Grill thrills

I. Singh is all game at a Kebab Festival

Dubai Grand Hotel
Dhaba Restaurant

Kebabs have always been one of my favourite food be it Lebanese, Mediterranean, Iranian or Indian (Mughlai). Easily and quickly available anywhere around the world too.

So we began our loooooong evening of kebab eating at Dubai Grand Hotel in Ghusais where a Kebab Festival is on until March 24. I have to admit it is one of the restaurants my husband and I visit often.

It's  conveniently close to home, it's a nice place to go to with the family and above all, the food is good. (Hubby says you get the best dal makhani in Dubai here.)

Temptations
As we enter, a mix of tempting smells waft towards us. Kebabs are being prepared with a frenzy in the little glass-windowed kitchen.

Chefs in tall caps are busy with seekhs (skewers) laden with different kebabs of chicken, mutton, fish and veggies at the tandoor. In one corner, one chef is busy preparing naans, tandoori rotis and kulchas.

We are shown to our table by a smiling server, who takes our order. Chicken, mutton and veggies, but no fish for us - though chef Sanjay has lined up a wide variety of seafood kebabs. 

Hot rotis off the oven
As we wait for the food to arrive, we enjoy our fresh watermelon juices. I watch as people around us are being served. I catch a chef wheeling a trolley towards the table next to us.

The gentleman occupying it has asked for tawa chappatis or phulkas to accompany his curry. And  he is served hot rotis right from the tawa to his plate. The trolley is a makeshift cooking counter with a gas burner.

Tempting. So I ask our server, if that is included in our kebab meal. Our meal, he informs us, comes with unlimited servings of kebab, bread and dal makhani. Great.

Once we start eating, our plates never cease to be empty. We start with dahi kebab - a kebab made from curd (yes!) and a sweet stuffing of caramelised nuts. I thought the chef had forgotten to add salt, "But that's how it is supposed to be - sour and sweet," chef Sanjay informed us later. Well, all I can say is that it's an acquired taste.

Kebabs galore
The vegetable chop following this was flaky and flavourful. Made from soyabean granules, they tasted much like a mince kebab. Looking at the boti kebab I mistook it to be chicken tikka but one bite was enough to clear all misconceptions.

Mutton cubes marinated in a ginger-garlic paste and vinegar tasted good. The Kalmi kebab, however, was by far the most delicious I've had. These tender golden pieces of chicken thigh marinated in curd and spices gave way to the Anari Aloo. This was outstanding. If you are a chaat person, you'll love this.

Roasted potatoes filled with diced potato, onion, paneer and  topped with pomegranate seeds. Paneer Tikka Kandhari - cottage cheese marinated in pomegranate juice and served with roasted capsicum and onion was very good too.

The best part
But of course, the best part of the meal - the dal. The creamy flavourful lentil preparation tasted great with our phulkas and tandoori rotis.

Hubby wanted seconds after we wiped our dal bowls clean with our phulkas. So, despite being quite full, a second round was ordered, this time with tandoori roti.

While waiting for that to arrive, we sat back, savouring the taste on our palates and sipping our juices.

Meanwhile, Vicky and his bhangra troupe ably entertained us with popular Hindi and Punjabi numbers and ghazals.

And now for the dessert
Chef Sanjay joined us at this point to inquire if we were enjoying the food. Yes, thank you, we chorused. He informed us that during the festival, each day six varieties of kebabs will be served in the four different categories.

Along with the dal and roti, a serving of traditional sweet will also be served. Have we had any of that yet?

NO! I protested immediately, though sweets are my weakness. I can't eat anymore. They tried their best to tempt me. But just this once, I decided to give it a miss. Hubby however yum-med and ooh-ed in my face relishing his hot gulab jamun and cold ice cream.

I smiled. If I was not so full - even to move a finger - he would probably be licking his dessert from all over his face.