Maharaja delivers in Maadi

There’s no shortage of Indian food in Cairo, with five Indian restaurants in Maadi alone. You’ve got Bukhara, the oldest of them, a consistently hearty and well-flavored choice; Begum, the New Maadi Indian family spot, with weekend Indian street-food buffets; Punjabi, the newest addition and Maadi’s Indian fast-food outlet, with well-packaged and more Punjabi-flavored dishes; and Maharaja on Road 6.

Now don’t get confused. There is another Maharaja in New Maadi on Nasr Street. That’s the one you’ll find on elmenus.com, Google and any other online site where the words “Maharaja” and “Maadi” meet. But that is not the one we’ve come here to discuss. Maharaja Road 6 is a whole new eating experience.

There is something special in Maharaja’s flavors. Perhaps it’s the cream and butter — a surefire combination for culinary success — but Maharaja’s black dahl is, well, delicious, and my new 10-pm guilty pleasure.

Across the board, the restaurant’s creamy sauces are a win. From murj makhani chicken to korma, once there’s dairy, Maharaja pulls it off brilliantly. As for other food items, the samosas are small and tasty, the vegetable biryani, yum.

The manager of Maharaja, Raju Ibrahim, is efficient but his assistant, who wishes to remain unnamed, has been known to call back women who have ordered delivery, apparently trying to get to know them a little better.

The prices at Maharaja are comparable to Bukhara and Begum: the dahl is LE35, while at Bukhara and Begum it’s LE32; the naan is LE15 to LE20, whereas Bukhara’s starts at LE9, based on the toppings; and main dishes run from LE35 to LE75. Bukhara’s and Begum’s main dishes with meat are also in that range.

The only disappointment at Maharaja is the naan, so butter-soaked that it weighs itself down and ends up a bit soggy.

The rich flavors of Indian food are comforting in the cold. Whether you’re picking Bukhara’s butter chicken, ordering Punjabi’s tandoori, devouring Begum’s korma or tucking into Maharaja’s dahl, Maadi’s Indian restaurants serve up a great selection.

To order from Maharaja, call 022 359 6665. Stop by the restaurant to pick up a menu, or ask for one to be delivered with your first order, as you won’t find the menu online.