I love chaat! And pav bhaaji. So if a place serves both of these dishes, it brings me happiness. But then any good tasting food brings me happiness. Sunday evening I had nothing to do, so some of my friends and I decided to go to Maharaaja Chaat in Jubilee Hills for some yum chaat and pav bhaji - it had been a while and I hadn't seen their new location.
Maharaaja Chaat is known for its pav bhaji more than anything! Brilliant pav slathered with butter and bhaji so tasty I couldn't stop eating it. They also have some good chaat! Run for 18 years, the owner is originally from Bidar, Karnataka. The Karnataka taste is there - I don't know how to explain it but if you have Keshav Reddy chaat it is completely different, spicier taste.
They originally were at one of the side-lanes off Jubilee Hills Rd no 36 but since past 2 years have moved a more spacious location in Kavuri Hills just 5 minutes from the previous spot. Good decision based on the crowd they get and also the ample car parking it provides. But they still maintain their street carts instead of having opened a brick and mortar establishment. Now to the food.
Sev puri! I love sev puri and this one was nice and refreshing. Oily papdis but nothing I didn't expect. Topped with fresh cucumbers and tomatoes, green chutney and their popular sweet chutney which makes an appearance in every chaat of theirs. The sev they use is the thin variety which is what a quintessential chaat cart serves . They had mounds of those savory treats on the counter!
A note on the chutney - it has the right balance of tangy and sweetness with hints of spices. I usually don't like sweet chutney in my chaat but I couldn't stop eating this.
They also have a similar dish without the ragda called the Maharaaja special. It's more like the alu tikki chaat you get in Delhi.
This is a good place for a nice Sunday evening snack/early dinner. Don't get deterred by the crowd, the food is served very quick and the staff is very friendly.
Maharaaja Chaat
Cost for 2: ~150
Taste: 8/10
Service: 8/10 - Quick and friendly service
Ambience: 5/10 - Have enough space for parking and eating.
Maharaaja Chaat is known for its pav bhaji more than anything! Brilliant pav slathered with butter and bhaji so tasty I couldn't stop eating it. They also have some good chaat! Run for 18 years, the owner is originally from Bidar, Karnataka. The Karnataka taste is there - I don't know how to explain it but if you have Keshav Reddy chaat it is completely different, spicier taste.
They originally were at one of the side-lanes off Jubilee Hills Rd no 36 but since past 2 years have moved a more spacious location in Kavuri Hills just 5 minutes from the previous spot. Good decision based on the crowd they get and also the ample car parking it provides. But they still maintain their street carts instead of having opened a brick and mortar establishment. Now to the food.
A note on the chutney - it has the right balance of tangy and sweetness with hints of spices. I usually don't like sweet chutney in my chaat but I couldn't stop eating this.
The main dish at Maharaaja for which people come in heaps! Starting with the bhaji, it is yum! My friend who came with me is from Mumbai and she obviously said it's not Mumbai material but I've had Mumbai pav bhaji and this is as close as it gets. Yum savoury taste - salty with all the veggies well mashed - and the pav bhaji masala almost the same as Mumbai pav bhaji. The dollop of butter helps the taste, of course. The pav by itself was good - just the way I like. Good crust and soft inside and a good balanced taste - not salty or tasteless like commercial pav. But the insides weren't always consistently crisp like above. The extra pav we ordered were soft even after being on the tawa for a while.
The dahi papdi was good. They didn't use the round papdis but the folded triangle papadi which was crisp. The curd was cool and thick and the usual toppings as the sev puri.
You must try the ragda patties. The patty is actually a ghee fried alu tikki and the only flavour is that of the ghee and the potatoes. It makes for a very nice neutral base for the ragda and the toppings. The ragda is spicy but no spice is overpowering which is again what I noticed in a Keshav Reddy Chaat.
They also have a similar dish without the ragda called the Maharaaja special. It's more like the alu tikki chaat you get in Delhi.
This is a good place for a nice Sunday evening snack/early dinner. Don't get deterred by the crowd, the food is served very quick and the staff is very friendly.
Maharaaja Chaat
Cost for 2: ~150
Taste: 8/10
Service: 8/10 - Quick and friendly service
Ambience: 5/10 - Have enough space for parking and eating.
Good chaat in Hyd? Are you sure...?
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