By Odette and Joe Mascarenhas
We happened to get in touch with a chef who we had not seen for many years and like all foodies the topic focused on food.
‘Well Goa has many good food outlets,’ I commented sagely, ‘you name the cuisine we have it.’
‘But one thing I remember from my trip to Delhi is the North West Frontier cuisine,’ Joe remarked, ‘that is the one thing that would be a bonus here.’
Chef Inder, for that was his name, smiled mysteriously and asked us to come over to this hotel, the Fortune Select Regina at Candolim. Now we had seen the elegantly lit façade of this spanking new property and we were intrigued at the thought of visiting it. It was part of the ITC chain of hotels – the Fortune Select brand. I spent the night dreaming of the famous Bukhara restaurant in Delhi. Everyone must have heard of it. It is even listed in Wikipedia: ‘The Bukhara restaurant is designed with stone walls, wooden pillars and cushion-covered stools at mock log-top tables. It has an open display kitchen where meat and vegetables hang from sword like kebab spears. The restaurant serves cuisine from the North-West frontier of Pakistan prepared in a clay ‘tandoor’ oven with a special emphasis on kebabs. In a bid to encourage diners to savour the restaurant’s kebabs with their hands, cutlery is withheld and aprons are provided.’
‘Are you aware that their world famous dal Bukhara is said to be cooked for days to get the perfect taste and consistency.’ I asked Joe as we drove across scenic fields to reach there, ‘celebrities are known to get that stuff packed in bottles and consume it for days after. I heard that Kareena Kapoor does so.’ My better half gives a grunt. He is not interested in what celebrities do. He is looking forward to his own experience.
We enter an elegant foyer and move towards the poolside area where tantalising aromas assail our nostrils. It is the area outside their Orchid restaurant, a classy stylish room. Now this area is where the barbeque is normally held every evening. However, these kebabs could be had in the restaurant too. Attentive staff moved forward to cater to our needs - a chilled cocktail for Joe, condensation on its side, ice tinkling as the straw moves with the breeze.
The accompaniments were put on the table. ‘Dhaba chutney,’ I was informed, a novel idea of coriander base and spicy tomato chutney, and then started the kebab bonanza. I say bonanza because it was raining kebabs.
First the mutton goulati kebab. Now this delectable Awadhi delicacy is something that could have even the Shehenshahs of yore begging for more. Soft and melting the flavour oozes into the senses. ‘Who is behind this creation,’ I managed finally, and we were just on the first preparation of the evening. Inder smiled as he remarked that the two chefs Sandeep Kumar and Hafeez Ahmad Qureshi had worked in Kebab Factory and Bukhara. Aha! I reached for the second platter (did I not say fit for the kings), intricately designed and presented - murg ke pasande. Now I believe it is all in the name. I will add the word ‘bhuna’, because of the marinade. Of course the secrets will all remain with the chef but this preparation has curd, cheese, cream, cardamom, shahjeera, saffron and is marinated twice before being put in the tandoor. The ‘kadak' tandoori rotis that the waiter brought to the table accompaniments were crisp and the kulchas were mouth watering. The innovative ulta tawa ka paratha had us scrambling for more. While we were still grappling with the taste enhancing chutneys the chowk ki tikki (vegetable kebabs stuffed with green peas) and the paneer dudhiya seekh (paneer rolls) made their presence felt.
Now if anyone had this wrong notion that the North West Frontier food preparations were exclusively for the non vegetarians they have not come in touch with these innovative chefs. If chowk ki tikki was stuffed with peas, then the subz shikampuri kebeb had cheese dripping at every bite. Oh…la…la. And if innovations were the focus of the night their dahi ke kebab (deep fried hung curd) is something to be tried. Move over you celebrities, you have not tried the spice dal, the signature dal of this place, like the Bukhara dal is to Delhi. It is a royal treat and an authentic slow-cooked delicacy. Served piping hot it was the tadka that made for a gastronomic flavour that can only be experienced and not described.
I look across at Joe who had been silent throughout the meal, only exercising his jawbones…did he miss the ‘Bukhara experience.’ Perhaps we asked the question out loud. As the desserts reached the table - rose flavoured rasagullas, kalakhand (there is an assortment of continental desserts too) his comment of ‘Fortune is what really makes the entire exercise a treat for hungry foodies,’ was the bulls-eye response.
