It was in February 2012 that the refined and unpretentious Daniell’s Tavern - Pan Indian restaurant at The Imperial - unveiled its new look. With the much-appreciated addition of a Live Kitchen, the restaurant gives its visitors the opportunity to savour the jaw-dropping dishes that are indigenous to the different regions of India. Since the food items listed on the menu revisit India through the perspective of Thomas and William Daniell, they also give a fitting description to their gastronomic expedition.
Anybody who has been to this fine-dining restaurant would agree that it is an epicurean honor to the uncle and nephew who came to India from England, explored different places during their stay from 1786 to 1793, and created an impressive collection of art of what they experienced in the country. So don’t be surprised if the fare offered captures the true essence of South, Awadh and Bengal, for these were the regions the two roving artists travelled to.
We decided to visit Daniell’s Tavern to understand its festive fare. With traditional recipes - that have been passed on from one generation to another – on offer, it gives its guests several scrumptious reasons to celebrate during the seasons of festivities. With Delhi doused in the flavors of Navratri, it is obvious that those who want to feast while fasting need to head to Daniell’s Tavern.
Having tried almost all varieties of pakoras by now, its cucumber variation came across as a lip-smacking surprise. Prepared of grated cucumber, and mashed potatoes (used for binding), Kheerey Ka Pakora is a must have. Another impressive dish came in the form of Aloo Aur Kele Ki Tikki. While the northern part of the country is happy using raw bananas for curries, koftas, and even pakoras, its combination with potatoes can be new to many. A single mouthful of the tikki is soft, without being bland.
Prepared by Prem Kumar Pogakula, Executive Sous Chef, we were soon served a lavish Navratri Thali that quite successfully captured the true essence of native flavors with food items such as Kuttu ki Kadi, Seb Ka Kakul, Palak Paneer, Kaju Badam Ki Subzi and a lot more.
“Each time I prepare a thali, I make sure it is not just visually appealing, but delectable too. If you take a closer look at the thali, you'd understand it isn't the typical Gujarati style thali. It is straight food prepared by following an uncomplicated cooking style. Each food items included in the thali also brings different colours to catch everyone's attention. And to give our guests a complete Indian feel, we’ve picked dishes from different regions. So if Palak Paneer is the typical Punjabi dish, Dum Aloo will take you to the valley of Kashmir, Samak Ki Chassi has a unique UP flavour and Seb Ka Kakul comes with the distinctive Shimla feel.”
Kuttu Ki Kadi, which as the name suggests, was prepared of Kuttu flour and was sheer delight. A bit spicier from the rest of the options, it had a couple of well-cooked Kuttu Pakoras and was quite clearly the highlight of the Navratri Thali. Just in case you are bored of the typical North Indian (besan) Kadhi, this option is both impressive and satiating.
Samak Ki Chassi is a light dish cooked in lassi and made of mild spices and peanuts. You have to try it once to know what a perfect healthy replacement it is for rice. This can either be taken with a comparatively fiercely tangy Kaju Badam Ki Subzi or a soothing Dum Aloo.
While Sabutdane Aur Makhane Ki Kheer is both light and a bit crunchy (Makhane plays a key role in breaking the monotony), just the way we like it, Pethe Ki Kheer pales in comparison. But what really stands out of the dessert options is Aloo Ka Halwa. An easy dessert recipe that can be of great help to those who have to deal with unannounced visitors.
So all those who think fasting is completely boring, have definitely not tried Navratri Thali at Daniell’s Tavern. Start fasting, stay happy!
In addition to Daniell’s Tavern, Navratri offerings have been available at several restaurants including Fio, Spize Nothing Like That Bar Be Que, The Hungry Monkey.
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