During my travels, my conversations usually get driven towards a discussion on food. While my interest lies in whatever is the local food in the place i am in, theirs is about Indian Food. Its funny when i tell them “there is no Indian food’.
As diverse as our wonderful country is, it poses a challenge to those seeking Indian food where the food changes with pretty much every state, sometimes even within the state. If one wants to eat all the Indian food, one needs to travel extensively all over India which poses a problem for someone like me who is employed and gets only limited time off. One can of course visit the various state bhawans but the food and the experience can vary. Sadly regional cuisine is not very well represented even in a city like Delhi, let alone internationally.
It is thanks to people like Sanjay Raina who bring the experience of another state to us, in this case, Jammu & Kashmir. Kashmiri food was not something i was very familiar with and I had been looking forward to attending an event of Mealability. On the 26th of August i was able to attend a curated event organised at the Stately Suites in Gurgaon. Mealability mixes in the 2 broad styles of Pandit and Muslim food so one can try both. Most Kashmiri restaurants usually stick to one style.
A disclaimer here: I am no authority on Kashmiri food and i never comment on authenticity, i just write about my experience.
The event was a pre-plated 7 course dinner that had a mix of meat and vegetable dishes on every plate. This kind of dining ensured people try everything, else in a buffet people would migrate towards the few items they would like to eat and not even try the others. Food from different places can also include items that are of an acquired taste and not for everyone, that doesn’t mean the item is bad, its just not for me.
Sanjay’s passion to ensure we had a great experience was very evident and with a lot of energy he went about explaining what we were about to eat. There was also some music and visuals of the food projected up on a wall. In between the food servings we had a hot pot of kahva and a plate of breads which was sitting like a step child so i showed it a little love and did take a couple of small pieces.
The first plate arrived with Tabakmaaz, Seekh Kabab Kanti and Nadru Kabab and Nadru Churma. Also on the plate were Akhrot (Walnut) ki chutney and Pyaz (Onion) ki chutney. My favourite on this plate was the Tabakmaaz, soft and delicious. Didn’t really like the Nadru Kabab much, i thought it was dry and fibrous which i was told is how it is, like i mentioned earlier some things are an acquired taste. The Nadru Churma on the other had was quite crunchy and enjoyable like chips.
Next plate had the Lal Chicken, Mutton Kaliya, Nadru Yakhni, Dum Aloo and some rice along with Pudina (Mint) chutney. Everything on this plate was delicious with the Mutton Kaliya standing out. Its usually the food that is simple which tastes the best but its the most difficult to perfect, just like this Mutton Kaliya. A surprise was the Nadru Yakhni which i would have totally avoided in a buffet but i tried it and liked it. The pre-plating ensured that carnivores like me also eat their vegetables.
The third plate had Chicken Yakhni, Rista, Khatte Baingan, Palak ka Saag along with rice and Mooli (Radish) ki chutney. All the items on this plate were very good with the exception of the Baingan which i don’t really like but i was a good boy and i tried it. The portions were just right and we got enough of everything through the different courses.
The final plate has the Mutton Roganjosh, Tomato Paneer, Bhadarwahi Rajma and Goshtaba along with rice ( i could now see why bread is a step child in Kashmiri cuisine) and Mirchi ki Chutney. The Goshtaba was my favourite item on this plate followed by the Roganjosh.
The dessert course came next with the Madur Pulao which was a saffron flavoured sweet rice filled with nuts and spice. I though Sanjay had saved the best for last (which he did confirm later) and out came the Saffron Phirni. The Phirni was outstanding and i can see why its his favourite.
The overall experience was great, the food was delicious and the company added to the experience. Already had some friends when i went there, came back with a few more :).
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