Assam Bhawan
Assam Bhawan's well-loved Jakoi restaurant closed sometime in late 2017, only to be replaced by Baankaahi. So, curious about this relatively new addition to the Delhi state canteen scene, we set off late on a weeknight with PJ's dad in tow.
We started with the vegetable boras, which were a platter of fritters of assorted varieties, including amongst them poppy seeds, sesame seeds, plantain, lentil and curry leaves. The curry leaves and poppy seed fritters were particularly remarkable, perhaps because of the unusual flavors, but all of the fritters were fresh and crisp, making for a very satisfying starter.
We had also hoped to try the mua maas bhoja (small anchovies fried and tempered with onion, coriander and green chillies) but this seasonal dish was unfortunately not available, so we moved on to the main course, for which we opted mainly for the non-vegetarian delicacies Assam is known for.
The only vegetarian dish we ordered was Khar, a dish made of papaya and other vegetables which is typically eaten as a first course and is known for its digestive properties. Apart from this, we ordered a maas'or tenga, a tangy tomato fish gravy, a kukura bhut jolokia, a chicken curry cooked with the famed Northeastern chilli bhut jolokia, a pork aran, A Mising style pork cooked with schezwan pepper leaves. We also had to order, on the recommendation of many people, the distinctive sungat diya misa maas, a coconut and mustard spiced prawn gravy cooked in a bamboo tube. We chose to pair these dishes with a serving of steamed joha saul, a rice from the Brahmaputra valley of Assam, and another of jalukia bhat, rice seasoned with garlic and pepper.
The most notable dish was the prawn cooked in the bamboo tube, though with only four pieces for Rs. 400, it was certainly not the best value for money. The kukura bhut jolokia was, as promised, fiery, though lacking in any distinctive taste other than its extreme spice. The pork aran was less gamey than some of the other Northeastern pork dishes we had tried in the past few weeks, and the schezwan peppers were cooked in a way that was quite distinct from how they are usually enjoyed in other oriental cuisines. The fish tenga was passable, with a taste that was overwhelmingly of tomato and not much else.
For dessert we split a mitha aloo pitha, a sweet potato cake made with rice flour and stuffed with jaggery and coconut, and a koni dhan kheer, a sort of rice pudding. The kheer, while quite good, was not particularly different from its many variants made across the country. Pithas on the other hand, are a category of sweet distinctive to the Eastern part of India, and this particular variety was quite unique, with an interesting texture and an amount of sweetness that was not overwhelming, which is rare in Indian desserts.
Overall, the meal was tasty but seemed slightly overpriced given the quantities (though with our aggressive ordering we were left with a considerable haul of leftovers to lug home). Neither the ambience nor the service stood out, but neither were they sub-par. All in all, the evening out consisted of a distinctive cuisine wrapped in a rather normal package. The aftertaste of jaggery paired nicely with our swelling bellies and growing desire to visit the Northeast.
Price of dinner for three: ₹2100
1 Assam Bhawan,
Sardar Patel Marg,
Near Sri Lankan High Commision,
Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi, Delhi 110021
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| Our dining companion (momentarily) holding out on the temptation of the boras |
We started with the vegetable boras, which were a platter of fritters of assorted varieties, including amongst them poppy seeds, sesame seeds, plantain, lentil and curry leaves. The curry leaves and poppy seed fritters were particularly remarkable, perhaps because of the unusual flavors, but all of the fritters were fresh and crisp, making for a very satisfying starter.
 |
| The rather outstanding and unusual boras |
We had also hoped to try the mua maas bhoja (small anchovies fried and tempered with onion, coriander and green chillies) but this seasonal dish was unfortunately not available, so we moved on to the main course, for which we opted mainly for the non-vegetarian delicacies Assam is known for.
The only vegetarian dish we ordered was Khar, a dish made of papaya and other vegetables which is typically eaten as a first course and is known for its digestive properties. Apart from this, we ordered a maas'or tenga, a tangy tomato fish gravy, a kukura bhut jolokia, a chicken curry cooked with the famed Northeastern chilli bhut jolokia, a pork aran, A Mising style pork cooked with schezwan pepper leaves. We also had to order, on the recommendation of many people, the distinctive sungat diya misa maas, a coconut and mustard spiced prawn gravy cooked in a bamboo tube. We chose to pair these dishes with a serving of steamed joha saul, a rice from the Brahmaputra valley of Assam, and another of jalukia bhat, rice seasoned with garlic and pepper.
 |
| The spread |
The most notable dish was the prawn cooked in the bamboo tube, though with only four pieces for Rs. 400, it was certainly not the best value for money. The kukura bhut jolokia was, as promised, fiery, though lacking in any distinctive taste other than its extreme spice. The pork aran was less gamey than some of the other Northeastern pork dishes we had tried in the past few weeks, and the schezwan peppers were cooked in a way that was quite distinct from how they are usually enjoyed in other oriental cuisines. The fish tenga was passable, with a taste that was overwhelmingly of tomato and not much else.
For dessert we split a mitha aloo pitha, a sweet potato cake made with rice flour and stuffed with jaggery and coconut, and a koni dhan kheer, a sort of rice pudding. The kheer, while quite good, was not particularly different from its many variants made across the country. Pithas on the other hand, are a category of sweet distinctive to the Eastern part of India, and this particular variety was quite unique, with an interesting texture and an amount of sweetness that was not overwhelming, which is rare in Indian desserts.
 |
| The distinctively sweet yet mild pithas |
Overall, the meal was tasty but seemed slightly overpriced given the quantities (though with our aggressive ordering we were left with a considerable haul of leftovers to lug home). Neither the ambience nor the service stood out, but neither were they sub-par. All in all, the evening out consisted of a distinctive cuisine wrapped in a rather normal package. The aftertaste of jaggery paired nicely with our swelling bellies and growing desire to visit the Northeast.
Price of dinner for three: ₹2100
1 Assam Bhawan,
Sardar Patel Marg,
Near Sri Lankan High Commision,
Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi, Delhi 110021
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