The history of the kebab traces back to myriads of Asian cuisines. The word kebab means ‘to roast’. The term can also be referred to as a meat patty mixed with spices.
In Asian countries, kebabs are served mostly with rice and salad, however in India it is now served in different forms with bread as well.
Kebabs are considered to have originated in Turkey when soldiers used to grill chunks of freshly hunted animals skewed on swords on open field fires. To revive the craze that people have had about kebabs in India, Radisson Blu Paschim Vihar has introduced the festival to celebrate the legacy of kebabs in “Dawat-e-Kebab” festival at Indyaki.
Food Talks
We started of with the effervescent Galouti Kebab which was an explosion of flavors, meat and spices combining well and melting in your mouth. Murg Malai tikka was well spiced and had a smokiness to it.
Macchi tawa se had a great mixture of spices and the tenderness of fish.
Vegetarian starters consisted of Subz ka seekh, which to my surprise was not dry. It was not over battered with cornflour and had a great flavor attached to it. Bhune Ratan ka panner didn’t live upto my expectations. It was soft and tender but not evenly cooked and the overuse of Jeera and some other spices was in excess.
For the mains, we tried the Dum ka Murgh. Chicken was well cooked using the slow cooking method. The spices used in it complimented the taste buds. Paneer Tikka Masala had paneer cubes grilled to perfection in a sweet and bit spicy gravy. The dish was delicious in every bite and the smokiness of paneer added well to the overall texture of the dish.
Mutton biryani was resembling the Hyderabadi style of cooking biryani. Raw mutton pieces cooked in a dum along with basmati rice. The combination of turmeric powder, saffron, cumin, cardamom and red chili powder was well balanced and above all was the nutty flavor of cashew nuts and crunchiness provided by golden fried onions.
Dal Indyaki was a well balanced take on dal makhani. It was creamy and loaded with butter and had smokiness developed due to the cooking method. Relish it with a garlic naan. Dal Rajasthani was undoubtedly the main highlight of the evening for me. It was made up of 5 different varieties of lentils and had a sense of homemade dal with it.
The desserts had a great Desi touch to it. Paan kulfi had a refreshing element thanks to the gulkand in it. Cheena Payesh resembled the one which is straight away served from grandmother’s recipe book. It is just a great combination of North meeting with the South. Chenna’s milky taste blended well with the South Indian sugary syurp.
In a nutshell, the festival has a lot to offer to it’s patrons. Our evening was tremendously well spent by tasting great kebabs.
Quick notes :
Dawat – E – Kebab at Indayki , Radisson Blu, Paschim Vihar
Veg Menu : @1049/- Rs
Non veg Menu : @1249/- Rs
Festival Duration : 4th September 2015 – 27th September 2015
