New Delhi Offers Inspiration for Home Chefs

By Tamara Palmer Mon., Jan. 7 2013 at 11:15 AM

Categories: Eat This, Palmer

Ranjan Dey

January's "Curries, Chutneys & Cocktails" special at New Delhi.

Included in the extensive menu at the 25-year-old Indian restaurant New Delhi is a monthly special called "Curries, Chutneys & Cocktails." It's both a good value and a potential source of inspiration for your own home cooking.

Chef/owner Ranjan Dey first created his New World Spices line as a romantic gift for his wife, researching the favorite dishes of Indian royalty. Each month, he bases his special on one of the spice blends and includes the option to purchase it for an additional $4.95. This month, the menu is based around the Sweet and Tangy Mango Soup Masala blend.

The vegetarian special is sweet and tangy cauliflower and potato masala ($14.95), while the omnivorous version adds chicken ($16.95). Both are served with cumin tarka with saffron rice, naan bread, and cherry poppy seed chutney. January's featured libation is a ginger cocktail served with ($5.95) or without vodka ($3.95).

The first time we tried one of New Delhi's monthly specials, we took leftovers including a dab of chutney home and rationed the chutney like it was liquid gold. The spice blend we also took home has been a fresh building block for a number of new dishes in our own kitchen, including similar curries and soups (but we'll never be able to duplicate that insanely good chutney).

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