Alkakori Alkauser

At the very end of Chanakyapuri's limits, on San Martin Marg, there stands a small market which is host to one of the best kebab spots in the city, perched next to the walls of the Bapu Dham colony. While it may seem as nondescript a place as any for the uninitiated, Alkakori Alkauser’s nothing short of an institution for ones in the know. 

Legend has it that the place, back when it came up in the 1980s, was among the first kebab stalls outside of old Delhi. Championed by members of Delhi society like the late Sadia Dehlvi, Alkauser quickly rose to fame in the circles which were particular about their food, and it’s stayed there, quite firmly perched at the top, ever since. 

What you want to order is a plate of their mutton kakori kebabs, half a plate of their galoutis, accompanied by a pair of crisp varqi paranthas and, like with all Mughlai meals best enjoyed in cars, a bottle of Thums Up.

The kakoris are spiced to perfection and impossibly soft, so much so that it's a miracle they manage to stick to the skewers without dropping to a fiery death in the coals below. The puck-shaped galoutis are just the right amount of crisp outside, and deliciously soft inside. The varqi parantha (a name I've always found delightful) provides the perfect foil to these decadent kebabs, flaky and golden.

While the galouti was conjured in the kitchens of the Nawab of Awadh, I assure you it tastes just as royal in your parked car on a shady lane in Chanakyapruri. The place does have some clean seating now too, if you prefer your car to not smell like the innards of a tandoor.

End your meal with their in-house phirni.