Not Just Parantha is a brand that's been around for many years, and over time they have managed to not only maintain their quality but also their unique positioning of being THE place for different types of paranthas.
We visited the Cyber Hub outlet for a tasting, and the way the place has been set up is quite nice- with a decorated scooter in the outside dining area, a colourful "theka" right up front, a live open kitchen where you can spot the chef putting chicken tikkas in the tandoor, and heavy brass glasses on the table- the place sets the right mood.
We started with a couple of mocktails- the Kala Khatta flavor and the Anar flavor. While we really liked both, the tanginess of the kala khatta made that one appeal more to our taste buds.
Among the starters, we tried the Dahi ke Kebab, which were different from the regular ones. They were coated with spinach rather than bread crumbs, and the filling had creamy hung curd along with dry fruits. We really enjoyed the spinach coating juxtaposed with the soft curd filling.
The Veg Galouti Kebab were made with rajma, blended with smoked and browned onions, and grilled on a traditional mahi tawa. The galouti was soft and flavored well, and was served with thin, crisp mini Varqi Paranthas which had just a little touch of sweetness that worked really well.
Next up, we had the NJP Special Mutton Seekh, which as per their menu, they claim is better than any place well. Well, this was a tall claim, but yes, they did deliver. The use a secret blend of spices in the mutton which made it so flavorsome and unbelievably soft and juicy. Seekh kebab is a very popular dish- available almost everywhere, but most places are losing the art of making it well. Fortunately, NJP still hasn't lost that art.
Now, coming to their main deal- different types of paranthas.
We started off with the Bharwan Papad Parantha which was a cool little innovation they'd done. A crunch dal papad had been folded into a pocket, deep fried to a crisp, and then stuffed with vegetables. An interesting and tasty dish.
The Continental Pocket Parantha had crispy parantha folded into a pocket, and stuffed generously with broccoli, onion, pineapple and sweetcorn, along with lots of mozzarella and cheddar. The Chicken Tikka Pocket Parantha also had the same crisp exterior and was filled with big juicy chunks of chicken tikka- a burst of flavor with each bite. This parantha is a must-have for those who want a crisp parantha loaded with chicken chunks and not just meagre portions of chicken mince.
The Mughlai Pocket had chunks of chicken and mutton both, and was coated with a nicely flavored omelette and was super delicious and very filling.
The Mexican Quesadilla Parantha had a pair of maize paranthas filled in between with sweet corn, onion, capsicum and loads and loads of cheese, and cooked on the tawa to get a slight crispness. The stretchy heese was just oozing out of the paranthas, making them look and taste even better.
The Sharabi Parantha was quite a spectacle- the thin parantha was filled with dry fruits soaked in alcohol, and was flambe-d at the table. The server poured some liquor on the paranthas and lit it in flames to make the alcohol evaporate, so only the flavor remains.
Next, we had their most famous paranthas- the Chur Chur Paranthas which are made with a unique combination of four different flours kneaded to perfection with butter and ajwain, stuffed and roasted in a clay oven, crushed and soaked in butter. This unique and labor-intensive process is what makes them super crispy and super delicious. A must-have here, and they are available in so many different flavors. We went with the aloo pyaz lehsuni which we enjoyed with some Amritsari Chole- not the best chole we've had, but certainly decent. We also had the Butter Chicken Chur Chur Parantha, which was filled with chunks of chicken tikka, and topped with a flavorsome butter chicken gravy- pure genius.
We also enjoyed, alongside these paranthas, their famous Dal Makhani, which was thick, creamy, luscious and had a nice depth of flavor. The Nihari Gosht consisted of prime cuts of lamb and trotters cooked overnight with onions, garlic and turmeric, flavored with khus root. While the gravy was really yummy, the mutton was still a bit chewy, and the meat fibres needed to be broken down further.
We ended our meal with two sweet paranthas- the Gulab Jamun Parantha and the Paan Parantha. The Gulab Jamun Parantha had crushed gulab jamuns as its filling and was served with vanilla ice-cream topped with cinnamon powder. The cinnamon powder was a nice touch as it helped cut through the sweetness of the filling. The Paan Parantha was covered with betel leaves and was filled with sweet saunf and gulkand.
Overall, a really good meal and the service was prompt and efficient as well. If you love your paranthas and want to experiment with different types and different fillings, this is the place for you!
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