The weather called for fish tikkas, if you know what I mean. It was cold and crisp and we wanted something that would warm the body and soul, without unnecessarily cluttering up the gullet. So we ruled out thick and masala-wallah gravies and heavy rice dishes. Instead, we thought we’d have fish tikkas.
The idea came from a Whatsapp message that I had just received. Four pieces of surmai tandoori tikkas for Rs. 380, said the message from Zara Bar-Be-Que Awadhi Handi Cuisine. So, of course, I called up Zara and placed an order for the fish tikkas – along with some other dishes.
But before I move on to that, let me remind you about Zara. I had been introduced to Zara a few years ago by a young foodie friend. This is on the lane behind Oxford Apartments. The road in front of Deshbandhu Apartments will take you right there.
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Zara is run by the Qureshi family. The patriarch, Bade Mian Aijaz Ahmed, trained under ITC’s reputed Chef Qureshi. Bade Mian came with the senior chef from Lucknow and was in the team that opened Dum Pukht at the Maurya. His sons – including Mannan and Javed – take care of the kitchen, which is an open one on the side. The eatery-cum-takeaway is now open for lunch (12 noon to 3 p.m.) and dinner (5 p.m. to 11p.m.).
What makes the eatery special is its handi cuisine – food that is garnished, heated and then served in handis. I like the look of handis and tend to believe that food tastes better when served in these earthenware vessels. They have various kinds of dishes on the menu, including mutton biryani (Rs.180 for a quarter plate; Rs. 360 for a half plate), murgh handi korma (Rs. 300 for half), murgh nihari (Rs. 300 for half), mutton handi korma (Rs. 360) and mutton bhuna handi (Rs. 360). They also have murgh vindaloo and murgh Madras – but I haven’t ventured there yet.
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I asked for the fish tikkas and, since I was in the mood for some peppery fare, their murgh handi kali mirch (Rs. 360). They didn’t have the pepper chicken, so I settled for murgh saagwallah (Rs.150 for a quarter plate). I ordered a plate of chicken garlic tikka (Rs. 180), lachcha parathas (Rs. 25) and butter naan (Rs. 20). Chef Mannan has become a friend, so he brought along a handi of Dal Zara and mutton biryani.
The dal had been well cooked and had a smoky taste to it, which went well with the parathas. The biryani was eaten the next day by friends who said it was excellent – the rice was light and the soft lamb cuts were well spiced. The garlic chicken kababs were disappointing, because they were a bit too hard. But I loved the fish tikkas, which were warm, soft and moist and had been grilled with just the right amount of spices.
Also delicious was the murgh saagwallah. The saag was creamy and the chicken was juicy. I think a generous dollop of cream had gone into the saag chicken, but I didn’t really mind that.
It was a nice meal – with dishes that had been cooked with the right kind and amount of spices. And, as always, the handis added to the taste. I didn’t order a sweet dish from Zara (they have phirni and gulab jamun, for Rs. 60), so I ended my meal with a steamed sandesh that had come from Kamala Sweets in Chittaranjan Park. What more could one have asked for?
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