Lisa Higginson
Dilli is a stalwart of the areaâs dining scene. After arriving in Altrincham with its serious approach to serving vintage Indian cuisine and becoming the first Ayurvedic restaurant of its kind outside of London, this eatery has gathered both acclaim and following at rapid pace. And it is easy to see why.
Coming in off the deserted Stamford New Road on a wet Wednesday night, we were greeted with the buzz of a busy restaurant that was wall to wall with hungry diners. As we walked through the doors, the heady aroma of Asian spices struck us immediately and left our tastebuds tingling with trepidation as we sat down at our table. Dilliâs décor is simple and sophisticated with the odd cultural artefact thrown in for effect, but I couldnât help thinking it looked a bit tired in places.
Perusing the menu was a journey of gastronomic discovery. Reading the array of dishes, spices and ingredients, many of which I had never come across before, fuelled my excitement and led to a lengthy decision-making process. Luckily we had a big basket of crunchy poppadoms and a selection of tasty dips to munch on alongside a glass of the Argentinean house white wine (not recommended) while we agonised over what to choose.
Opting for a seafood starter, my fellow Taste of Manchester colleague Carolyn began her Dilli experience with the Tali Machi Masala (£5.55) (fried fish with aromatic spices), which we were told was a traditional street snack in Bombay. The delicately cooked chunks of white fish were flavoured perfectly with a dusting of subtle spice and given an extra kick by the accompanying mango dip. Intrigued by its description, I opted for the Jhaal Moori (£4.50) (puffed rice, roasted peanut and channa dahl mix) with spicy chutneys. The whole peanuts, crunchy rice and lentils arrived in a tightly packed dome that collapsed at one lunge of the fork. While it was slightly crumbly and difficult to eat, this dish was packed with robust flavour and the combination of textures made every mouthful an interesting one.
With our tastebuds well and truly warmed up, we moved on to our feast of main courses which comprised of Malvani Prawns (£12.95), Rogan-e-nissat (lamb with dry ginger, fennel and saffron) (£9.95) and Hyderbadi yellow dhal (£4.75) (red and yellow lentils with green mango, mustard seeds, curry leaves and chilli). The succulent prawns were expertly teamed with a light tomato sauce that was spiked with just enough spice so as not to overpower the shellfish flavour. Meanwhile, pieces of melt-in-the-mouth lamb were combined beautifully with a rich sauce; touches of hot ginger added bite and a sprinkling of fennel seeds gave it an aromatic lift. Piquant spices also danced on the tongue with each mouthful of the velvety dhal, which was mild yet not lacking in taste.
Our mains were joined by a bowl of floorlessly fluffy Basmati rice (£2.25) and delicious Parathas (£1.95) (Crispy layered whole wheat bread). Although we were suitably stuffed following our feast, we could have perhaps forced a dessert or a cup of mint tea down had we been offered one. But it appeared the waiting staff had forgotten about us by that time and never returned - perhaps they had decided weâd eaten enough already!
Dilli is passionate about delivering an authentic experience of Indian cuisine. Dishes are plucked from the streets of Bombay, Calcutta and Bengal while traditional ingredients are celebrated lovingly in a host of culinary creations. It is this zealous approach and honest understanding of food that has earned Dilli acclaim â and itâs well deserved.
Dilli
60 Stamford New Road, Altrincham, Cheshire, WA14 1EE
T: 0161 929 7484 / 0161 927 9219
W: www.dilli.co.uk