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The Yellow Chilli: Sanjeev Kapoor's Ode to the Indian Palate There's something deeply comforting about walking into a restaurant that promises "Great Indian Food," but with the pedigree of celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor attached, you know it won't be just great. It'll be thoughtful, deliberate, rooted in tradition but with a modern wink. That's what brought me to The Yellow Chilli, a restaurant that bears the unmistakable stamp of Kapoor's culinary philosophy: familiar yet refreshingly inventive. Now, let's address the chilli in the room. As you and I both know, Indian chillies are typically the crimson kind—fiery red, or occasionally those deceptive pale greens that ambush your palate. But a yellow chilli? Kapoor found this elusive specimen in Meerut, his mother's hometown, hidden in plain sight among the chaotic abundance of local bazaars and chaat stalls. And what he discovered was not just a new colour, but a new possibility—a spice that would go on to inspire a restaurant, a brand, and arguably, a movement. The Yellow Chilli, since its humble inception in 2001, has now expanded to over 50 outlets, both in India and abroad. But scale aside, the soul of the food still whispers of chaatwallahs on Meerut’s busy streets, of travels across Indian kitchens and gullys, and of a chef’s relentless pursuit to redefine what Indian food can taste like when reimagined, yet never forsaken. Let's talk about what I ate. I began my meal with a trio of beverages that felt more like curated amuse-bouches than standard welcome drinks. The Preach Peach—a pleasing blend of peach purée, passion fruit syrup, lemon, and a hint of cherry brine—was as playful as its name. It reminded me of a summer's day in a North Indian orchard, with tart and sweet playing hopscotch on the tongue. But the real surprise came with the Chatpati Chuski Margarita, which is, I admit, a rather cheeky invention. Imagine a lychee-based popsicle infused with tangy masala and cloaked in tequila’s warmth. The Yellow Chilli isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel. What it does instead is bring the wheel back into focus. It reminds us that Indian food is not just about regional clichés or spicy bravado.

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This post was published on 09th June, 2025 by Rahul on his Instagram handle "@rahulprabhakar (Rahul Prabhakar)". Rahul has total 65.1K followers on Instagram and has a total of 2.3K post. Rahul receives an average engagement rate of % per post on Instagram. This post has received 65 comments which are greater than the average comments that Rahul gets. Overall the engagement rate for this post was than the average for the profile.