Swissotel is starting off their unlimited biryani and kabab festival from the 14th to the 24th of January, 2016 and I had a rather lovely time the other day sampling some of their food on offer. They have a range of vegetarian and non-vegetarian kababs in the menu, and as per Chef Pranay, a considerable amount of it was inspired by the Mughal cuisine, and therefore, there was a strong emphasis on the vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian Kababs.
But, to begin, a bowl of tomato and apple soup was brought – tangy, with crisp apple bits floating on top, which, at a glance you would mistake for the croutons which generally accompany tomato soup. Of course, I was quite charmed by this delightful deceit.
Among the vegetarian kebabs, what made me happy was the Subz Shahi Potli, little pouches deep fried to golden goodness, filled with crunchy nuts and vegetables. Although the Rajma ki Galauti was smooth and fragrant, I found it slightly undersalted, but the Makhmali Dahi Ke Kabab made it all better, tangy and buttery soft (I can never really resist Dahi Ke Kabab, its probably one of the things which would prove to be my kryptonite).
Among the non-vegetarian fare, I was spoilt for choices – but the Burrah Balochi was chops of lamb cooked in a tandoor. It was not too tender – you would have to work to get to the meat, but it would be worth it, because the smokiness of the chops mingle rather delicately with the spices. On the other hand, I was quite intrigued by the Bharwan Tangri Kabab, with a stuffing of mushrooms, cheese and spinach inside perfectly tender chicken drumsticks.
I was rather looking forward to the mutton biryani, which proved to be worth its wait – the boneless pieces of mutton tender and juicy. The mutton was cooked sans potatoes, with fragrant basmati rice, and flavoured with rose and kewra water. As a result, it was light, fluffy, and not overwhelming – which I thought was a good thing.
A rather sweet Chukandar ka Halwa (beetroot halva), and Gurer Chhanar Payesh finished the meal, and the payesh was not too sweet, which was a good thing, because the beetroot halva was meant for those who have a sweet tooth. The Unlimited Biryani Kabab Festival will be here for a while, and the set menu, featuring kababs and the biryani along with sweets and soup is priced at 1800/- INR Plus tax for vegetarians, and 2200/- INR Plus tax for non-vegetarians.
Disclaimer: Poorna Banerjee was invited to dine at Swissotel by the management.
