Whether it’s a bite of a spicy Pardha Adraki Murgh or a mouthful of Karachi beef biriyani, with meat and rice cooked to perfection, or a sip of chilled lassi, each dish on the menu of the ongoing ‘Frontier flavour’ food festival at the Garden Grille restaurant, Hilton Garden Inn, is bound to set your taste buds in overdrive.
We kickstart the evening with a glass of, aptly named, Sandal ka Sarbat. This cool, sandalwood flavoured mocktail is light and refreshing. A plate of Murg Malai Tikka follows. Marinated in yoghurt, malai, spices and baked in a Tandoor, the tender chicken pieces go well with mint chutney.
Sheermals and more
The main course starts with Sheermal. It’s a saffron-flavoured flatbread with Iranian origins and is a perfect accompaniment to a range of side-dishes, from the spicy Gosht Keema Kaleji to the sweet and spicy Murgh Pasanda Wajid Ali Shah, an interesting dish with boneless chicken breast pieces stuffed with cheese in a thick, aromatic cashew and onion-based gravy. “The flavours of the Northwest are influenced by various cuisines such as Mughalai, Iranian, Persian and Pakistani. Meat in most of the dishes is cooked till it is tender and succulent without making it too spicy,” says Gopinath V., sous chef. After munching on buttery-sweet chicken breast with soft Sheermal, I dig into sparingly-spiced Karachi Beef biriyani and Kabuli Vegetable biriyani. The beef has been cooked well and is a treat to have with the flavoured rice and raita.
The assortment of pickles and dry chutneys are another highlight of the feast. Stored and beautifully arranged in mud vessels at one end of the kebab counter, dry and tangy chicken, beef, fish dry chutneys go best with the biriyanis.
Among the desserts, first up is the trio of kesar rasagulla, moong dal halwa and milk peda. To make things a bit sweeter, it’s followed by Aam ka raas. We top off the evening with a plate of pipping hot stuffed malpua, a cardamom-flavoured North Indian pancake stuffed with malai and fried in ghee.
The festival, priced at Rs 1,199 plus taxes per person, is on till August 20 and is part of the dinner buffet from 7 pm to 11 pm. Contact: 0471-6600007 or 8111886844
