Gulati Spice Market, Southern Park Mall, Saket, New Delhi

Gulati Spice Market, Saket – Revisited [09/04/2022]

Restaurant Name: Spice Market, Southern Park Mall, Saket, New Delhi
Phone: +919910807288
Address: Southern Park, GF – 17, Saket District Centre, New Delhi, 1100017 India
Time: 11:00 AM – 05:00 PM
Meals for two: Rs. 1,500
Cuisines: North Indian, Mughlai, Biryani, Beverages
Facilities: Home Delivery, Takeaway Available, Full Bar Available, Romantic Dining, Family Friendly, Indoor Seating, Table booking recommended

The very location is a perfect metaphor of how the husband and wife owners have conceptualized their small eatery: right in the middle of Saket’s mall mile, yet ever so slightly off the beaten track. It is easily accessed from both Select Citywalk Mall and DLF Promenade, but by being in an independent building, you don’t have to navigate crowds. Sumit and Chiquita Gulati met as students at Le Roche, Switzerland and all those years later, this is one eatery that is constructed and runs on classic lines, minus any pretentiousness. The three-page long menu encompasses a wide swathe of the country and chef Chiquita Gulati manages to keep introducing new dishes, without however disturbing the eternally popular butter chicken from its perch’ (Gulati’s in Pandara Road Market is a family venture).

Spice Market, Southern Park Mall, Saket, New Delhi: Food

Part of Chiquita’s family is from the little-known CKP (Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu) clan of Maharashtra and so is the icon-ic prawn pulao (₹800), made from a special spice blend, coconut milk, prawns and commonly used spices. This is one offering from the menu that I always order. It is the only restaurant in the city that serves it. It is served with a bowl of stock to moisten the rice and raita (which, in my opinion, takes away from a pulao / biryani). Crunchy prawns, balchao dip (₹750) is slightly spicy but oh, so fragrant crumb coated prawns in Mumbai-Goa style, with a dip made from prawn balchao, give it a sweet-sour appeal. It is the sort of subtle touch that one can expect in Spice Market, which makes the food taste like the “best version of itself”. Purani Dilli Ki Seekh (₹500 for 6) is actually a fair imitation of an Iranian kebab: onion juice for added softness, gentle spicing and flat skewers make it a connoisseurs’ delight. The Chatpate Achari Aloo (₹500) is a tangy preparation involving baby potatoes napped in pickling spices. Even better was the Pindi Choley (₹500) made home-style with a trace of gravy. This too was comfort food for the Delhi palate, with its tangy appeal. Though Pandara Style Butter Chicken (₹650) probably outsells every other dish on the menu.

Plus & Minus:

There’s a value for money chef’s tasting menu with all the favorites on it.