The city houses people from all walks of life, and they bring a large variety of new flavours {well, new to us} to the table. This time around, we’re exploring the fare at the Afghan Market in Lajpat Nagar II.
Meat lovers; sit up and pay attention.
These 5 Places Serving Delectable Afghan Food Are A Meat Lover's Paradise
Afghan Darbar
A well-lit family-style restaurant, Afghan Darbar offers up traditional Afghan fare. We went with the quintessential Mutton Choppan Kebab and the Afghan naan. Delhi is a city of kebab-eaters; what’s so special about these? Well, they’re char-grilled, flavourful {without being spicy} and filling. The naan? Soft, fluffy and piping hot.
Kabul Delhi
They have two branches within the same market. It’s understated, while still being traditional, with fast service and Afghan favourites on the menu.
What to try here? The Qabuli Pulao; well-cooked, fragrant rice with a smattering of carrots and raisins over pieces of boneless mutton. The mutton is soft, juicy and melts in your mouth {we can think of no better way to describe it}. The pulao is accompanied by a side of rajma and the staple Afghani naan. The Gosht Tikka Kebab, on the other hand, had a smoky flavour that we quite enjoyed.
Every dish comes with its own distinct taste; trust that your palate will never be bored.
Street Food
What food trail is complete without sampling eats on the streets? There’s a whole other charm to it. We found a rather simple food stall {right outside Kabul Delhi on the main road} that sold all of four items, but did each so well. We tried the chapli kebab {a fried cutlet of sorts with meat, onions and vegetables} as well as roht {a mildly sweet bread roll}. The kebab was a tad too oily for our taste, but perfect for when you’re craving fried goodies.
Price: INR 60 {for two kebabs} and INR 10 {for the roll}
Mazaar
A slightly contemporary Afghan eatery {pizza on the menu and flashy decor}, Mazaar had a more diverse menu than the first two restaurants we visited. They retained all the traditional main courses {try the Qabuli Uzbeki} but we decided to go for a smaller spread of dishes that piqued our interest.
Out came the Bolani Gardana; a flatbread stuffed with leek and spring onions {think parantha, but with very thinly-rolled dough} which we polished off with mint chutney in the blink of an eye. The Mantu, a dish of dumplings stuffed with meat and onions, topped with yogurt and dal chutney, was a new but pleasant mix of flavours. We finished with Sheer Yakh—the Afghan version of a kulfi, composed of vanilla ice-cream, condensed milk, rose water and pistachios.
