A Taste Of Peru Landed In Delhi With Chef Julio Castillo’s Five-Course Menu

Walking into Syrah at Hyatt Regency Delhi, I’ll admit I had zero frame of reference for Peruvian food. I had expected to spend the afternoon squinting at the menu, asking the server to explain half the dishes, maybe nodding politely through flavours I couldn’t quite place. 

That, however, did not happen. 

Chef Julio Castillo, running the kitchen for the Peruvian Food Festival (June 24–28), seemed to have planned for diners exactly like me. The menu kept its Peruvian roots intact but built in enough familiarity, through local ingredients and the occasional Indian touch, that nothing on the table would feel intimidating. One could taste the distance it had travelled without ever feeling lost. 

Pani Puri, Peru, And Possibility

The first course set the tone with three small plates: Tuna Tartare Pani Puri, Beetroot Causa with Smoked Salmon, and Scallop Ceviche. 

Naturally, the Tuna Tartare Pani Puri drew my attention first. The crisp shell held finely chopped fresh tuna instead of the familiar spiced potato filling, bringing together an Indian street-food favourite and one of Peru’s best-known preparations. It was not, I’ll tell you, a novelty pairing just for the sake of surprise. The pani puri retained its crunch, while the fresh tuna kept the bite light and clean. 

When I asked Castillo how the dish came about, he laughed before admitting that pani puri had become one of his favourite discoveries while travelling across India. 

“I’ve been attending different gastronomic festivals, and people often ask what I’ve picked up from my travels,” he said. “I really enjoyed pani puri here, so I decided to mix it with Peruvian cuisine. Whenever I travel, I like telling my stories through food.” 

That philosophy explained much of the evening. The dishes carried unmistakable Peruvian roots, with subtle nods to the city they were being served in.

The Beetroot Causa offered another gentle introduction. Traditionally made with mashed potato, causa is a Peruvian staple, and here the earthy beetroot was paired neatly with smoked salmon. Beside it, the Scallop Ceviche arrived dressed in leche de tigre, the citrus-based marinade closely associated with Peru. Bright, fresh, and balanced, it was one of the cleanest flavours of the luncheon. 

Chillies, Ceviche, And Conversation 

One of the biggest misconceptions I carried into dinner was that Peruvian food would be intensely spicy. Castillo quickly corrected that assumption. 

“Peruvian cuisine is nothing without ají amarillo and ají panca,” he told me, referring to two of the country’s defining chillies. “They’re our base. But we cook them first, so they don’t become overwhelmingly spicy.” 

That distinction became clearer with the Sea Bass Tiradito, served with yellow chilli and passion fruit sauce. The sauce carried warmth rather than heat, while the passion fruit added acidity to lift the delicate fish instead of overpowering it. 

The Crispy Prawns followed with mango relish and chupe sauce, hence introducing another layer of sweetness. Across the menu, acidity, sweetness, and savoury notes stayed in conversation with one another, making the progression seem considered rather than heavy. 

Castillo also spoke about another ingredient that repeatedly surprises diners outside Peru: corn. Grown in the country’s Andean region, Peruvian corn appears in several forms throughout the cuisine, often as both texture and accompaniment. It may seem simple, but, according to him, it’s one of the ingredients that visitors remember most. 

Tradition, Tweaked 

If I had to pick a standout from the menu, it would be the Lamb Anticuchos. 

Anticuchos are one of Peru’s best-known street foods, traditionally prepared using a different cut of meat. For Delhi, Castillo chose lamb instead, adapting the dish without losing its identity. The meat on my plate was well-charred from the grill, accompanied by baby potatoes that soaked up the smoky flavours. 

Interestingly, it was also Castillo’s favourite adaptation on the menu. 

“In Peru, we don’t make anticuchos with lamb; it’s usually beef,” he said. “But I really like what we’ve done here.” 

Dessert rounded off the meal with three classics: Suspiro Limeño, Passion Fruit Cheesecake, and Lucuma Alfajor. The Suspiro Limeño stood out for its light caramel notes, while the passion fruit cheesecake echoed the fruit-forward flavours that had appeared earlier in the menu. 

But, before we wrapped up our conversation, I asked Castillo where someone completely new to Peruvian cuisine should begin. You wouldn’t, however, find his answer on the tasting menu. 

He recommended ají de gallina, a comforting chicken dish, alongside causa, describing them as the gentlest introduction to Peruvian food.  

Peruvian cuisine may be known internationally for its seafood and citrus, but it is just as much a cuisine of slow-cooked stews, potatoes, corn, and peppers—ingredients that have sustained communities across the Andes for centuries. 

The menu I tasted was only one chapter of that story, but it was enough to make me curious about the rest.  

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