Whiff of grilled tikkas in the air

Beat the nip in the air with a piping hot platter of Awadhi fare

I have been missing a familiar face in our neighbourhood shopping arcade. Before the pandemic hit our lives, he could be seen standing in front of a small makeshift tandoor, grilling chicken and fish tikkas for his loyal (and salivating) clientele. The heady aroma of grilled food was always alluring but I looked especially forward to it on fall evenings, when the body yearned for something warm.

The gentleman has not reopened his shop yet but I hope he does it soon. The thought of those juicy tikkas picked up on November evenings from his little corner had me scouring the Internet for suitable kabab and tikka outlets in my part of the city. I clicked on a place called ‘Legacy of Awadh’ in Sector 7 (D 66), Noida, had a look at the menu, and decided that this was what I was looking for.

Two dear friends were coming over for tea and I hoped to persuade them — with a platter of kababs — to stay back for dinner. I entered an order for mutton boti kababs (₹290 a plate), mutton galouti kababs (₹300 for six pieces), chicken malai tikka (₹330), varki paratha (₹40 per piece) and roomali roti (₹20 each). The food was delivered through Swiggy in neat little boxes.