Tar Pau Nation: What to order in

Covid-19 stay-home guide: North Indian classics bursting with flavours

In this daily series, Senior Food Correspondent Wong Ah Yoke digs into delivery options and rates them for you

Anti-clockwise from top: Chilli Cheese Kulza, Chicken Tikka Masala and Chowpatty Ki Pani Puri, served with fillings and spiced mint water, from Rang Mahal. ST PHOTO: WONG AH YOKE

Rang Mahal launched its food delivery service last week, which is wonderful news for fans of the fine-dining North Indian restaurant in Pan Pacific Singapore.

The menu is an abridged version featuring popular classic dishes, sensibly leaving out the expensive seafood items from its dine-in selection that would be unlikely to get many orders.

There is still a lot to choose from and servings are meant for sharing. So three dishes should be enough for four people if you add some rice or bread.

The restaurant is known for its delicious chaats, roadside snacks that are great to munch on as starters. Since Chowpatty Ki Pani Puri ($14), one of my favourites, is available, I placed an order despite some misgivings about whether the deep-fried puffs would stay crisp .

My trust was rewarded by a bowl of perfect puris. Shaped like a hollow flying saucer, each had a small hole on top, into which went a delicious mix of spiced potato, mung bean sprouts, green chilli and masala, as well as skinny strips of crispy dough. Then I added some tangy spiced mint water and popped the whole thing in the mouth before it started dripping.

The explosion of flavours and textures in the mouth was the bomb.

My main was Chicken Tikka Masala ($24), which was flawless with the pieces of chicken thigh simmered in a mildly spicy masala gravy sweetened with capsicums and onions. Strips of fresh ginger strewn on top provided a different kind of burn when I bit into them.

Instead of getting Naan ($5) to go with it, I decided on a Chilli Cheese Kulza ($15) - a starter comprising a naan topped with green chillies, capsicums and cheddar cheese.

It turned out to be so yummy, however, there was no way I was going to mess up the flavours with any gravy.

  • RANG MAHAL

  • HOW TO ORDER

    Go to rangmahal.com.sg/rangmahal/. Minimum order of $40.

    DELIVERY CHARGE

    $10. Free for orders above $100.

    4 1/2 stars

So I should have ordered the naan or some rice, after all.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on May 15, 2020, with the headline Tar Pau Nation: North Indian classics bursting with flavours. Subscribe