Our top curries of New Delhi
Writing and cooking: Taylor Holmes
Photography: Katelyn Marnoch
To say that you have been to a country, experienced it in it's whole, that's a bold statement. To have tasted the food, embraced the culture, met the people. To say it about India, is just plain foolish. You don't simply experience India unless you've traversed all of it. From Jammu and Kashmir down to Kerala, it's vast environment, food, and traditions will always leave you breathless.
Before we continue, I'd like to cover a few terms that may commonly be found in Indian cooking.
"Tadka", "Baghar" or tempering: The procedure of cooking off, sweating, or searing herbs and/or spices in oil or ghee in order to help release natural aromatics and oils, enhance flavour, or help solve them. You can often add your protein base (meat or legumes) to the sear before you add your liquids, to have the same Maillard effect (browning) on the "meat" in the dish too. It's an amazing technique that can change the personality of a dish entirely.
"Bhunao": An interesting method of stir frying where liquids are used to prevent things that are being seared from sticking. Usually done by adding water, stock, or yogurt. What's most desirable about this effect is it's assistance in de-glazing the surface, and capturing that beautiful flavour that may otherwise be left behind (not to mention helping with the cleanup ultimately).
"Ghee": Simply put, it is clarified butter. Often simmered lowly to evaporate liquid from the fat, skimmed for impurities, and drained to ensure purity and reduce milk solid concentrations. At room temperature it's consistency is more akin to a whipped butter. Softer and smoother. Typically used, not only in the early stages of cooking a dish (see "Tadka"), but also as a finishing, to top dishes.
"Masala": A blend of spices. You'll find many different types of these blends. Some of the most common being "Garam Masala", "Tandoori Masala", "Godha Masala", and "Tikka Masala". Some can be very aromatic and savoury, containing cloves or cinnamon. Others tend to involve more heat, typically from chilis.
"Do Piaza": Literally two onions. Usually many more than that (especially if I've got any say in the matter). It's a term that's used to graciously announce the presence of onions in the dish.
"Dhuangar": A term used for a particular type of smoking. Usually done with burnt charcoals placed in an earth-ware dish, or kiln, with the smoke recipient placed around. Heaps of spice, or ghee may be drizzled over the hot charcoals to enhance and alter the finer nuances of the smoky flavours.
We started our trip in New Delhi. From there we traveled to Agra, then throughout the desert state of Rajasthan. Our first stop in Rajasthan was Ranthambhore, followed by Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, and Udaipur. From Udaipur we flew to Mumbai, where we unfortunately had to cut our adventure short, and return home early.
The first real meal we had in India was in our guesthouse in New Delhi. A small, jet lagged feast of dal makhani (a personal favourite of mine), malai paneer (Katelyn’s choice), and naan. The helpful service employee there also slipped us a small bottle of whiskey, as a very thoughtful welcome gift.
-Dal Makhani-
Home made dal makhani with garlic naan
-Dal Makhani is a curry made typically of black lentils and red kidney beans, traditionally stewed over a long period of time at a low heat. The result is a rich and creamy gravy, with soft bits of lentils appearing frequently throughout. As with most dishes in north Indian cuisine, you'll usually find it with a healthy dollop of ghee on top. Although typically made with butter and cream, this delicious vegetarian curry can easily be made with yogurt as a substitute, or no dairy at all.
Flavour: Dal makhani has a savoury, lightly salty, and aromatic flavour profile. Cumin and bay leaves are staples of the curry, with aromatic spices like cinnamon, clove, or mace accenting it’s personality. Variants from different regions will use different supporting spices and blends to make it their own. The mouth feel is that of a very thick and creamy stew, speckled with small velvety lentils immersed within.
Originating from the Punjab region in the northwest, bridging India and Pakistan, this curry is no stranger to the phrase "low and slow". A proper dal makhani, without the implementation of modern cooking devices, can take up to 24 hours to prepare, for best results. Although this labour of love may sound intimidating, it's important to note that the time commitment is merely one of care, and not excessive work. It's important to soak the lentils for many (6) hours to get an appropriate consistency and flavour.
My tip when making dal of any kind, at home, is to change the water frequently when soaking. If soaking for 6 hours, drain and rinse every 2.
-Malai Paneer-
Home made malai paneer
-Malai paneer Is a curry made with a type of Indian “Cottage cheese”. Paneer is very firm, and doesn’t melt the way that cheeses we are familiar with in the West do. It can be seared or fried, almost like saganaki, or stewed in a curry. malai basically means to add cream.
Malai paneer is a dish we ended up having in multiple places around India, often with drastic changes. Some are based with garam masala, some are based with spicier tandoori masala. Some have a tomato base, while others have a ghee base. Always two things remain consistent; a creamy, slightly sweet gravy, and tender braised paneer.
Flavour: As previously noted, there seems to be a wide variety of types of malai paneer. Some have been sweet and mild, others have been quite spicy, with red chili powder, or even small green chilis inside. Overall the paneer always takes on the flavour of the curry gravy it’s in, or the marinade it’s steeped in. The mouth-feel of the paneer itself is similar to a firm tofu, only less spongy, and more creamy. It tends to almost melt in your mouth as you chew, and doesn’t split when heated.
A tip I’d like to offer when cooking paneer is to, like tofu, press and rinse it. Get it nice and dry, and stick it in a marinade. 2-4 hours is enough to impart flavour, but I would recommend 12-24 hours. Salt your marinade accordingly with how long you will plan to have it soak.
If you’re interested in making your own, here’s a link to my malai paneer recipe!
-Naan-
-Naan is a type of leavened flatbread, very popular in the Indian subcontinent. Traditionally it is made in a Tandoor, an Indian kiln style, ultra high heat, earthenware oven. Made from flour, water, yeast and salt (with the occasional addition of yogurt) this simple bread is extraordinary in nature. It’s functional at the table is typically one of a utensil, used to either pinch or scoop curry in to one’s mouth. It has roots in Persia, from a style of flatbread cooked over hot coals, and spread thin. It’s a typical staple of the Indian dining experience, altered largely when it’s either topped or stuffed with a wide variety of accenting herbs, spices or toppings.
Flavour: Depending on how it’s served, and what it’s served with, naan can be an exceptional addition to any Indian meal. Despite it’s simple nature, it is also a strong standalone snack to be had with a meal when topped or stuffed (typically with cheese, garlic, cilantro/coriander, ghee, or cumin seed). It’s natural flavour is simple, the gentle sour of yeast, and the mild savoury-sweet taste of the wheat tend to lend themselves to whatever curry you pair them with generously. Texture wise, they have a soft and chewy personality. Stretching and tearing are common ways of handling naan, and lend themselves comfortable to their position as an eating utensil.
Despite the other food we had in New Delhi, before heading off for Agra, Uttar Pradesh, these were the dishes that would easily stand out the most to us. We did lend our curiosity to a bite at McDonald’s (for which I would remain unsatisfied for the rest of the trip, as it was breakfast menu), but that is something I will discuss further in the fast food and street stalls portion of our adventure.