I recently arrived back home in the UK following a visit to India. Obviously, I indulged in plenty of local cuisine, and as I’m lucky enough to have family there, I was privileged to be able to eat authentic home cooking for much of my stay. However, as I was out and about in Mumbai quite a lot, I simply had to sample the Indian McDonald’s menu.
Fan of the occasional burger
I’m no fast food addict, but I’ve enjoyed the occasional burger since childhood, and I’ve always found it reassuring that the McDonald’s menu is much the same in European countries. Sometimes it’s good to have the option of knowing exactly what you’re going to get – and there are also excellent street maps in city centre restaurants like in London and Paris, so it’s a good excuse to grab a meal!
Many Indians don’t eat beef for religious reasons, and there’s been a beef ban in several areas including Mumbai’s state of Maharashtra since March 2015, so I was intrigued to see what the fast food menus would offer. In Burger King, many of the choices were the same as in the UK, although they did have a Mutton Whopper (mutton in India is goat meat, which tastes similar to lamb), but unfortunately I did not get a chance to try one.
Tantalising treats
The Indian McDonald’s menu, excitingly, is vastly different to the Western menu, offering a few classic selections like the McChicken sandwich and Filet-O-Fish along with exotic offerings including a Chinese menu and wraps. Chinese dishes comprise Chilli Paneer Pockets and the McChicken and McVeggie Schezwan sandwiches, while wraps include the Spicy Chicken Wrap and Spicy Paneer Wrap.
Much as my mouth was watering at the thought of these tempting treats, I was pretty hungry on my first visit (yes, I ended up going more than once as it was so good), and what caught my eye were signs for the new Maharaja Mac. Available in Veg and Chicken versions, I opted for the chicken. The double decker sandwich features two grilled patties, habanero sauce, jalapeños, tomato, onion, lettuce and cheese.
Tower of deliciousness
The posters show a towering creation with golden patties, crisp vegetables and a creamy sauce encased within a fluffy sesame seed-topped bun, and I was impressed to find my burger looked exactly like the pictures. The Chicken Maharaja Mac is undoubtedly the best McDonald’s dish I have ever eaten, and indeed, it is delicious in its own right. The flavours complement each other perfectly, and the habanero sauce and jalapeños add just the right amount of piquancy. I’m not even a fan of chillies, but the medium level of heat is well worth it, and it’s not so overpowering that you can’t taste all the different flavours.
It has to be said, the Maharaja Mac is a messy eat as the bread does somewhat disintegrate by around two thirds of the way through, but if you get to try one you won’t care as it’s so tasty, and you can always wash your hands afterwards, right?! This feast of a burger weighs around 310g and contains 765kCal, so it’s ideal as a main meal.
Ideal for the UK and European markets
On my return to England I contacted McDonald’s to complement it on my new favourite dish and to suggest the Maharaja Mac is considered as an addition to the UK and European menus. I mentioned that I felt it would be appealing to local tastes and was sure to be very popular. I got a timely response advising that my comments would be passed to the Marketing and Food Development departments to be considered – which is about as much as I could have hoped for, so great result!
I’m sure it would take a lot of organisation to get the Maharaja Mac approved and on the UK and European menus, but hey, this is McDonald’s we’re talking about, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it bring its delightful Big Mac alternative to Britain and beyond. McDonald’s has certainly hit the spot with its superb Maharaja Mac, and it really is fit for royalty!
I’m a freelance writer, so if you need content and you like this post, contact me.
© 2016 Ruth Hayward – This material may not be copied in whole or in part without the prior written consent of the author. Please contact the author here to request permission to duplicate.
Ruth Hayward 