Haveli’s still there

Vidya Deshpande

Tucked away in a forgotten corner of the Taj Mahal Hotel on Delhi’s Man Singh Road is its Indian food restaurant, Haveli. Which, despite the good food that it serves, has been largely ignored by kabab-loving gourmets. Somehow, the restaurant has not got the kind of crowds or publicity that its other restaurants, such as Machan and House of Ming, or its bar, Rick’s, gets.

Haveli has been working on an enlarging its kababs for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. The Kabuli Seekh (Rs 295) is a vegetarian kabab made of char-grilled lentils and cottage cheese, minced and blended together. This kabab tasted just like the Galouti Kabab, usually made from mincemeat—really one of the best vegetarian kababs at Haveli. Among the non-vegetarian kababs, the Kasoori Kebab (Rs 445)—boneless chicken dipped in a batter of egg and methi leaves—is an interesting variation as are the Tandoori Prawns, grilled with lemon grass and ginger, which give it an oriental tang. Both the veg and the non-veg sections offer a kabab platter (at Rs 790 and Rs 900, respectively), which can be tried out, if you are in a group of four or more diners.

Of course, the usual Butter Masalas and Kadhai Paneer also feature on the menu, but the chef assures you that he does them differently. Nevertheless, the menu does offer some surprises, like the Khumb Makai Muttar Bhaji (Rs 260), which has mushroom, corn and green peas cooked with onions and tomatoes, and the Jheenga Hara Bhara (Rs 690), made with a mint flavoured coconut curry. The Murg Haveli (spring chicken cooked in melon seed gravy, Rs 475) and the Dum Mirch Gosht (marinated mutton cooked with green chillies and cooked in a sealed pot, Rs 420) sound like interesting variations, but I did not try them. Instead, I stuck to the old favourites, Rogan Josh, called Rogini Josh (Rs 420) here. I must say that it did not let me down, despite being one of those dishes available at all restaurants.

The decor has remained the same over the years, including a huge mural on the wall, one of the first ever done by Anjolie Ela Menon. They use porcelain and none of those copper or silver Indian plates, except for the thali meals, which come on large silver platters.

Haveli does offer an interesting change from the the usual five-star Indian food restaurants, but can set you back by at least Rs 2,000 (approximately, plus taxes) for a meal for two.