Stuff yourself with these lip-smacking parathas

Stuff yourself with these lip-smacking parathas
Sharmishta Koushik | TNN


Close to the bustling Commercial Street is a restaurant filled with stuffed delights. It’s where hungry shoppers, officegoers, and families wanting to eat out saunter in and sink their teeth into an array of lip-smacking fare. Whether paneer, gobi, aloo, methi or meat, they’re suitably crumbled, minced or mashed. Wrapped in chubby chunks of dough, they’re rolled into parathas, and roasted to perfection in ghee. This is the signature dish of the ertswhile Lalitha Paratha Point.
It’s now renamed Hotel Barbees, and its once modest interiors have been neatly spruced up, but what hasn’t changed is the parathas’ quality. Spicy and rich without being overly oily, the restaurant has tossed up these delectable treats for over ten years now. Says Syed Taher, the hotel’s manager: “We use our own spices and all the parathas are made in ghee.’’
They previously had another outlet at Domlur. “We sold that place,’’ says Taher. So this restaurant on Dickenson Road is now the only spot where fans of Lalitha Paratha Point can savour its special brand of dishes.
A plate of parathas comprises two pieces, but you can opt for single ones too. While the parathas come with a small cup of curd, you can tuck into a range of gravies, with the typical fare of any North Indian restaurant available here. But if you prefer variety then order the Barbees Special, which, incidentally, is not available on the menu. The vegetarian one has three servings of gravy — a red paneer-based one, a palak and beans curry, and a brown gravy with mushroom and babycorn. And they’re truly a feast for the eyes and as they are for the taste buds, matching the parathas bite for bite.
For those wanting to savour authentic Punjabi cuisine, check out the makhai ka roti. A word of warning though, ensure you’re on an empty stomach before you order this one. For one, you can’t order a single roti, and have to settle for two. And eating a plate of these hard, yellow rotis is like eating a ton of bricks, albeit delicious ones. And you can team them with some piping hot sarson ka saag — a gravy of greens with a distinct tangy flavour. Of course, you can wash it all down with a divine glass of lassi.
In addition, they have biryanis and desserts on their menu too. The prices are average, with the parathas priced between Rs 16 to 46 per piece, the cheapest being the plain paratha, and the most expensive, the kheema paratha. You can also opt for the buffet which has rotis and biryanis, but not parathas. Their lunch buffet, priced at an unbelievable Rs 99, comprises 16 dishes, while the dinner buffet has 17 items and costs Rs 129. So, the next time you’re in that part of town, step into this humble joint and stuff yourself till your stomach feels heavy, and your heart feels light.
Hotel Barbees
12, Dickenson Road, Near Commercial Street, Bangalore - 42. Ph: 42066065
Timings: 11 am to 11 pm