The best kebabs in Delhi

Behind Jesus and Mary College, in the furthest recesses of Chanakyapuri, there’s a hole-in-the-wall place that serves some of the decadent and sumptuous kebabs you can find in the city. In short, it’s an institution. They claim they can trace their recipes back over a century and then some, and it shows in the food they serve.

What to order: Get the mutton kakori kebabs, as tender and delicate as can be, flavoured with saffron and melting in your mouth, and the galouti kebabs, large circular patties of meat, spiced with chillies and onions, with a firm, crisp exterior and the softest pâté of minced mutton within. Pair them with the excellent varqi paratha, the flakiest of breads that forms the perfect foil to the soft kebabs. If your hunger remains unsatiated, get the excellent mutton nihari and end your meal with their in-house phirni. 

Price: About ₹1,000 for two

Timings: Mon-Sun. 5.30pm-11am.

Address: Shop No. 4, NDMC Bapu Dham Market, near Jesus And Mary College, Bapu Dham, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, Delhi 110021

No tables, no chairs, no social media presence, no UPI payments, and a shop the size of a storage closet. And yet in the most popular market in Delhi, with a plethora of eateries to take your pick from, Azam’s is the one place that has a perennial line outside – all lured in by the enchanting smell of kebabs being cooked in a space that’d make Harry Potter’s cupboard under the stairs feel like a spacious 3BHK. 

What to order: The mutton kakori kebab rolls – soft skewers of mutton wrapped in a diaphanous roomali roti – remain the crowd favourite. 

Price: Approximately ₹500 for two

Timings: Mon-Sun. Noon-midnight.

Address: 1-B, Middle Lane, Khan Market, Rabindra Nagar, New Delhi, Delhi 110003

Deep down the lanes of Matia Mahal, the market that extends down the road near the Chitli Qabar Chowk, in the tiniest pocket of the pavement on the right, sits a man who makes some of the best kebabs in the city. The whole establishment is so tiny that a step or two in the wrong direction and you’d walk by it entirely. The kebabs are deftly and lovingly moulded onto the skewers when you place an order, and then seared patiently on smouldering coals. 

What to order: The buff seekh kebabs are outstanding – smoky and herby and absolutely divine – as are the mutton seekh kebabs, especially when paired with the thinly sliced onions and a dash of the mint-yoghurt chutney they’re served with. It's a tad tiresome to make your way to, but if you’re a kebab aficionado, this is a must. 

Price: About ₹300 for two

Timings: Mon-Sun. Noon-1am. 

Address: 1465, Bazar Chitli Qabar, Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk, New Delhi, Delhi, 110006

Kikli, named after the traditional folk dance of Punjab, sits in the heart of Delhi, taking up a space that’s nearly 8,000 square feet in size. The fare here goes beyond the standard stereotypical Punjabi suspects and includes dishes that used to be served in the homes of pre-Partition Punjab, kebabs included. 

What to order: Get the chapli kebab, made with finely ground mutton, topped with little globules of garlic fat and chopped chillies. Folks, this one’s a novelty. A good chapli kebab, native to Peshawar in Pakistan, is awfully hard to come by in Delhi. Also worth ordering are the mutton seekh and the Pataka Chicken Dhaga roll (seekh that’s covered with a thin layer of dough before being thrown into the tandoor). Their vegetarian version of the chapli kebab’s made with mushroom, surprisingly good. Non-vegetarians, look away here, but the beetroot seekh kebab’s pretty decent too.

Price: About ₹2,000 for two

Timings: Mon-Sun. Noon-11.30pm.

Address: K 11B, Connaught Outer Circle, New Place, Block K, Connaught Place, New Delhi, Delhi 110001

Open any guide to food around Old Delhi, and the first name on them will be the kebabs served at Abdul Ghani Qureshi at Jama Masjid. The menu is short and sweet – you pick the meat you prefer, from chicken, mutton and buff, and they’ll make it into a seekh kebab, skewered and seared till they turn golden over the coals, with the little drippings of fat falling and emitting little flares of fire. 

What to order: Pick your meat and get going! The kebabs are served, per usual, with a side of finely sliced onions and chutneys, and a generous splash of melted butter on top. Pair it with a roomali to soak up the butter and wrap the kebab in, and that’s a mouthful worthy of a king right there. 

Price: About ₹200 for two

Timings: Mon-Sun. 3pm-11.45pm.

Address: K-140, Meena Bazaar, Jama Masjid, Old Delhi, Delhi, 110006

Every conversation about kebabs at Khan Market revolves almost exclusively around the ones served by Azam’s, Salim Javed, or Khan Chacha. Qureshi Kabab, a small establishment a stone’s throw away from the actual market, opposite the gate of the Khan Market Metro Station, deserves a seat at that table. Run by the friendliest old gentleman, it’s got a handful of tables, the tiniest wash basin I’ve ever laid eyes on, and a kakori kebab par excellence. 

What to order: The kakori, of course. They’re so incredibly soft that you can’t pick them up by hand without them disintegrating in your fingers. Served up with special masala and lots of butter. 

Price: About ₹450 for two

Timings: Mon-Sun. 11am-11pm.

Address: Shop No. L2, Near Khan Market Metro Station, Gate Number 4 Humayun Road, Sujan Singh Park, New Delhi, Delhi 110003

On the narrow road linking Aurobindo Market to SDA, opposite the neighborhood Mother Dairy kiosk, there lies a small shop, not zoned, licensed or subject to any health codes, kept alive by greasing the right palms, literally and figuratively, on a monthly basis. This fine establishment, much like a benevolent vampire, springs into action the moment the sun goes down the horizon. The menu is simple: a few kebabs, tikkas, and for those looking for something more substantial, a couple of biryanis. The crowds truly arrive very late into the AM – including several partygoers fizzy with drink from the clubs in Aurobindo and Hauz Khas Village.

What to order: The mutton kakori is decadent, soft and aromatic, served with a tangy mint chutney and a spiced yoghurt chutney. 

Price: About ₹600 for two

Timings: Mon-Sun. 6pm-11pm.

Address: Shop C1, Usha Niketan, DDA SDA Market, Block C 1, Bhim Nagri, Green Park, New Delhi, Delhi 110016

The name of this fine establishment translates to ‘The Palace of Mutton and Royal Kebabs’, and a bite of the mutton seekh will convince you of the royal lineage. This is probably the kind of food Emperor Shah Jahan gorged on (alas, back in the days before antacids existed). Mutton Mahal, by the way, is a butchery by day and a kebab maestro’s den by night, so don’t be shocked if you pass by it in daylight hours. 

What to order: The seekh kebabs and the mutton burrahs are the ones to get, but do not miss the Peshawari chicken tikkas – elevated to new heights by the julienned ginger and chillies on top. And a quick shout out to their chutney – minty, yoghurty, spicy and absolutely perfect to dip your kebabs into. 

Price: About ₹500 for two

Timings: Mon-Sun. Noon-11pm.

Address: M-31, Greater Kailash-1, M Block, Greater Kailash I, Greater Kailash, New Delhi, Delhi 110048

Another one of those excellent little places where you roll up in your car, and a man magically pops up at your window, takes your order, and deposits your food on a tray five minutes later. Located in between the poles of the horseshoe-shaped Kailash Colony market, Janta Meat Depot is fast gaining a reputation for dishing out some fabulous kebabs, easy on the pockets and scoring big in the taste department. 

What to order: Get the chicken seekh kebabs, the mutton kakori, or the chicken kalmi kebabs. The kebabs are freshly grilled, and served piping hot. 

Price: About ₹300 for two

Address: Shop Number A-32,Main Market, Bodofa Upendra Nath Brahma Rd, Kailash Colony, Block A, New Delhi, Delhi 110048

Timings: Mon-Sun. 9am-11.30pm. Be warned, the kebabs are available to eat only post sunset.