Somebody somewhere — must have been a Chinese thinker — once said that if you can't get what you want, be happy with what you have. I thought of this the other day when a friend was talking about a Tundey kababchi outlet in Delhi. He was a little disappointed with the kababs, but I thought the place deserved a visit.
Tunda, as he was universally known, was a famous kabab maker in Lucknow, so named because he was one-armed. His kababs were so good that people from far and near went to Lucknow just to have a plate full of his galouti kababs, which, as I found on many occasions, actually did melt in the mouth.
The eatery in Delhi, which opened on January 2, is an offshoot of the Lucknow Tunda kabab maker. It calls itself Lucknow Wale Chef Mohd Rizwan Grandson of Tunday Kababi (Phone number: 9871595054). I had been told that the place was in Darya Ganj.
How to reach it
I went looking for it, and found it without a problem. If you are going from Delhi Gate down Darya Ganj, you'll find the restaurant on your left, just before the old iron over bridge. They've put up a huge billboard there, so it's difficult to miss.
The moment I entered, I was surrounded by a delicious aroma of smoky kababs. There is a counter in front with all the food that has been prepared, or is being readied. The galouti kababs are cooked in a parat – a flat-bottomed utensil mostly used for kneading dough. The parat is put on a flame and the minced meat is fried on it. I took some stuff home, and was quite happy with what I ate. Of course, the grandfather's shop is in a class of his own, so I would urge you not to compare Gen X's skills with the venerable old man's. And as the manager of the new shop told me, the water in Delhi is different from that in Lucknow — and that makes all the difference to food!
Well marinated
I found the kabab (Rs.60 for four pieces of mutton galouti) a bit over-spiced but was not disappointed with it. The mutton biryani (Rs.80 for half a plate) was interesting. The mutton pieces were not bland as they often are in biryanis here, but had been well marinated and had something like a thickish gravy enveloping it. I had also asked for four parathas (Rs.10 for one) and a plate of chicken kali mirch (Rs.140 for half a plate, Rs.280 for full).
This was wonderfully hot and spicy, and went very well with the flaky parathas. I thought the prices were very reasonable. Mutton and chicken kormas are for Rs.160 a full plate and roasted chicken for Rs.200. I don't know why they have butter chicken, but they do. I did not try it out, and don't intend to either. But the good bit of news is that they sell buff kababs too (Rs.40 for four galouti kababs).
All in all, I am glad the grandson has opened a place in Delhi. He is not his grandfather, no doubt, but I am not complaining!
