zaffran curries & biryani

zaffran, the indian-mughlai outlet of lp residency hotel (rajendra nagar, dehradun), is a name that holds its own as one of the best restaurants in the city for north indian cuisine. with this reputation in mind, my friends and i decided to go there for a lavish luncheon, and we were not disappointed.

1. location
ground floor, hotel lp residency, kaulagarh road, rajendra nagar, dehradun. the premises has some parking inside and ample space on-road.

2. seating and ambiance
the interiors are done exquisitely and they exhume an aura of comfort and fine dining. the walls are adorned artfully and the instrumental music adds to the overall experience. the seating is aplenty and adequately spaced out.

3. food
we were welcomed with palette cleansers in the form of a crispy papdi and a shot of khatta-meetha paani - both items from a chat menu which set our taste buds tingling. to open, we ordered aloo ki kurkuri chaat which seemed like the obvious follow through after that chatpata initiation. it was delicious – a presumably simple dish that you might like to replicate at home (i tried), and will definitely order every time you visit (i will). the crunchiness of the fried potatoes, the burst of flavours in the chutneys and the undefinable x-factor that chaat masala brings to every dish – you just have to experience it.

for starters, we ordered malai paneer tikka, mushroom ki galouti, awadhi kalmi kebab and kasundhi mahi tikka. the paneer was soft, the galouti was flavourful while the chicken and fish were of excellent quality. i firmly believe that starters are an excellent way to gauge the primary ingredients available (paneer, meats, etc) which helps in deciding what to order for the mains – for zaffran, you can order whatever you want and you’ll get the absolute best.

for mains, we ordered a variety of dishes instead of multiple portions of one or two – this way we all got to have a bit of everything with assorted breads. we ordered the evergreen favourites paneer tikka masala and amritsari murgh makhanwala (butter chicken). the staff recommended us to try their mutton, so we went ahead and also ordered awadhi nalli nihari and champaran handi mutton. the paneer and chicken were as good as you’ll find anywhere else in the city. i’m not much of amuttonfan, but i still found the nihari and handimuttonto be way above par. also, the gravy of the handimuttonwas my personal favourite from the main course – so much so that i claimed it for my “last bite of the meal”.

for dessert, we shifted to lp residency’s famous coco osteria for some lip-smacking blueberry cheesecake. having coco on the premises really ups the ante for pre/post meal indulgences!

conclusion
zaffran by lp hotels is undoubtedly one of the best places you can choose for indian and mughlai cuisine. their nalli nihari is slowly making itself well-known in the city and is a must-try if you favour mutton. i’ll definitely visit again (and again, and again!).

maintaining the cultural supremacy and bringing the actual essence of desi food on the table is impeccably done by zaffran. the restaurant not only serves you the authentic delicacies but also develops a mouth-watering taste at the very first sight. one would definitely come out with a satisfied soul where his heart wouldn’t stop asking for more(dil maange more).
recently i visited the place @zaffran.curries.biryani and was literally amazed by the whole aura, i would definitely say that they are truly making a dent in the field of hospitality.
to start with - the welcome drink rejuvenated my energy and along with that the aloo ki kurkuri chaat made me remember of  home. appetisers included malai paneer tikka, mushroom galouti,   awadhi kalmi kebab and mutton gilafi seekh. each starter was a literal treat to the soul. main course included  malai kofta, dal e zaffran, awadhi nali nihari, champaran handi mutton, murgh makhanwala and the combination complimented each other so well that it made me go down the memory lane and pose a thought-provoking question to myself that when was the last i actually had this kind of bonafide subsistence?
got the same question in your head? then do visit this place and trust me it will be worth it!

i order champaramuttonand biryani both the itmes was really mind blowing and unexpected first time i had in dehradun that kind of food.

recently visited this place with my friends and i must say it turned out to be one of the finest place in town to indulge in the riches of flavours, especially, when it comes to enjoying north indian cuisine. from chaats to shahi biryani this place has everything to quench your cravings.
the ethnic interiors and calming folk music makes the restaurant an ideal halt to go for a fine dine dinner with family and friends.
must haves:
1. champaran handimutton(highly recommended)
2.mutton gilafi seekh
3. nali nihari (recommended)
4. veg biryani( best i’ve ever had)
(highly recommended)
5. palak patte ki chaat

had the murgh makhanwala aka butter chicken andmuttonbiryani.. this is the closest to what i had in havmor pandara road delhi. must visit .

must try-muttonbiryani and the nihari.
the tandoori broccoli and the fish tikka was fab. everyone just loved the food.

really best place for indian food in the city i hadmuttonbiryani and some snacks that was fantastic.

one of the best places for authentic indian food, specially the murgh tikka masala andmuttonbiryani.

a place for purists. those who appreciate good authentic food.

be ready to be transported to the streets of jama masjid as you try the nihari mutton. it’s so good.

the odiya patelimuttonwas a new dish i had. and it absolutely blew me away.
must must try !!

and ofcourse the perfectly made khameeri rotis.

like the branch at lpvilas, this zaffran doesn’t disappoint a bit.

best meats in doon. by far.