Iranian food
is a lot like Indian food with mainly kebabs and rice dishes. The culinary
delights include using a lot of saffron, dry fruits and berries in the dishes.
So when we were invited to Persian Food Festival at Namak- the Indian
Speciality Restaurant at Sahara Star we were looking forward to savour delicacies
from the middle-eastern region.
To ensure
that you get a true experience of Persia, there is soulful Persian music
playing. The lanterns and the décor transport you to Iran. The meal is crafted
by renowned Iranian Chef Mona Nehzad and the festival is curated by Chef Rehman
Mujeebur of Kitchenett-E-Awadh.
We started with
Soup-e-jao was comforting and built
up the appetite for the next course. Vegetables like carrot and potato added to
the flavour of this delightful broth with barley and parsley.
We were
served a veg as well as a non-veg traditional combo with a range of kebabs, on
a bed of flavoured rice. The Kebab Koobedah- traditional lamb seekh kebab mince
marinated with ground black pepper, garlic and saffron was melt in the mouth.
The Joojeh Kebab- chicken tikka marinated with saffron, wine vinegar, onion and
curd was succulent and well done.
My vegetarian friend was wary of accompanying
me since her notion was that there wouldn’t be too many vegetarian options. But
her doubts were put to rest with Zaffran Paneer Kebab- cottage cheese marinated
with saffron, pistachio and olive oil, soft and gooey. But the winner was the
Mavoha Tanur- assorted fruits marinated with sumac powder and grilled to
perfection. The Gharth Tanuri-mushrooms simmered with saffron and ground spices
tasted a lot like the regular tandoori mushrooms. Accompanied with a surprise
of the day beetroot dip and mustard yoghurt dips, which we were having all by
itself.
Iranian food
is mostly dry and the kebabs are paired with rice which is made with saffron
and berries. We were looking forward to the main course with more intricate
flavours of the region known for its rich food and culture. For the main course
we tried the Khoresh Kalal Badam-lamb simmered with almond and black barberry.
But the more interesting dish was the Khoresh Bademjan- chicken with eggplant, tomato
paste, saffron and split chick pea. One of the must try dish is the Dal Homozgan-
never has pigeon pea tendered with dry lemon, tomato and garlic tasted so
divine. The Khuresh Bamiyan –Okra Stew and Paneer Fasenjan are just the right
dishes for strict vegetarians. As my friend remarked “I never thought Iranian
Veg food was so varied as well as tasty.”
The meal
ended with another winner Ghotab-white flour halwa with a generous helping of
dry fruits like almonds, pistachios and berries. The best part about the food
is that it’s flavourful without being overtly spicy.
This
festival is a must visit for those who like a twist of taste and want to enjoy
Persian delicacies.
Persian Food
Festival is on at Namak, Sahara Star Hotel till March 12th
Review By : Jyoti Narang for Foodmaniacs
Compiled by : Vickrham (vicky)
Email: Vickrham.m@Gmail.com