GLUTTONY @ MOSTLY GRILLS, THE ORCHID HOTEL, MUMBAI

The mere mention of kebabs has me salivating. So, when I read about the ROYAL KEBAB TRAIL taking place till 17th April, 2016 at Mostly Grills, the rooftop barbecue restaurant at The Orchid Hotel, I could not resist the temptation of exploring it. I landed up with my foodie friends at the restaurant only to be welcomed by a site that resembled a scene straight out of the famous Mughal-e-Azam movie. The place was done up like an emperor’s court in the Mughal era with the staff adorning attire of the period.

We quickly settled at our table and were filled in on the festival details, which is now in its second year. Chef Shadaab, who hails from Lucknow has curated the special menu for this food festival. This food trail entails kebab recipes from the gastronomy of erstwhile kingdoms of Awadh (Lucknow) and other regions once ruled by the Nawabs and the Nizams. The festival also includes offerings like delicious saalan (gravies), breads and biryani from the glorious past of these lands. Certain ingredients have been sourced from these regions to recreate flavors of this gastronomy in Mumbai.
Here is a glimpse of my gluttony at this food festival:

Dilkash Shuruwaat (Appetizers):
Since the hotel is an ecotel, the kebabs are prepared using ecofriendly charcoal that does not let out a lot of smoke into the air. I did not know of the existence of such a variety of charcoal until I attended this food festival. Also, the hotel ensured there were separate charcoal fired grills for the vegetarian and the non-vegetarian kebabs.
I relished the following kebabs to the fullest:
Mansahari (Non-Vegetarian)

• GALAWTI KEBAB:  This was a lip-smacking mutton kebab comprising of finely minced mutton. The meat was laced with spices and cooked to attain a silky smooth texture that ensured the kebabs just melted in the mouth.
• MURGH DOODHIYA: This was a delectable chicken kebab. A marination of yoghurt, cheese, cream, elaichi (green cardamom) powder and green chillies went on to give the chicken a beautiful flavor. A dusting of dried fenugreek leaves added a further layer of flavor to the succulent pieces of chicken.
• MURGH TIKKA: This too was a tasty chicken kebab. Here the marination for the chicken comprised of yoghurt, garlic, green and red chillies and fresh coriander. The chicken was juicy and the marination had made it piquant.

Shakahari (Vegetarian)

• SHURKH PANEER TIKKA: This consisted of cottage cheese cubes stuffed with mashed potato. The filling of potatoes was sweet and contrasted well with the cottage cheese that was flavored with star anise and other spices.
• MEVE MAVE KA KHASS SEEKH: These were again cottage cheese kebabs. However, the cheese was mashed and mixed with condensed milk, saffron, dry fruits and then skewered. This preparation was on a sweeter side.

The kebabs were served with four different dips as under:

• Banana Tamarind (deep red in color in the image) – This was the most delicious dip. The tamarind imparted a sour flavor while the banana brought a lovely sweetness to it.
• Garlic Tomato – This was a spicy dip.  Garlic and tomato were pureed together along with chillies to arrive at this dip.
• Sesame Yoghurt – This was a very unusual combination but yet was delicious.
• Mint chutney – This was a typical blend of fresh mint and coriander leaves.

ROTIYAN (Bread):
Two very different breads were served with the main course. These were Sheermal & Khamiri Roti. Sheermal had a flaky texture, a sublime sweet flavor and was served laced with ghee. This was one of the best breads I have had in my culinary journey so far. Merely a bite of this bread transposed me into a state of bliss that words cannot explain.  Khamiri Roti on the other hand had a nice fluffy texture owing to the use of yeast in the preparation.

KHAAS-E-KHAAS (Main Course):
The menu aptly termed the main course khaas-e-khaas which means special as it boasted of some lip-smacking dishes. Here is a look at the three very different and delicious gravies we indulged in:

• SHAHI NIHARI: This was the most delicious preparation in the main course. Lamb shanks were simmered throughout the night in a gravy that had a restrained and not brazen amount of garam masala. This cooking protocol ensured that the meat was falling off the bone yet was moist. The juices from the lamb mingled with the spices in the gravy to give a very lovely, earthy flavor to the dish.
  
• DUM KA MURGH: This was a thick, yoghurt based gravy comprising of boneless chicken chunks. A nutty flavor was introduced in the gravy by way of almond and cashew nut paste. The use of barista (golden fried onions) brought a hint of sweetness to the gravy. The dum style of making the dish ensured that the chicken was soaked with flavors of all the ingredients as it cooked over low heat for a prolonged duration.
• PANEER LAZZATDAR: This was a typical tomato based gravy consisting of Paneer (cottage cheese) cubes.

MEETHA (Dessert):
The desserts course provided a majestic conclusion to the aforementioned royal meal:

• SHAHI FALOODA: Instead of regular milk, condensed milk was used for the preparation of this chilled dessert. This slight deviation from the usual recipe went on to make the sweet a rich and creamy delight. Other components that lent their unique textures and flavors to the dish included – saffron syrup, chia seeds, fruit drops, vermicelli, dried fruits & nuts.
• KHUBANI KA MEETHA: This comprised of apricots that had been poached in sugar and cardamom to arrive at a delicate, gooey texture. Sweet and tart at the same time, this dessert was simple yet delicious.
• SHEER KURMA: This is actually a sweet delight served on the festival of Eid-ul-Fitr. The dessert consisted of milk mixed with generous amounts of vermicelli. The use of saffron gave it a lovely yellow hue. A nice crunch was incorporated through addition of dried fruits. The sweetness was subtle and each ingredient stood out beautifully.

Do experience this Royal Kebab Trail and let me know of your experience.

Here is information regarding the festival that will come to your aid
Venue: Mostly Grills, The Orchid, near domestic airport, vile parle (east)
Date:  April 5 to April 17
Pricing: As per the menu
Time: 7.30 pm to 11.45 pm
Contact Number: 022 26164040

(Note: These are images from a special bloggers table night so actual portion sizes may vary.)