Craving juicy kebabs, lip-smacking biryani and mouth-watering sweets? Head to Jashn to satiate yourself. Jashn, (opposite M.S. Ramaiah Hospital) a pure Nizami restaurant, promises to melt the hearts of the most hardcore food critics.
Launched last year by two young entrepreneurs V. Shiva Reddy and Shivaram Krishna, the restaurant offers authentic Nizami dishes, including kheema biryani, Shikampuri kebab, Haleem and Paya curry. “We realised that there were very few restaurants in the city that offered authentic Nizami food in a fine-dining setting. We chose chefs from Hyderabad and brought them to the city. The interiors were also designed specifically to mirror the opulent style of Nizams and the aristocrats of that era,” Shiva Reddy says.
Nizami cuisine is different from the other Mughlai styles, he explains. While Afghani cuisine is very dry, Kashmiri and Lucknowi cuisine are more sweet-based as lots of dry fruits are used. In contrast, Nizami (or Hyderabadi) cuisine is tomato-based and lots of spices are used. “Nizami cuisine is rich only in flavour and not calories.” And to substantiate his claim, he promises that you will not need soap to clean your hands after this meal.
He suggests we try the Tandoori Pomfret (whole pomfret marinated with Indian spices and cooked in a tandoor) and paneer tikka (cubes of paneer marinated with Indian spices and cooked in a tandoor). The fish is delightfully succulent and fresh, without being overpowered by the spices, while the paneer is just as soft and juicy.
We then try the specially ordered Rann-e-Murgh (chicken leg pieces cooked in a spicy gravy) and Methi Torai (ridge gourd cooked with cumin and fresh herbs) along with rotis, both of which are light and spicy.
Shiva Reddy says the meal is not complete without the Dum Ka Murgh biryani (saffron-flavoured dum, cooked with Basmati rice). He is right. Unlike the other biryanis on offer at the various Andhra-style restaurants, the Dum biryani is neither oily nor too spicy. The restaurant also serves wine. Red wine, he says, complements Nizami cuisine really well.
To finish off the splendid meal, he suggests we try Double ka Meetha (fried bread slices dipped in sugar syrup and served with condensed milk and candied fruit) and Kubani ka Meetha (an apricot-based sweet served with whipped cream). True to his earlier claim, we did not require soap to wash our hands.
The vegetarian buffet is priced at Rs. 225 plus tax, while the non-vegetarian buffet is Rs. 255 plus tax. A meal for two (without wine) will cost around Rs. 700. Call 9742929292.
