My Trip to India - Bukhara in Delhi

Bukhara in Delhi, India
Bukhara in Delhi, India

What you are going to witness is one of the best Indian dinners I ever had. It was at Bukhara, a restaurant located at the Luxury Collection ITC Maurya Hotel in Delhi that, for more than 30 years, served the same menu made of dishes from the North Western part of India. 

The restaurant itself is bursting with a mix of tourists, expats, business men and Indian clientele in a decor made of stone walls, dark wood beams and red rugs.

kitchen at Bukhara in Delhi, India
kitchen at Bukhara in Delhi, India

In the back is the kitchen, visible from the dining room, where you can see the Chef and cooks prepare the dishes in their tandoori ovens (clay ovens).

tandoori oven at Bukhara in Delhi, India
tandoori oven at Bukhara in Delhi, India

We got the privilege to visit the kitchen, where many skewers were ready to be put in the ovens.

tandoor master at Bukhara in Delhi, India
tandoor master at Bukhara in Delhi, India
meat skewers at Bukhara in Delhi, India
meat skewers at Bukhara in Delhi, India
cottage cheese skewers at Bukhara in Delhi, India
cottage cheese skewers at Bukhara in Delhi, India

So I was ready for my meal, bib on, wine in one hand and menu in the other.

dining at Bukhara in Delhi, India
dining at Bukhara in Delhi, India

The wine was an Indian wine called Sula from the Nashik region, 180 km Northeast from Mumbai.

Sula wine at Bukhara in Delhi, India
Sula wine at Bukhara in Delhi, India

After we sat, they brought us some papadam:

papadam at Bukhara in Delhi, India
papadam at Bukhara in Delhi, India

And red onions:

red onions at Bukhara in Delhi, India
red onions at Bukhara in Delhi, India

But was I was waiting for was the family naan, a giant naan perfect to share with the entire table that was the attraction of the restaurant.

family naan at Bukhara in Delhi, India
family naan at Bukhara in Delhi, India

Then, the food came...First was this incredible dal.

slow cooked dal at Bukhara in Delhi, India
slow cooked dal at Bukhara in Delhi, India

Made with a blend of dark lentils, tomatoes, ginger and garlic, it is slow cooked for 24 hours on a charcoal fire, finished with cream and some unsalted butter, giving it a creamy texture and an amazing taste.

slow cooked dal at Bukhara in Delhi, India
slow cooked dal at Bukhara in Delhi, India

Then was the tandoori salad:

tandoori salad at Bukhara in Delhi, India
tandoori salad at Bukhara in Delhi, India

It was composed of onions, capsicum, tomatoes, fresh cottage cheese and pineapple seasoned with yellow chilies, garam masala, black cumin and malt vinegar.

We also tried the paneer tikka, that is cottage cheese marinated in fresh cream, gram flour, ajwain (caraway) and yellow chillies.

paneer tikka at Bukhara in Delhi, India
paneer tikka at Bukhara in Delhi, India

We also ordered a fish called pomfret that was cooked in the tandoor with yellow chillies, garam masala, turmeric and caraway.

tandoor pomfret at Bukhara in Delhi, India
tandoor pomfret at Bukhara in Delhi, India

Then, we got the slow cooked leg of lamb - Sikandari Raan:

slow cooked leg of lamb at Bukhara in Delhi, India
slow cooked leg of lamb at Bukhara in Delhi, India

It is a whole leg of lamb that is braised in a marinade of malt vinegar, cinnamon, black cumin and red chili paste. It is then finished in the tandoor, giving a nice char on the outside. The meat was very tender and moist: divine! If you love lamb like me, this is definitely a dish to order. In fact it is close in concept to the

gigot d'agneau de 7 heures

, a French dish that is also slow cooked lamb.

Chicken:

chicken at Bukhara in Delhi, India
chicken at Bukhara in Delhi, India

ok, I admit that at some point lost track of the dishes as they all came at the same time and I was trying to take my photos...This was a good chicken, served in a creamy sauce that was not spicy at all.

After this feast, we still had some space for dessert...First was the gulab jamun that were quite big!

gulab jamun at Bukhara in Delhi, India
gulab jamun at Bukhara in Delhi, India

Phirni, a dessert made with milk, basmati rice and cardamon, quite close to rice pudding (besides the texture).

Phirni at Bukhara in Delhi, India
Phirni at Bukhara in Delhi, India

And Rasmalai, poached dumplings of cottage cheese in a saffron flavored reduced milk sauce.

Rasmalai at Bukhara in Delhi, India
Rasmalai at Bukhara in Delhi, India

I admit that I was full after this, but thrilled that I got the opportunity to dine at Bukhara. If you are in Delhi, this is definitely not to be missed.

Enjoy (I did)!

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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Bukhara - ITC Maurya Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato