We Tried Out Bombay Delight’s Rajasthani Menu
We Tried Out Bombay Delight’s Rajasthani Menu
Authentic flavours from the Rajasthan region
Wimbledon favourite Bombay Delight has been serving up delicious and authentic Indian food since it first opened in 2022. With an elegant yet buzzy, friendly and welcoming atmosphere, the restaurant is ideal for either a group treat or a weekday dinner if you’re craving something a little more special than the average curry house.
Until June, they’re celebrating their own ‘Rajasthani food festival’ with a special menu of dishes from the Rajasthani region. Rajasthan cuisine is characterised by spicy gravies and full, rich flavours. There tends to be more vegetarian dishes than meat-based, owing to the very hot climate of the region.
I sipped a gorgeously flowery mango lychee cocktail and munched on a poppadom as I perused the Rajasthani menu. There are five starters to choose from – Khasta Khachori: a crispy pastry with lentil, sprouted mung, yoghurt, potatoes, chutney and pomegranate. Moon Dal Pakudi: overnight soaked moong lentils, fried and served with green chutney. Jodhpuri Mirchi Vada: chilli peppers stuffed with spicy potato fillings, dipped in gram flour batter and deep fried. Surmai Ke Sooley: pan-fried marinated surmai fish darne served with house salad, coriander, and mint chutney. Rajputana Lamb Chops: marinated French trimmed lamb chops with dressed mooli and green chutney.
My guest and I opted for the Khasta Khachori and the pan-fried surmai fish darne. The Khasta Khachori was wonderful and unlike anything I’d ever tried before – crispy, almost biscuit-like pastry with the earthy flavour of lentils counterbalanced by the sweetness of yoghurt and pomegranate. The fish was wonderfully well-spiced and meaty, and the mint chutney elevated an already-scrumptious dish (though be aware of bones).
For mains, we opted for two classic Rajasthani dishes. My guest thoroughly enjoyed the Marwadi Paneer, a famous Marwar region dish cooked with onion and tomato and roughly ground spices and garnished with sprouted moong. I was intrigued by the Gatte Ki Sabzi, a chickpea gnocchi described as “a rich and rustic dish from Rajasthan.” It arrived in a gorgeous turmeric-coloured sauce, flavoured with exactly the right amount of spice to give a little kick.
There are also some special sides on the menu. We accompanied our meal with a Lachha Paratha, a slightly denser version of a normal paratha made with whole wheat flour and finished with clarified butter. It has a slightly nuttier flavour to a white flour paratha, which paired excellently with our dishes. We also shared a bowl of rice folded with ghee, which carried a deliciously creamy taste.
A visit to Bombay Delight is always an exercise in simple pleasure. The staff are lovely and extremely accommodating, the food both delicious and well-priced. Their Rajasthani menu is running until June – I’d recommend heading there to give it a try!
