DUBAI Your reason to dine at Rasoi in Coral Deira shouldn’t be just a good authentic North Indian meal. It should, in fact, be all that complemented by some lilting live Indian music on the side for a beautiful dining experience overall.
We got a whiff of that as soon as we settled down with our glasses of traditional sweet and salted lassi (Dh14) and jaljeera (Dh10). Mehboob Ali, the in-house singer from Hyderabad, India, made us feel snug and welcome with his warm voice. The classically trained performer from the Lucknow Gharana (style) of Hindustani music sang with élan anything on request – from Bollywood numbers to ghazals to songs in Telugu, Malayalam and even Arabic.
Dubai has no shortage of live performers in clubs and restaurants, but Ali’s voice told that we were listening to someone different – a man who had won reality shows on Indian television and done playback singing in the Indian film industry.
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Still awestruck by his immaculate renditions of some popular Hindi songs, we however got down to business.
Rasoi served a host of soups and appetisers including Shorba Tamater or Tomato Soup (Dh15) and kebabs. They also do various snack items from Aloo Tikkis (Dh15) to Papdi Chaats (Dh15).
We however went straight to the main course.
The Khasta Roti (Dh7) or literally ‘crisp bread’ needs a special mention. Thin and flaky yet soft, it’s absolutely oil free and tastes like a biscuit straight out of the oven. That of course was part of an exquisite looking Indian bread basket (Dh28), replete with all the usual favourites, from Naans to Kulchas.
Indian breads go best with thick gravy items and we had plenty of them – vegetarian options (Dh28) Palak Paneer and Subz Miloni and non-vegetarian dishes in Dum Gosht Awadi (Dh42) and Murgh Makhani (Dh40). Palak Paneer or homemade fresh cottage cheese prepared in a thick gravy of spinach sautéed with onions and spices was rich in taste.
As was Subz Miloni or Seasonal Vegetables simmered in a buttery brown gravy. While Dum Gosht or cubes of mutton slow cooked in a delectable saffron gravy bore the hallmark of Awadi style, the butter chicken – chicken kebabs tossed in a rich cashew nut gravy served with slivered ginger and a swirl of cream – tasted every bit the true North Indian delicacy.
One dish that also gets a special thumbs-up is Rasoi’s Dal Makhani (Dh30). The Indian style lentil cooked in oodles of butter. How’s it cooked? “It’s a Rasoi special and a secret recipe,” smirks Aleem Ahmad, the restaurant manager from New Delhi.
Biryanis are a speciality in this quaintly decorated restaurant as well and we settled for the classical Dum Murgh Biryani (Dh42). The special saffron flavoured basmati rice cooked with tender chicken pieces in low heat to get all flavours from the herbs was a delicacy. Not overtly spicy, not very bland – it tasted just perfect for first-timers’ Hyderabadi biryani.
We finally drew the evening to a close with some G-Jams or Gulab Jamuns (Dh20). The pistachios in milk dumplings fried in ghee and dipped in a hot sugar syrup made it a truly sweet ending.
Details
Meal for two: Dh300
Location: Coral Deira Hotel, Al Muraqqabat Road
Dinner: 7pm to midnight
Call: 04-2128265
We recommend: Khasta Roti, Dal Makhani, Dum Murgh Biryani, Dum Gosht Awadhi
