti, Gur and White Butter, it was perfect for a wintery Delhi Night. The Yakhni Pulao with Raita was one of the loveliest additions to the meal with its subtle flavors and well-cooked meat.

The night ended some of Delhi’s most wonderful desserts. A lovely Zarda and a Shahi Tukda that had me going back for seconds. To discover the true flavor of Delhi, do head to Dilli Pavilion at Sheraton Saket soon.