Balle Balle feels like the quintesential ‘north Indian’ restaurnt as I polish off the last drop of the buttery gravy of the murgh makhani with a slice of an equally buttery naan.
Giant wheels and warrior shields add a touch of funk to the place. Tables are laid out in the breezy open air space under the shade of a tree decorated with colourful bird cages. Upstairs, there is a banquet hall. Uday Rawal, one of the Mumbai-based managing directors, says they want the space to offer more than just food. “In the weekends, we hold live music, tattoo and magic sessions,” he says. Uday persuades us to try one of their innovations, neembu (lemon) chicken, marinated in a creamy base, served with a tangy Schezwan sauce. It is the best comfort food for a low day. To feel virtuous, we wind up the starters’ fare with fresh Greek salad, topped with feta cheese cubes.
Mutton Bhuna Gosht gravy, a rich cashew gravy with chunky pieces of mutton cooked with onion masala is good accompaniment for the rotis. Awadhi biryani comes with caramalised onions and rich aroma of spices.
Death by chocolate, is sin in a jar. The restaurant offers pastas, continental starters, varieties of Chinese fried rice, noodles, pizzas, etc.
Then it is the turn of Haneefa Restaurant, recently opened by a Tiruppur-based chain. It is helmed by the food-loving gang of Haneefa brothers. The youngest of the lot, Shameem, offers to walk me through the menu of biryanis, mutton, chicken, prawns and fish side dishes. “You feel like you are eating at your home. And, the recipes have been handed down from our grandmother. All of us belong to Palakkad.”
And, that is why there is a distinct Kerala touch to some of the dishes. For instance, the Tiruppur Chicken, one of their highlights, instantly takes me back home to Kerala. Because it has been fried in good old coconut oil, and seasoned with curry leaves. The dum biryani, with tender meat pieces and slow-cooked rice coated in home-ground masalas, is also must try. But, it’s the mutton idikari that is revelation. True to its name, the meat has been pounded into a paste and smells heavenly. And just perfect with rice and curd. For the vegetarians there is a platter with mushroom and cauliflower-based dishes, dosa and idly as well as parotta and chapattis.
“Taste this,” Manzoor, one of the brothers, serves me a scoop of glistening ghee. It is home-made and goes into the biryanis, says Manzoor. “We get it from Modern Dairy Farm in Uthukuli that has been delivering it to us for years. It’s unadulterated,” he says. The coconut oil is sourced from Kerala and the gingelly oil is made in an old-fashioned chakki.
No one can leave the restaurant without tasting the special Haneefa juice, a mint-flavoured drink. There is a heated discussion among the diners in our cubicle about the floating fruity pieces. Manzoor refuses to answer. “Ginger and pineapple?” asks one. “Lemon?” I ask. A friendly wink is all we get.
Balle Balle
267, Alagesan Road, Sai Baba Colony,
Time: 12.30 to 3.30 p.m. and 7.00 to 11.00 p.m.
Contact: 9655312121
Meal for two: Rs.800-1000
Haneefa Restaurant
Near Nava India, Avanashi Road
Time: noon to 11.00 p.m.
Contact: 92444-00022
Meal for two: Rs.500-600
