With the cold weather slowly making its way and Delhiites looking for exciting reasons to step out, here is the list of restaurants embracing the winter specialities. Indulge into Red Snapper Pollichathu, Kerala Fried Chicken or the Twice Baked Crab Soufflé, and celebrate winter.
Fire is one of the restaurants in the capital that ensure their menu is over 80 per cent organic, even they did a transition to a 100 per cent earth-friendly version. Chef Ajay Jain and Chef Ashutosh have carefully crafted the ingredients through authentic recipes from across the country, seeking out forgotten ingredients and flavours for the winter menu. Start with Kala Chana Nimbu Shorba, which will lift your mood.
Feel healthy as you eat some Zad Apple Salad with winter greens and Organic Goat Cheese. From the main course, Red Snapper Pollichathu, Malabar Prawn Curry, Matar Nimona, Khichdi bowl (contains seven grains), Nalli Nihari, Fish Kalia and Smoked Masala Pork Ribs are worth indulging in. Every ingredient celebrates the diversity of rich Indian flavour. The star dessert Strawberry Cheesecake with Angoori Petha gets full marks.
Ek Bar offers an exciting menu with a clear demarcation into Small Plates, Large Plates and Bar Bites. Ek Bar warrants - an all-embracing culinary experience for its discerning audience. Chef Ruchira Hoon has spiked up the plate for this winter, playing with prominent flavours of Raw Mango, Pineapple and Garlic. Digging into some Smoked Carrot, Chickpea and Avocado Tostadas with Raw Mango Chutney and Sweet Curd and the Sumac-Spiced Paneer and Walnut Kebabs with Garlic Pomegranate Compote and Raw Mango Mint Chutney, you get to experience how seamlessly the flavours have blended in each dish. The Indian Mezze Platter sees a clever play of seasonal dips showcasing their regional inheritance in a distinctive fashion. The dips are accompanied by assorted breads like Lavash, Poee and Kulcha.
Kerala Fried Chicken served with Triple Cooked Fries
The Kerala Fried Chicken served with triple cooked fries (Chef Ruchira's take on the OG KFC), Chorizo and Cheese Savoury Doughnuts - topped with sour cream and dipped in Bacon Crumble and The Mutton Suksa - Ladakhi dried mutton snack served with Homemade Salsa are only a few examples across a range of dishes on the new menu.
This international Indian restaurant and cocktail bar offers a specially curated winter menu curated by Chef Sujan Sarkar. Playing with seasonal produce and authentic and traditional winter delicacies, Chef Sujan has kept the menu quintessentially the ROOH way. Dig into Sarson da Saag with Polenta Bread and Nolen Cream, Tomato and Burrata with Heirloom Tomato and Persimmon Khatta, and Lambo Mole with Chocolate Nihari are some of his creations that elevates the whole experience of dining here.
End the meal on a sweet note with Chef’s special Cashew Phirni Cake Mousse. Pair them with their in-house creations of fermented beverages like Fermented Chai, Fermented Spiced Apple, Fermented Milk Whey and many more.
Keeping it all local and traditional, AnnaMaya’s Spinach and Homemade Cheese, Saron da Saag - “tijara” mustard leaves, Makki Ki Roti, White Butter and Jaggery, make it to the chef signature list of their Winter menu.
Flipping the menu, you would know it is almost like being spoilt for choices. Prawn Linguini with Black Garlic and Truffle Oil; Pork Kolhapuri - artistically hand-pounded pork tossed with Kolhapuri masala; Baked Sweet Potato with Spinach, “zuffon” spiced cured and chilli flakes. Superfood millet also marks its presence in a Khichdi Bowl with Raita and Kumaoni Pickle. This menu is a perfect selection of winter specials, signature recipes and comfort food. AnnaMaya has been the forerunner in celebrating Artisans and seasonal sourcing as well as local ingredients. Executive Chef Vikram Ganpule has consciously-sourced ingredients from local artisans and has made sure the menu encourages a healthy lifestyle through mindful meals.
How about digging into a menu that sees melee of local ingredients, flavours from world cuisines and a tapas-style of service?
Begin with Chicken Liver Pate with Pink Peppercorn Bruschettas that make for ideal tapas to pair with wine. The Fried Fish Soft Tacos, Twice Baked Crab Souffle that has been perfectly baked into fluffy goodness and the spiciest North East Pizza sets the flavour of the season right. The menu also offers a wide selection of equally tempting vegetarian options. A meal here is not complete without a well-paired wine!
A former journalist with 11+ experience, is now an eminent home chef in the Ayandrali, is fond of reading about the history of food, travelling to explore different cuisine and more. With her years of practical food knowledge and hands-on cooking experience, Ayandrali is currently teaching in NIFT spreading her culinary knowledge along with keeping up her zest for Travel and Food alive. Her work has also been published in Times of India, Times Food, Food Tak, The Hindu, Mail Today, HuffPost India.
