Delhi Social

I have written previously about the background to Delhi Social. A new dish on the menu tonight was fried pieces of machi pakora (£9) using tilapia flavoured with ajwain (carom seeds), served with a dill raita. This was very good, the fish lightly cooked and flavoured nicely by the spices. The raita was particularly good, having deep dill flavour (14/20).

Another new dish was a trio of chicken tikka pieces (£11). One was a classic chicken tikka, one malai (softened with a marinade involving cottage cheese) one hariyali, where the chicken is coated with fresh herbs including coriander leaves, green chilli and mint. The chicken was served with slices of raw papaya that were cooked with ginger, green chilli, red chilli black onion seeds, sugar and vinegar along with chilli flakes. These were all lovely, the chicken very tender and generous in size, each element having nicely absorbed their marinades. The papaya was an interesting contrast to the richness of the meat (15/20).

 Methi chicken (£13.50) is an old favourite of mine and I find it hard not to order it when it is available on a menu. The version here is superb, with plentiful use of fresh fenugreek leaves, the sauce rich and deeply flavoured, the chicken pieces being tender (15/20). Morel paneer koftas were new on the menu, using European rather than traditional Kashmiri morels, the koftas resting in a tomato sauce flavoured with cashew nuts (14/20). Aloo gobi (£7) is always lovely here, as it retains the textures of the cauliflower and potatoes rather than cooking them too soft. The spices were nicely judged, and this is an excellent side dish (strong 15/20).

 Dhal makhani (£8.50) is another strength of the kitchen, cooked overnight and resulting in a dish with deeply, smoky flavour and where the lentils still have discernible texture in amongst the creamy dhal. A lot of restaurants make this dish, which was popularised at the Moti Mohal restaurant in Delhi in the 1950s, but this was a particularly good version (15/20). Lachha paratha (£4.95) was absolutely superb tonight. This fried flaky, layered flatbread bread cooked with ghee always treads a path between being too greasy or too dry, and it is a difficult path to navigate. The one tonight was brilliant, with gorgeous texture (16/20). 

For dessert, pistachio kulfi (£6.50) had plenty of nutty flavour and smooth texture (14/20). The gajar halwa (£6) was particularly impressive, not too sweet and not too buttery. This dish, with grated carrots cooked in ghee, milk and khoya (milk solids) and finished with mixed nuts for an extra texture (15/20). 

Service was very friendly, and the bill came to £69 each with beer to drink, but enough food left to take away for a complete additional meal. Delhi Social is a regular haunt for me, producing Indian food of a calibre at least as high as most Michelin-starred Indian restaurants in central London, but at a much lower price. It is a lovely place.

Further reviews: 15th Dec 2024 | 26th Aug 2024 | 28th Dec 2023 | 26th Nov 2023