Gourmet meals, in a jiffy at your doorstep in Delhi
NEW DELHI: Arriving unannounced at someone’s house is against societal etiquette, though most of us are guilty of doing this. I, however, have always ensured I inform people about my plans before landing at their doorstep. But sometimes, things just happen to the contrary. And so it happened with me one day.
Last week, my husband and I were returning from his colleague’s housewarming tea party in Gurugram. Driving down the Outer Ring Road, I suddenly remembered one of my close friend’s home was en route and I hadn’t met her for ages.
I had this urge to drop in. “Are you sure? It’s 9:00pm?” asked my hubby, looking at his watch. “Archana is a childhood friend. I don’t need to be formal with her,” I replied. So, there we were at Archana’s home in Green Park. Though we had reached without prior intimation, the hostess, after a quick round of tea, insisted we stayed back for dinner. We must have chatted for around half-an-hour when Archana announced that dinner had been served. Both my husband and I looked at each other – that’s quick! How could she manage dinner in such a short period? we wondered. The dining table in the dimly lit room was literally flooded with food – Starters! Mains! Pulao! Biryani! Rolls! Breads! With the usual salad and raita. Before we could ask, Archana’s husband, Rohit quipped. “We ordered from Verandah Handcrafted,”he said.
Now, what’s that? “It is a gourmet food delivery in Malviya Nagar and they serve amazing food. We first tried it a week back. Eat it to believe me,” Rohit said, adding the best takeaway was the packaging which ensured no spills, no overflows. So, without wasting anymore time, we “attacked” the food, hungry we definitely were. We weren’t disappointed. From Charcoal Roasted Soya Chap Tikka, Beet Tikki to Multani Hara Bhara Kebab and Peshawari Paneer Tikka, Pandu’s Pav Bhaji for the veggies to Koliwada Style Fish Tikka, NizamiDaawat Wale Mutton Seekh and Kakori Kebab for the meat-lovers, each one of the starters was just too delicious – neither bland nor too spicy.Served with laccha onions and mint chutney, both Peshawari Paneer Tikka (cottage cheese marinated to perfection) and the deliciously succulent Koliwada Style Fish Tikka were just perfect!
The mains were no different. While I opted for Doon Valley’s Paneer Bhuna Masala and Charred Kurmuri Bhindi, Archana preferred having a fill with Karachi Style Soya Lababdar and Handi Ki Makhani Dal. The menfolk seemed to relish every bite of Chicken Sanju Baba, a recipe inspired by actor Sanjay Dutt and served at Noor Mahal Hotel in Mumbai, Multani Mutton Korma and Prawn Khada Masala. For the breads, Rohit had ordered Malabari and Lachcha Parathas, Cheese and Chilli Naans and Ulte Tawa Ke Parathe. And some Kathal Pulao, Chicken Dum Biryani and Gosht Biryani too, to go with these delicacies. I even overheard Rohit telling my husband to pack home some for the next day as the helpings from Verandah Handcrafted were generous.
Thanking our hosts enough for the sumptuous treat, we hit the road. Of course, my husband packed a few dishes for the next afternoon, it being a Sunday. If only the delivery outlets be extended to other parts of the city than just South Delhi areas, so others around Delhi-NCR can also relish these delicacies. You never know, who might ring your doorbell next weekend at 9:00pm...
Rooted in traditional Indian good food
“Verandah Handcrafted was launched in the month of December. And the primary reason to start it was my love for the North-Indian food. I always wanted to make people experience the finest of this cuisine,” says Meerab Javaid, Owner, Verandah Handcrafted. “At present, we are servicing areas in and around Malviya Nagar, Chhattarpur, Mehrauli and Greater Kailash. We are planning to increase the radius but not as of now because we are focussing more on the quality of the food,” she adds.
