Quest for the best

There is no end to a foodie’s search for the perfect taste. All stops can be pulled out to fulfil the craving for a dish. Pushpesh Pant sets out to find the best kebab, daal makhani and biryani and shares his views with the readers

Kebab is the quintessential Indian delicacy — a non-vegetarian preparation that is both a starter and an accompaniment. It is celebrated in Urdu poetry and folk idiom. Till recently, it was believed that the Turko-Afghan had imported the kebab into the subcontinent. However, some food historians maintain that ancient Indians had kebab of their own — the bhadritaka and shule. But what is beyond dispute is that good life is synonymous with kebab, shabab and sharab (a tasty meaty morsel, wine and beauty), and an unwelcome intruder making pleasant company of two a crowd is likened to a bone in a kebab (kebab main haddi). Our favourite couplet, however, is the one that compares the smitten separated Romeo with a skewer shashlik:

Courting kebab

The kebab is encountered in myriad forms — shami, galauti, seekh, boti, barra, tikka, handi, pasanda, patthar and many more.

Each has a die-hard following and it is not an easy contest to judge. Some swear by the aromatic pate like galauti fashioned by Tunde Miyan of Akbari Masjid (in Chowk, Lucknow) fame while others can break bones with sticks and stones to champion the cause of the barra grilled to perfection at Karim’s in Old Delhi. The eatery is located in Gali Kebabiyan and this is the location where in the years gone by legendary kebabiya like Maseeta and Ghummi practised their art. For Punjabis, however, nothing can ever rival the seduction of a tikka — who cares if it is murgh, macchi or mutton. The contest is coloured as much by personal prejudice as by regional loyalties. How, then, does one judge this pageant?

We feel that the entries have to be restricted to main genres — shami,galauti and seekh and for once, this time we will confine this rating exercise to ‘made with mince’ kebab and save boti et al to fight it out another day.

We have, to be immodest, travelled across the length and breadth of this great land in search of the best kebab, sampling it on the street side as well as in fine dining ethnic restaurants.

While it is true that gourmet hoteliers like Sahibzada Major Habi Rahman have literally moved mountains to revive lost cuisines of India and the chain presided over by him serves a delectable kakori at the Dum Pukht (Maurya), for us nothing matches the magic of the kakori made to order my Munna Miyan who hangs around looking for business in the vicinity of the City Railway station in Lucknow.

The melting-in-the-mouth seekh is a ‘two-in-one’ delight blending the pleasure of a galauti and a skewered kebab. It scores over the Maurya offering for the same reasons that bespoke tailoring does over readymade — even designer-labelled apparel. The kakori in Lucknow eschews the superfluous saffron and retains a pleasant smoky flavour imparted by imli or aam ki lakari as it is lovingly cooked on glowing embers.

Hyderabad, it must be conceded, has an exotic patthar kebab and Gorakhpur hides very well its priceless Bihari kebab. But both are based on pasanda and will receive the fanfare some other time. Pair Munna’s kakori with roomali or crumble it over steaming rice and transform wilderness to paradise in a blink.

Delectable daal

They say it takes all kinds to make this wonderful world. Indeed, there are a legion who are immune to the temptations of mouth-watering kebab. For them, bliss comes in the form of daal — perfectly cooked lentils, better-half always of a meal composed with roti or chawal. Interestingly, the north-south divide and the east-west demarcation of ‘taste-lines’ is based on preference for plain daal or sambhar and kaali (mah) or peeli (tuar/arhar) daal.

The Vindhya mountains are the watershed in the first case and the NCR is the line of control in the other. Daal, sambhar and kebab have countless avatars. It can be argued that man doesn’t live by mah and arhar alone and there are lentils that have an irresistible allure of their own— sonar mung, dhuli urad, legendary masoor, chana to name just a few. But, once again, like in the case of kebab, the finalists can’t be a crowd and we must bow before the diner’s vote.

We are repeatedly quizzed by friend and foe where can they splurge on the best daal makhani, kaali mah di daal aka daal bukhara. Once again Major Saab (Habib Rehman not Big B!) can take a bow — he is the one who has sublimated this bit of rustic robust repast to an international brand. The ‘geographical indicator’ in this case is not a region or province but a landmark — destination restaurant.

The nameless dhaba across the land routinely serve daal bukhara proving the adage imitation is the best form of flattery; only in this case it is difficult to decide who is imitating whom!

Princes and presidents sup at the Bukhara restaurant and leave behind glowing testimonials to its wonderful daal that puts in shade even the peerless raan. NRIs are grateful to the Kitchens of India line that helps to quell the pangs of nostalgic hunger.

But we digress. Where indeed can you taste the best daal makhani? To cut a long story ‘S’, daal bukhara demystified is essential kaali mah di daal makhani. The suffix too needs clarification. For many, the word means dollops of butter. But it was good friend Jiggs who opened our eyes to reality. Makhani is the adjective rendered apt in this case by the satin smooth texture of the slow-cooked (overnight, in a tandoor ideally). Artery-choking additives like butter and cream are really not necessary.

Tomatoes, too, are a taboo in the traditional recipe and garlic-ginger pastes are what gift their flavour to this classic. If you insist on spicing up the daal, you may add just a small fistful of rajma and a hint of garam masala — not the pre-packaged variety but the home-ground goodness of clove, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom. At a pinch even these can be given the go by. Start with good quality lentils, ask for bum bhola, we were advised by chef Raminder once, and you can’t go wrong. And please don’t forget that the butter on top with the tempering should always be white, freshly churned at home and not the mass-produced ‘taste of India’ even if it is a cooperative effort.

Keeping in mind all these benchmarks, we have no hesitation in declaring the clear winner by many lengths. It is the daal dished out at Bhrawan’s Dhaba in Amritsar. Although the lentils at the more famous Kesar Da Dhaba in the same blessed city are better hyped, the stuff at Bhrawan’s is amazing in consistency. It is sinfully rich. Makhani almost becomes a double entendre in this case but whenever one mouths a ladleful of this heavenly fare, its smooth texture is like music to a parched soul.

Biryani boulevard

This brings us to the realm of out-of-this -world biryani. It is the signature dish from Hyderabad so it is not surprising that this is where all the finalists come from. The contenders for top honours represent Shadab, Medina, Bawarchi and Paradise. The new kid on the block is Hyderabad House but they operate a la a franchise and convenient neighbourhood takeaway and don’t really belong in this league.

Before we proceed a few cobwebs need be removed. The battle royale between pulav and biryani is not being fought here. Lakhnavi and Deccani pride need not be slighted.

What we are talking about is the dum ki biryani that is prepared by layering marinated meat with aromatic rice — the art is timing to perfection the just-right cooking for both. The long-grain colourful rice should imbibe the flavours of the marinade but not become soggy or gooey in the least bit. It is cooked almost nine-tenth before it is coupled with meat. The meat, on its part, must retain its identity and be enjoyable. A wonderful symphony of complementing textures and taste. A well-made biryani requires no embellishment — a pinch of saffron perhaps soaked in lukewarm milk lends both an attractive hue and fragrance.

We recognise the efforts deluxe hotels make to replicate Hyderabadi biryani in their specialty restaurants but must alas! pronounce that the essence eludes them. Not even during the food fests can they come even half way close.

In a large modern hotel kitchen, biryani is assembled from jhol and pre-cooked chawal. This is very different from the assembly-line production in a traditional kitchen — be it Medina or Bawarchi. Large degs are cooked intact and then placed on the conveyor belt so to speak. Individual orders are taken care of by carefully ‘cutting’ the required portions. The hands-down winner here is biryani from Bawarchi that is incomparable in its creamy texture. The malayiat is contributed by the choicest cuts of tender mutton — seena, puth, gardan and dast.

Ravishing rosogulla

Now on to sweet somethings. Rosogulla is arguably the most famous Bengali sweet. It was invented in late 19^th century by a gifted moira in Kolkata who foresaw the potential of chenna — split milk, introduced by the Portuguese. But that is another tale. Suffice it to note here that it is the rosogulla that has spawned rasmalai, another popular dessert in India. Nowadays, we have strawberry rosogulla rubbing shoulders with rajbhog and sitabhog, the native mutants, and one has wonderful memories of a spongy rosho flavoured with khejurer gur. Haldiram and its ilk have demystified the sweet by standardising it and making it available in easy-to-handle affordable cans. But can these products ever match the fresh produce? Nah! We have tasted superb rosogulla in Bikaner and Bangalore that leave the originals from Job Charnock’s city panting. Each city and most of the towns in India have a Bengali sweet shop or corner that claims to make great rasgulla. Aggarawals, Bikaneris and the rest dish out indifferent fare.

Where then can one find the real Mc Coy? Spongy, not too sweet, redolent with rosewater lighter than air rosogulla recalls its lineage a kancha gola sondesh boiled in light syrup yet asserts its independence. After years on the trail of the ‘Holy Grail’ we struck gold. Surprise of surprises, of all the unlikely places in Amar Colony in New Delhi. Gopalji Dairy is tucked in there besides the Kashmiri colony and the Blind School. It sells the best rasgulla that we have ever had. Best price performance ratio also.

There is indeed no end to this quest for the best and doubtless we shall reappear with more trials of strength.

Till then –Bon Appetit!

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