Dubai: One thing that has come to define Hyderabad – an erstwhile Indian princely state founded by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah in 1591 and ruled by the house of Nizams over the years since - is its rich ‘royal’ cuisine. You could taste it over the next week or so at Antique Bazaar, the Indian speciality restaurant in Four Points by Sheraton, Bur Dubai, at their ongoing Hyderabadi Food Festival.
I started my outing there with a Tootak (Dh40) – a scrumptious semolina dough batter with a rich cottage cheese and potato filling, deep fried and Jhinga Til Tinka (Dh68), a wonder platter of spicy shrimps marinated with lemon juice, caraway seeds and a hint of black salt and ginger-garlic. Prawns don’t feature high up on my list of favourites but I loved digging into the crisp white sesame coated batter deep-fried to crunchy perfection. The meat – soft and delightfully fresh – was an added bonus.
First of the mains to arrive was a Baghara Baingan (Dh45), made of eggplant cooked in rich spices and flavoured with coconut and tamarind. The curry tasted great but the surprise was their yellow Khatti Dal (Dh40), or lentils garnished with cumin, mustard seeds and curry leaves and scented with raw mangoes.
It only got better with a Murgh (chicken) Shahi Korma (Dh64) and the classic Nargisi Kofta (Dh70). The chicken, cooked in a rich almond and cashew nut gravy with home ground spices, was thick, white and had a surreal saffron essence to fall for. The Kofta made of spiced mutton mince coated over hardboiled eggs (like in Scotch Eggs) was cooked in a similar rich almond-yogurt gravy but tasted tangier for its tomato base flavoured with fresh mint. Taste them with slices of their special breads - Sheermal (Dh16) and Bakarkhani (Dh14) and you will know why the Nizams loved their food!
Do also try their Pakki Aqni Gosht Biryani (Dh74) for the best fragrant mixture of marinated meat, spices, rice and nuts, cooked in a dough sealed handi.
Details:
Meal for Two: Dh300 (approximately)
Location: Four Points by Sheraton, Bur Dubai
Bookings: 04-397 7444
When: until April 25; 12pm to 3pm; 7.30pm to 2.30am
Our Recommendation: Jhinga Til Tinka, Murgh Shahi Korma, Nargisi Kofta, Pakki Aqni Gosht Biryani
