Pork with Raja Mirch
There are not many pork serving restaurants in Delhi, so five thumbs up to The Nagaland Kitchen for serving pork. Run by the same people who run the Nagaland stall in Dilli Haat, the restaurant does itself proud.
Naga food needs a talented palate to appreciate it’s flavours. It’s much closer to South-East Asian cuisine and makes use of fresh leaves, fermented and smoked meats and bamboo shoot a lot. The star of the cuisine, of course, is Raja Mirchi aka Bhut Mirich/ghost chilly, the king of chilly peppers. It used to be the hottest pepper on the Scoville scale, the distinction currently being held by a new hybrid the Naga Viper.
We ordered Smoke Pork, Pork with Raja Mirch, Pork Ribs with Raja Mirch Chutney and a side of vegetables in Naga Spices.
Vegetables
Although the food was outstanding (vegetarians would be disappointed), I had expected Raja Mirch Pork to be much hotter than it was. Minor tongue paralysis was what I was looking for. Sometimes restaurants are presumptuous about their patrons’ ability to eat hot food. So if you want hot, I guess you have to specify.
On the bright side, because it didn’t numb the taste buds entirely, the rest of the flavours shone through. I was definitely introduced to some new and robust flavours and smells that need further investigation. So I would definitely go back.
Location: Green Mark Market, next to Uphaar cinema hall, across the park from Tamura.
Average price per dish: Rs 250/-
Do they also sell Raja Mirch? I picked up smoked Raja Mirch at Dilli haat once and my imaginative cook used it in dhaniya(cilantro)+tamato chutney. It was GOOD! …and was even better after a few days in the fridge!
There is an almost sweet , fragrant after-taste to it which is unlike the “tongue paralysing” green chillies.
I didn’t ask but it’s unlikely that they sell it, apparently you can get it here instead.
‘Thoibi’ – opp. Vasant Vihar bus depot, Munirka (98917-29418).