Touchstone parade

Biryani is a funny thing. When I think about it, I can name several distinct types; ranging from a subtle Hyderabadi to a fiery Andhra-style.

There are thousands of finer variations, since most Indian restaurants offer a different, valid, take on the dish.

But even so, when hearing of a Biryani festival, the first reaction is, "How many kinds can you have?"

The trouble is, Biryanis are such fragrant, complex beasts (they are often used as the touchstone of an Indian chef's skill) that it seems inconceivable to have a raft of varieties served at one place.

Asha's offers 13 kinds of Biryani at its ongoing festival.

It must be a formidable job to achieve this fine balance over a list that has eight non-vegetarian and five vegetarian items. We sampled only two, but - if representative - the chef has achieved the culinary equivalent of juggling flaming torches.

Well ordered

We'd ordered well because neither of us liked each other's Biryanis, but loved our own.

I had chosen the Shaan E Chooza (spring-chicken breast stuffed with chicken mince and dry fruits cooked with Basmati rice).

Overall this was a tender, loving dish redolent with saffron - the reason I loved it, and the reason my dining partner strayed only once from her own plate.  

She had chosen the Mutton Kofta Biryani (soft meatballs flavoured with spices and cooked with aromatic Biryani rice).

 I wished the koftas were softer and spices toned down more, but she disagreed with every bite.
 
Plenty of choices 

Other choices offer something for everybody. There are Biryanis of jumbo prawn, hammour, quail and lamb.

And if the phrase "vegetable Biryani" is not oxymoronic to you, the vegetarian section features Aloo Matar Gobi ki Tehari (a Marwari dish with potatoes, cauliflower and peas flavoured with whole spices), Arvi ke Biryani (cola cassia) and Jimikand Biryani (yam).

Apart from being good for the gentle eaters, a vegetable Biryani is an excellent choice as a rice accompaniment when there's a surfeit of meat dishes on the table.
 
Proud

As we waited for the food, my dining partner looked around at the chic décor and beautiful employees and said, "This place makes me proud."

Being from India, she loved the fact that Asha?s is Indian without ever turning to that long list of Indian-restaurant clichés.

This extends to the menu, most notably our opening dish of Murg Tikka Chat.

Chicken tikka is tandoori cooking's best-known child. Chaat refers to a range of tangy vegetarian snacks from the north of India, usually served cold.

Yoking these dissimilar concepts together is a task worthy of a poet: chilling the chicken tikka and chopping it roughly just before tossing it with spices is inspired, because it does wonderful things to the texture of the chicken.
 
Cold comfort

Hema, our high-energy waitress, made the evening a delight with her banter and gently persuasive suggestions.

Sadly, she was let down by the kitchen for her final suggestion.

I was far too full for dessert, but Hema persuaded me to try something light - a mango kulfi perhaps? The kulfi was powdery, almost chalky - a long way from the creamy texture of a proper Indian ice cream.

My dining partner tried the Gajar ka Halwa (a sweet dish made from grated carrots and thickened milk) and pronounced it one of the best she's had.

Worth a visit

The large portions of Biryani ensured we could carry away a box and continue our investigations at leisure the following day. Our findings insist that you visit Asha's this month to catch the festival before it ends (on April 30).

CHECKLIST

GETTING THERE Pyramids, Wafi City, Dubai.
OPEN  12.30-3pm; 7pm-midnight.
DÉCOR Contemporary chic
SEATING 172 (including 50 on the terrace)
DRESS CODE Smart casual
RECOMMENDED Murg Tikka Chat, Shaan E Chooza & Mutton Kofta Biryani
WEBSITE www.ashasrest   aurants.com