Delhi Govt events to get royal menu: From tandoori chicken to gulab jamun

The Delhi government has prepared an extensive food menu for its official events, featuring a wide variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. The selection ranges from popular snacks like paneer tikka and samosas to main course items such as shahi paneer, mutton rogan josh and chicken butter masala, along with traditional Indian desserts like gulab jamun, jalebi and rasmalai.

The menu has been finalised by the Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation (DTTDC), which has floated a tender to empanel outdoor caterers for official government programmes. These services will cover events organised by various departments, including functions at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat and the Lieutenant Governor’s office. The last date for submission of bids is January 23.

Once the caterers are empanelled, government departments will be able to choose any combination of items from the approved list for their events. The catering services will be provided throughout the year on a call basis and will include arrangements for crockery, cutlery, uniforms, chefs, captains, waiters and cleaning staff.

Prices fixed for different meals

The DTTDC has also fixed per-person rates:

Packed vegetarian thali: ₹290

Packed non-vegetarian thali: ₹325

Vegetarian lunch/dinner buffet: ₹660 to ₹965

Non-vegetarian lunch/dinner buffet: ₹880 to ₹1,265

High tea (veg): ₹330 to ₹575

High tea (non-veg): ₹385 to ₹645

Light tea: ₹80 to ₹115

Packed refreshments: ₹150

Separate prices have also been set for additional snacks, desserts and special stalls serving fruit bars, chaats, juices, pizza, chowmein and ice cream.

What the menu includes

The approved menu includes:

Vegetarian soups: Tomato shorba, sweet corn soup, cream of mushroom, almond soup, garlic soup and vegetable clear soup

Non-vegetarian soups: chicken clear soup, murgh shorba, yakhni shorba and Thai chicken soup

Vegetarian snacks: Paneer tikka, achari paneer tikka, samosa, veg spring rolls, cheese rolls, French fries and grilled sandwiches

Non-vegetarian snacks: Mutton seekh kabab, boti kabab, tandoori chicken, chicken seekh kabab, chilli chicken, chicken manchurian and fish tikka

Vegetarian main course: Navrattan korma, malai kofta, shahi paneer, paneer korma, kadhi pakora, bhindi kurkuri and dum aloo

Non-vegetarian dishes: Mutton rogan josh, mutton korma, chicken butter masala, chicken stew, fish fry and Goan fish curry

Dal & lentils: Dal makhani, rajma masala, dal tadka, chana masala and sambar

Rice: Basmati rice, jeera rice, veg pulao, lemon rice and fried rice

Breads: Naan, butter naan, garlic naan, roti, kulcha, laccha paratha and rumali roti

Desserts: Gulab jamun, jalebi, rasmalai and gajar halwa to kulfi, rabri, rasgulla, raj bhog and chocolate truffle cake

Beverage: Tea, coffee, kahwa, lemon tea, fresh juices, mocktails, shakes and a seasonal fruit bar

The estimated value of the catering contract is ₹2 crore for two years, with the panel proposed to remain valid till December 31, 2027. There is also an option to extend it by one more year at the discretion of the DTTDC.