Quick Bytes: Parsi Bhonu Thali at SodaBottleOpenerWala

The year-end festive season is on, and SodaBottleOpenerWala, the Bombay Irani Café has a special promotion for the occasion. Known as the Parsi Bhonu, the menu has assorted delicacies from Parsi cuisine in the form of two thalis – vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Bhonu in Parsi means special food for a feast, and the thalis are indeed special, featuring quite a few items which are not available usually at the Bombay style café.

Parsi Bhonu

Invited for a preview of the offerings, I opted for trying out the non-vegetarian thali. The presentation of the thali was in traditional brass cutlery and the food looked extremely tempting. The thali had about ten items including a range of pickles, chutneys, papads and salads. The tomato chutney was the best of the lot while the homemade brinjal pickle was spicier than I expected, masking the taste of brinjal a bit.

The pick of the thali was Chicken Rajpipla. Rajpipla was an erstwhile princely state in Gujarat during the British Raj.  The dish has been adapted from the secret recipes of the Maharajas and incorporates ingredients such as Worcester sauce and eggs. The brown gravy was thick and went well with Rotlis – the Parsi whole wheat chapatis. There was also a thick Parsi Dal served in the thali, which was quite heavy and filling.

The Vegetarian Thali 

The thali had a couple of large Parsi Fish Cutlets – tasty in their own way with a different kind of masala.  Chicken Pulao was sweetish, a typical Parsi preparation with fragrant rice and Parsi masalas. I am fond of Parsi pulaos and this was no exception.

In the vegetarian thali, the non-veg dishes have been replaced by vegetarian versions of the pulao and Rajpipla. I did not try these but what I sampled and liked a lot was the Bombayya Potato Fry, a dry preparation of baby potatoes.

The thalis also come with the classic Irani Falooda available at SodaBottleOpenerWala – albeit being a mini version of it. The non-veg thali had Matunga Coffee Cake – a superb dessert flavoured by rich coffee, which appealed even to a dessert shy person like me. Daruwala Trifle, which was fruit custard and jelly soaked in a little bit of rum.  The rum flavour was not pronounced though otherwise it had a decent taste.

For vegetarians, the coffee cake was replaced by Apple Pie with custard.

Non-Vegetarian Thali 

The vegetarian thali is priced at Rs 450 (plus taxes) whereas the non-veg thali is Rs 550 (plus taxes). The thalis are in limited quantities, however, I feel it should be sufficient for an average eater. The promotion is on till 15th January 2016. The fans of SodaBottleOpenerWala will enjoy the few new dishes which are in the bhonu. For people who have not tried Parsi cuisine so far, this is a novel opportunity to start with an economical thali, and judge for themselves whether they like the cuisine. If you like the flavours, you can always come back later to dig deeper in the usual menu.

Location:
SodaBottleOpenerWala
Ground Floor, Niharika Jubilee One
Road No 1, Jubilee Hills
Hyderabad
Telephone: 68888681

Disclaimer: The review is based on an invite by the restaurant. However, the opinion expressed in the post are honest and unbiased.

Interiors of SodaBottleOpenerWala Hyderabad
Pic Courtesy: SBOW

Read More

Celebrating Awadhi Cuisine at Jashn E Audh

The Royals of Awadh were known for their love for music, dance, culture and food. The Nawabi cuisine from Awadh boasts of a recipes perfected by Royal Bawarchis like kababs, qormas, qaliyas and biryanis – with a strong influence of Mughlai style. Today Tundey Kabab, Kakori Kabab, Awadhi Biryani and Sheermal are some of the items for which Awadh is known for. Anyone visiting Lucknow in particular will never miss out on these delicacies.

The Interiors of Jashn E Audh

In Hyderabad, Awadhi cuisine was available in bits and pieces in restaurants like Point Pleasant and Eat India Company and in some star hotels. A restaurant aptly named Jashn E Audh – A Taste of Tradition, which has recently commenced its operations at Raidurgam, is the first restaurant to offer a complete experience of Awadhi food in Hyderabad.

Gussawale Nawab Ke Kabab

The restaurant is on the first floor of a building on the busy road leading to Gachibowli from Tolichowki. The interiors are aesthetically designed with very comfortable seating. The menu is elaborate, and each item is described in detail, so that the customer can understand what he is ordering.

Jashn E Khaas Murgh 

A group of friends decided to get together in the restaurant to taste its delicacies. An enthusiastic person from the group spent time with the restaurant to curate a menu based on his previous experience here, and a feast was awaiting us.

Galawati Kabab

We settled down with some refreshing Aam Panna, a drink made from raw mango. The famous Lucknavi Kababs made their appearance led by Gussewale Nawab ke Kabab. Looking at the name, many of us anticipated a fiercely spicy preparation, but found the gussa of the Nawab to be fairly tempered. The kabab was tender, succulent and smooth with a mild smokiness which enhanced the taste of the dish.

Whole Fish

The second kabab I liked was called Jashn E Khaas Murgh , and it is the khas peshkash from the restaurant. The kabab was a version of malai kabab with bones, and the garlic infused marinade was prepared extremely well. The malai used here is directly skimmed from milk which gives a special flavour to the marinade. I had a lot of expectation from the Galawati Kabab (a melt in the mouth kabab which is also known as Tunday, a variant made famous by the family of Tunday kababi), as people who had visited here earlier had told me it is really good. However today it had an off day with a slightly bitter aftertaste.

On a special request from our group, the restaurant had also prepared a Whole Murrel Fish. The presentation was generally liked, though I would have loved more masala on the fish.

Murgh Masallam

After the kababs came the curries. Murgh Masallam was served first, a whole chicken prepared in a sauce with array of Mughlai spices.  A clear winner, the dish paired well with the soft Gilafi Kulchas served with it.  Shaan-E-Raan was a whole leg of lamb roasted and then prepared in a special spice mix. Somehow the meat had not soaked in the gravy, making it seem a bit under prepared. The gravy though had a nice taste.

Shaan E Raan

Zameendoz was a specially ordered chicken dish, in which marinated chicken is slow cooked in a sealed earthen pot, usually in a dug pit.  The herb infused gravy was thin and had a subtle taste. We were told that it is one of the oldest recipes of Awadh.

Zameendoz

Apart from a selection of Awadhi breads, we had Awadhi Mutton Biryani and Zaffrani Pulao as accompaniments to the curries. The Zaffrani Pulao was quite brilliant with an exceptionally inviting aroma. The Mutton Biryani was subtle, though I would have liked it to be a bit more flavourful. Please note that the Awadhi Biryani is not spicy at all, so if you are having a typically Hyderabadi palate, you must go with a very open mind.

Awadhi Biryani

The choices of dessert on the menu are extensive. Mirchi Ka Halwa is a must try here – you feel only the flavour of green chillis in the dessert as you have it, and then the spicy aftertaste hits you. Gulkand Kulfi, a dessert with rose petals is also a very special dish to be tried out here.

On studying the menu, there were many dishes worth going back for. A few which looked interesting to me were Chowk Ki Tikki, Chapli Kabab, Rezala and Jhinge Ki Tahiri.  Among the desserts, friends recommended their Lychee Ke Kheer.

Desserts

Service was extremely good, given that we were more than a dozen people and ordered quite a handful of dishes. I happen to know the owners well who are extremely passionate about food as well as providing a delightful experience for the customers. For people who enjoy delicious kababs and rich Mughlai food, this place is most definitely worth a visit.

Address:

Jashn E Audh
1st Floor, Teja’s Fortune Towers,
Beside Wells Fargo, Raidurgam
Gachibowli, Hyderabad
Telephone 65990202, 65990505

Pics courtesy Dinesh Kool and 7 Tones Photography

Read More

A Taste of Kabul in Hyderabad

When we talk about food from Afghanistan or North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan, huge naans and sweet pulaos come to our mind. A decade ago, there was a restaurant called Kabura in Begumpet serving North West Frontier and Afghan food. After it closed down, Hyderabad had no place which served this cuisine for a long time.

Chicken Sajji at Kabul Darbar

Kabul Darbar which started about six months back aims to bridge this gap. At Lakdi-Ka-Pool the restaurant is located on the main road, and as you pass by the place, you can see grilled chicken being prepared in an open space on the ground floor. The look of the chicken itself entices you to try out the restaurant.

The restaurant does brisk business throughout the week. The eating area has traditional Arabic seating, with carpets and stools, so that you can enjoy your food in a Dastarkhan style. However if you are more comfortable dining in traditional tables and chairs, they have an area with this arrangement too.

Whole chicken being grilled on firewood

The signature dish here is Chicken Sajji, or Afghan grilled chicken. A must do for anyone visiting this restaurant is to spend some time downstairs watching the preparation of this dish in firewood. This is a Balochi dish, where whole chicken rubbed with spices like rock salt, saunf and black pepper is grilled over charcoal or wood in skewers. They also make the Full Bakra Sajji or whole lamb version of this delicacy, but for that you need to give 24 hours’ notice.

The huge Afghani naans are other favorites of mine with the kababs or curry. The naans are oval shaped with some seasoning on top, and are surprisingly soft.  You see many customers just buying this naan from their takeaway section. However the naans need to be consumed fast, or it tends to turn quite stiff. The naan here is served with a rajma gravy which tastes rather nice.

Afghan Seekh Kababs

The Afghani Seekh is soft and succulent and they are prepared with little oil and spices. The earthy flavour of mutton in the kabab is appreciated by hardcore non-veggies. Chicken and Mutton Chopan Kababs, which have even lesser spices, are also available. A special mention needs to be made of the green chutney served with the kababs.

Kabuli Naan

One of the signature dishes of Afghan cuisine, Kabuli Pulao has a sweet taste with dry fruit and raisins in it. Some food lovers may not like the sweet rice in the beginning, but as you dig into it slowly, you start appreciating the different taste.  Among the curries they serve, Chicken Afghani has a different taste with a cashew based gravy – though it may taste very bland to the Hyderabadi palate.

Another place which has started serving Afghan food recently is Al-Rabea Al Arabia restaurant at Mehdipatnam. The restaurant is spread over three floors – the ground floor serves Afghani food.
They serve both Mutton and Chicken Chopan Kababs, as well as some brilliant Afghan curries. The recipe is from Chopans or shepherds in Afghanistan, who used to grill meat over fire in skewers after rubbing with salt and very little spices. The meat pieces are extremely tender, though a little bit salty.

Afghani Chicken with Naan

The Fish Fry with boneless pieces of fish, is marinated in a yoghurt based masala and fried.  The presentation is contemporary and topped with cheese. Uzbeki Pulao a fragrant pulao with dry fruits, carrots and raisins, comes with a medium sized succulent piece of mutton, well cooked and coming off the bone smoothly.

Fish Fry

Another specialty here is Afghani Rosh, a stew of mutton which is slow cooked with potato, tomato and other vegetables. The Rosh is slow cooked over a few hours and can be enjoyed with both naans and rice. Vegetarians can try out the Afghani Lubia.

Apart from Afghani, delicacies from other countries in West Asia are also available. I liked a vegetarian dish which they offer for breakfast – Fuul (Fava bean) with Tameez (Arabic bread). Supposedly a dish from West Asia, the bean preparation was delectable. I would rate it equivalent to Alpha’s Kheema Roti combo for veggies. They also have Yemeni Laham Mandi and a West Asian banana-based dessert called Masoob which we love.

Yemeni Laham Mandhi

Afghani food in general is flavorful and mild. The meat is well cooked to make it easily come of the bones, and the oil used in the food is very little. It is a different zaika, so people who are conservative about their food choices may be disappointed. However if you have a penchant for trying out new cuisines, these restaurants are must visits.

Address

Kabul Darbar
Opp HP Petrol Pump
Lakdi-Ka-Pool
Hyderabad
Telephone 9640144560

Al-Rabea Al Arabia Restaurant
Lane next to Kulsum Showroom
Near Pillar 37, Mehdipatnam
Hyderabad
Telephone 69991345

Also Read: Arabic Cuisine in Hyderabad

Disclaimer: Some of the items reviewed were part of tasting sessions organized by the restaurants. However the opinions expressed in the post are honest and unbiased.

Read More

Kashmiri Pandit Cuisine with Chef Suman Kaul at ITC Kakatiya

Whereas the Kashmiri Wazwan or the traditional feast from the Kashmir Valley have become popular in the major metros in recent times, nothing much is known about Pandit cuisine – the food of the Brahmins from  Kashmir. As we are aware from the press, the pandits have gone through a lot of hardship in the valley, leading to their eviction into Jammu, Delhi and other parts of India. Last time I went to Kashmir valley I was told that some pandits still live in refugee relief camps in their own country.

Nainey Yakhni

Pandit cuisine from Kashmir has influences from Persian as well as Mughlai food, and is quite different from the food served in the Muslim households in the valley. Kashmiri Pandits are one of the few Brahmin communities in India who are non-vegetarians – others being Bengali and Goan Brahmins. However they mostly stick to lamb and fish. The most well-known dish from the pandit stable is their version of Rogan Josh – lamb cooked in a spicy gravy. Their cuisine mostly does not use any onion or garlic and depends on the flavours of the main spices such as fennel seeds, Kashmiri chillies, saffron and asfoetida. In absence of onions, hung curd often provides the base for the curries.

Green Apple Fritters

Kashmiri Chef Suman Kaul from ITC Maurya is a person with a mission to popularize this cuisine. She has been organizing Koshur Saal – a festival of Kashmiri Pandit cuisine – all over India. Chef Kaul has lived in Hyderabad for a significant amount of time, and is glad to be back hosting the Kashmiri Pandit food promo at Deccan Pavilion.

Kabargah

I met Chef Kaul and her husband Mr. S J Kaul, who are both extremely knowledgeable and passionate about both the cuisines of Kashmir. Her creations were part of the popular buffet and quite a few Kashmiri dishes were on display. To start with, there was appetizing Green Apple Fritters, slices of green apple coated with batter and fried. More than the starter I enjoyed a very different tasting dip which was served with it, which had walnuts and pudina in it.

Kabargah, lamb ribs cooked in milk and saffron and then fried in ghee, was simply delicious. The meat after hours of marination in milk and spices had become very soft and had a unique flavour. If I had to pick one dish from the entire buffet, this will be it.

Kashmiri Dum Aloo

The main courses started with the famous Kashmiri Dum Aloo. Lot of care is taken in preparation of this dish. The potatoes are individually chosen and poked with a toothpick so that the spices are absorbed by the potatoes. The masala having flavours of elaichi, black pepper and saunf was thick and sticking to the potato, and permeating the outer layers to provide a delicious taste.

Nainey Yakhni or Mutton in a yellowish curd based gravy was another highlight of the evening.  The running gravy was light and had strong flavours of saunf and hing. Chef Kaul told us that many of the gravies in Kashmiri cuisine are made suitable for steamed rice, which is the local preference.

Ruwangan Kukkur

Ruwangan or dried tomatoes are also an important ingredient in this cuisine. On the day we had Ruwangan Kukkur (chicken) in the menu. Here the gravy was a little thicker and tangy, and were well paired with the rotis served along with them.

Kasher Gaad was fish cooked in a spicy gravy. In Kashmir, two main fishes which are available are rohu and trout. Whereas trout is generally suitable for tawa fried or grilled, rohu is often the fish of choice for the curries.

Haak

I had been exposed to Haak or the delectable leafy vegetables of Kashmir during my stay in houseboats on Dal Lake. The soupy, hing flavoured preparation of haak here was ideal with steamed rice. I was told that there are many varieties of Haak which are available in different seasons, and it is the staple food of the Kashmiris just like the North Indians have their rice and daal.

One other vegetarian dish was really soul food – known as Gucchi Var, it was a delightful combination of rice with the Kashmiri Morel mushrooms. The flavours of the simple masala used here made me go for a second helping. Chef Kaul told us that she had carried with her quite a few spices for the festival.

Shufta

The desserts in the buffet were unique. The dish of the day was Shufta – dry fruits simmered in honey with a hint of zaffran. Mr Kaul told me that this is a recipe which is getting lost over time and many contemporary Kashmiri pandits are not aware of this dish. This was perhaps the first heavy dish in the Kashmiri part of the buffet. Rice based Kashmiri Phirni brought us to the end of the meal.

Mr. and Mrs Kaul

Almost all the items on the menu were very light, and you come out with a feeling that you have eaten authentic home food. Mr. Kaul, who was sitting opposite me passionately explained each and every dish in detail to me, which was a real treat. The promotion gives us a unique opportunity to try out a niche cuisine.  There are hardly any restaurants serving the Pandit cuisine anywhere in India, so as a food enthusiast I will not miss this one. As with other promotions at Deccan Pavilion, the Indian items on the buffet are replaced by the Kashmiri delicacies. The festival is on till 13th December and is priced around Rs 1700 (all inclusive).

Address:
Deccan Pavilion
ITC Kakatiya
Begumpet
Hyderabad
Telephone: 23400132

Also see: Kashmiri Wazwan at Taj Krishna

Disclaimer: The review is based on an invite by the restaurant. However the opinion expressed in the post are honest and unbiased.

Read More