I love take-away counters and the way they seem to be mushrooming across the city, I'm guessing there are others who love them too. I mean who wouldn't? It's so convenient when you are too tired to cook or when you have unexpected guests and just do not have the time to whip up a complete meal. But then the problem with most take-away counters is that they tend to stick to predictable Indian fares such as chappatis and chicken curry and the usual Chinese dishes such as gobi Manchurian and fried rice. So, coming with a bit of a difference is DD's take away corner at Kurvankonam. A division of Dakhani Degh, a restaurant specialising in Hyderabadi cuisine at Chakka Junction, Delhi chaat is a highlight at DD.
Chaat time
The chaat counter, which is open from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., comes as a boon for chaat lovers as there are only a few food joints in the city with chaats on their menu. We order a plate of samosas (two per plate), bhel puri and sev puri. While the bhel puri could have done with a bit more of the tamarind and date sauce, which is the topping for the dish, the sev puri was perfect. The samosas are served with the sweet and sour tamarind and date sauce and green spicy chutney made of coriander leaves and green chillies. I had trouble deciding which of the two chutneys went well with the samosas, though the one with the sweet chutney was wiped clean and the spicy chutney had a drop or two left. The chaats costs between Rs. 20 to Rs. 25 per plate.
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A week old, DD is yet to be on its feet. There are a couple of tea-time eats such as spring rolls and frankies (a form of katti rolls) for instance, which have yet to be started, but will be offered to customers soon. According to Supriya Chellappan, the proprietor of DD, there will be a choice of egg, vegetable, chicken and paneer frankies.
But it is not just evening snacks that is available at DD's, the regular dishes offered at Dakhani Degh is offered at DD's too. And so, you have a choice of chicken, mutton, egg and vegetable biriyanis prepared the Hyderabadi way, haleem (a delicacy made from meat and broken whole wheat spiced with onions, garam masala and yoghurt), paneer butter masala (Rs. 120), shahi dum murgh (Rs. 120) and varieties of Indian breads such as roomali roti, lacha paratha and kulcha.
What is Hyderabadi food without its succulent kebabs? At DD's there is shahi chicken tikka (Rs. 140), tandoori chicken (Rs. 120) and Dakhani sheek kebab (Rs. 120) to name a few. The ever favourite Chinese cuisine also features on DD's menu. Ginger chicken (Rs. 100), Vegetable noodles (Rs. 80), Chicken fried rice (Rs, 90) and Vegetable Manchurian gravy (Rs. 80) are some of the dishes offered in the Chinese corner. There are only two choices for desserts–Khubani Meetha (Rs. 40) and Gajar Ka Halwa (Rs. 50). The former comes highly recommended.
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While evening snacks are available only during evenings (obviously), the Indian and Chinese dishes are available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Home delivery is offered within a five-km radius. Contact: 2437008/93880707131.