To commemorate Independence Day, Hilton Garden Inn, Saket, has introduced a special ‘Flavours of India’ menu at its multi-cuisine restaurant, India Grill. Hilton Garden Inn, located within the DLF Place Mall, Saket, is a nice place to land up after shopping or a late night movie as it also has a midnight menu. The ongoing food promotion, which ends on August 15, has an extensive range of vegetarian and non-vegetarian delicacies from different parts of the country keeping in mind the diversity of Indian food.
The menu has select dishes from Kashmir, Bengal, Gujarat, Punjab, Goa, Andhra Pradesh besides of course some traditional Mughal food of Delhi.
The restaurant’s Executive Chef Avinash serves me some Rajasthani, Gujarati and Parsi dishes. I start with laganshala, a Parsi soup that comes with some soothingly mild flavours of almonds, tamarind and veggies. Starters are a nice mix of spicy kababs and tikkas. There is maas ke sule, tender chunks of lamb that resemble boti kababs. Mahi banjara, soft and tender fish marinated in coriander and Indian spices, has the perfect spicy Rajasthani flavours. But solid marks should go to the Gujarati makai mirch nu kabab; it comes with a gooey cheese stuffing — finger licking.
The main course is dominated by Rajasthani delicacies. The famed traditional laal maas made in special red chilli brought from the desert State for the festival, is, as usual bright red in colour and super spicy. The meat is very tender, one nudge breaks it away from the bone.
Yet another dish, murgh ka mokul, is less spicy compared to laal maas because a lot of yogurt is used along with saffron to make its gravy.
The meal, says the Chef, is incomplete without the Rajasthani delicacy daal baati. He presents it a bit differently. The baati comes dipped in the daal and desi ghee. Amazing taste. The melting ghee from the baati has an inviting aroma that can linger in your mind for some time.
I finish my sumptuous meal with dawat-e-Hindustan. Named perfectly keeping the Independence Day in mind, it is the typical dessert for the rainy season, ghever sprinkled with kewra and topped with a layer of kalakand.
