Lahori, Sector-50, Noida

Contributed by Amit Uppal

It’s the jet age. Everyone is onto their jobs day and night, and when you come home, cooking seems akin to climbing a mountain. That’s when you start thinking of ordering out. A pizza, burgers, Chinese, salads, et al – you’re spoiled for choice. And at the bottom of the list is good old Desi Indian food. You probably end up ordering Indian food eight out of ten times.

I didn’t know take away joints could differentiate themselves from one another barring a few rare exceptions. All seem to serve the same fare at nearly the same prices, with the same taste (or the lack of it!), and you wouldn’t know one from another. I live alone, eat out five out of seven days, and often am in this dilemma. But then, after having lived in NOIDA long enough, I have narrowed down my list of places to order from, for whatever cuisine I am in the mood for.

When it comes to Indian, Lahori tops the list. Conveniently located in the Sector-50 Market, next to the Reebok showroom, is their take-away counter, and the kitchen is located upstairs on the first floor. It’s not hard to find, though it lacks a prominent sign board.

Lahori take-away has an interesting history that dates back to the 1930s. Started around that period in Lahore by Mr Labh Chand Miglani, Lahori used to be a halwai (sweet shop), with Lassi (a drink made by blending yogurt with water, salt, & pepper/sugar and ice) being their best-seller. So much so, that the place used to be known as “Lahori Lassi”. After India’s partition, Lahori set up shop outside the Old Delhi railway station, next to the public library. It was a shack-like place, where they used to sell sweets and lassi. A few years later, around 1955, Lahori moved to Sarojini Nagar in South Delhi and they set up a dine-in, take away and delivery outlet. By this time, Lahori had graduated on to become one of the well-known places for Indian take away food. The journey didn’t stop there. Lahori shut down the Sarojini Nagar outlet and opened up in NOIDA in the year 2003, now run by the father-son duo of Mr Om Prakash Miglani and Mr Asim Miglani. Lahori in NOIDA is only a take-away and delivery outlet, with the sitting space closed for expansion early last year.

The menu is fairly large, comprising more than a hundred dishes, covering what any other take-away place can offer, and perhaps some more. We had Afghani Chicken (chicken on the bone, marinated for about 3-4 hours in a paste made of cashew nuts, char magaz and eggs, and cooked on skewers over hot embers in a clay oven), Reshmi Kebab (the boneless version of Afghani Chicken), Paneer Tikka (cottage cheese, tomato and capsicum cubes, marinated in yogurt, spices and cooked on skewers over hot embers in a Tandoor), Paneer Makhani (cottage cheese cubes in a tomato and butter based gravy with mild spices), Mutton Rara (succulent pieces of goat meat, with a spicy tomato-onion gravy); Kadhai Chicken (chicken cooked in a thick gravy made of onions, tomatoes and capsicum with whole spices); Butter Chicken; Chana Masala (chickpeas cooked with spices, generally served dry and garnished with tomato slices, onion rings, sliced green chilies and ginger juliennes); Dal Makhani (lentils soaked and cooked overnight with generous amounts of butter and cream, combined with a tangy base of spices & tomatoes and garnished with cream and butter). The breads alongside were Pudina Paratha (a whole wheat unleavened bread with layers containing dried mint, cooked in a skillet/clay oven); Lachcha Paratha (same as Pudina Paratha, without the mint) and Aloo Kulcha (unleavened bread with a filling of potatoes and spices). Wondering what it took to consume such amounts of food? Ask us!

The dining table did not have an inch of space left after the food was laid out, and we had to hold our plates in our hands! The other difficulty was what to eat and what not to. The Afghani Chicken and Reshmi Kebab were melt-in-the-mouth succulent and tasted great. The best part was the egg coating on the meat. Lahori prepares these in three stages. First, the chicken is marinated in a paste made of char magaz (a mix of almonds, pumpkin seeds, cantaloupe seeds and watermelon seeds) and cashew nuts then roasted in a Tandoor, taken out, coated again in the same paste and put back in the Tandoor. Third time, the partly cooked Chicken pieces are dipped in beaten eggs and again roasted. This process gives the Chicken its softness and the taste that lingers on.

The Paneer Tikka was not much of a specialty, though much better than what most places offer. Paneer Makhani was rich, mildly spiced and tasted great with the Pudina Parathas. A notable point here is, the gravy did not contain any onions, as most other places do with their Paneer dishes. Mutton Rara had a bit more spices then I would have liked, but certainly not a let-down; went well with the Lachcha Paratha. Kadhai Chicken was terrific, and we could actually taste each ingredient separately. What separates this from other gravies is that it contains capsicum, apart from the usual onion and tomato, which makes it even better flavored. The Butter Chicken was above average, with not-so-strong spices, and a light creamy tomato gravy. Chana Masala was another hit, the chickpeas cooked just right and the garnishing adding to the flavor. This is a dish that can be had as a snack or the main course, and it would go well as both.

The Dal Makhani was far better than any average dhaba or restaurant. Lahori claims that they cook the dal (lentils) overnight in salt and water on a slow fire, and the next day, the spices are added to it for a creamy rich flavor. It did have a creamy soft texture, and the spices were well balanced.

All in all, Lahori offers great Indian food at reasonable prices, and can be rated anywhere in the first five, when you think of your next order for home delivery. Do try, it’ll be worth your money!

By the way, Lahori can have their food delivered in Delhi as well, provided the order value is rupees 1000 or more!

You can order your food from Lahori on the numbers 9810008073, 91-120-4320000 or 91-120-4237200

Dine-in: No | Takeaway & Delivery: Yes | Credit Cards: No | Alcohol: No

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