New Dilli

Altrincham’s New Dilli takes Indian cuisine back to basics, way back to basics. Entrepreneurial restaurateur Manzar Hashim has even dubbed the place after the old name for New Delhi, the Indian capital when it comes to gourmet. Moreover, in recruiting executive chef Mohammed Naeem, Hashim found not merely a good Indian cook, but an expert in Ayurvedic culinary practice. Together they offer Greater Manchester what they like to call vintage Indian cuisine, old-school South Asian that doesn’t feel obligated to pander to contemporary tastes. Find New Dilli – the real deal – on The Downs.

Let’s just mention right away that New Dilli’s innovative take on what Greater Manchester restaurants often manage to devolve into run-of-the-mill Indian has spawned a legion of loyal followers that not only like to dine in at New Dilli’s premises along Altrincham’s The Downs but also like to have a crack at unlocking chef Naeem’s secrets to a sensual curry. Vegetarian and non-vegetarian Indian cooking classes, informed by the Asian subcontinent’s ancient Ayurvedic traditions, are always popular, with spots selling out fast. Just so you know. That said, some secrets are better left for safekeeping in more able hands, so why not just book a table and turn to New Dilli’s extensive menu.

The chef’s specials at this special indeed Indian restaurant down Altrincham’s The Downs are a good representative slice across New Dilli’s fresh (that is, stubbornly classic) take on Indian cuisine. The lamb chop kadhai treats tender lamb to a traditional, spicy sauce, while two TAK-A-TAK dishes take lobster and prawns, respectively, and griddle them with coarsely-chopped onions, fresh coriander, topped off with a very authentic flourish: the fruit pods of the ajwain flower, a pungent spice common in northern India and Rajasthan. It’s touches like this, applied to relatively rustic – and entirely robust – Indian dishes, that ensure New Dilli will be keeping Greater Manchester’s Indian gourmands satisfied for years to come.