Kebabs and Kurries at The ITC Grand Central - Parel, Mumbai

One often yearns for good purist food in this era of food fusions, celebrity chefs and culinary thingamajigs. To please local palates or to impress a bunch of instagrammers, restaurants often modify traditional recipes resulting in "fun but not really genuine" grub. Kebabs & Kurries in ITC Grand Central has weathered this trend and serves North Indian food as its meant to be.

Chef Farooqui may not be as famous as Gordon Ramsay but he is a master of the Lucknowi or the Awadhi way of cooking. Awadhi cuisine for ages has satiated the taste buds of aristocrats and royalty. Very few chefs are still armed with these traditional methods as younger and newer chefs embrace fusion and modern methods of cooking. Chef Farooqui has trained his team and his able first mate Sous Chef Patrick Braggs in the art of creating Awadhi culinary treasures.

Modern methods have their advantages but Traditional methods are the only route to eat traditional food as its meant to be. Your idea of North Indian food may completely change after you have a meal here. Come to Kebab & Kurries to get acquainted with real Awadhi food.

For a detailed coverage of the Ambiance - Read my earlier post on K&K over here -
http://www.grubzon.com/2015/09/k-at-itc-grand-central-parel-mumbai.html

The place is a Golden lit fine dine with different areas given different themes. The kitchen is visible to the patron and one can see how their food is actually made.

Oudh means Awadh here.

I was here to specifically try the Niyaamatein-E-Bahar menu. This was a Winter themed menu that stays till the end of January 2017. The menu revolved around the philosophy of serving food that makes one feel warm inside rather than feel the heat on the tongue. Its a marriage of spice and the internal properties of ingredients.

Chef Farooqui abhors the idea of sprinkling hot spices on top of completed dishes, a practice that is employed in mediocre places. He believes in integrating spices at the right place at the right time. This not only amplifies flavor but it gives an eating experience like none other. Regardless of where you have eaten North Indian food before - Your idea about it is incomplete until you try the food at K&K.

I flagged my meal off with the Restaurant's customary welcome drink. This watermelon and spice filled drink was a refreshing appetizer.

The Kebab in the forefront is Murgh Pasanda, a kebab version of a famed curry. Thin chicken strips were marinated with onion and spices which resulted in a powerful flavor. Initially it felt creamy like Malai Kebabs but the spice kicks in when you start to swallow. So the heat actually is felt beyond one's mouth. Cooking is an art and cooking is a science. Yet it continues to produce miracles which I cannot fathom.

Shaped like a disc is the Tofai e Aab E Gil Shikampur. That is a big Urdu name with possible some Persian thrown in. Its a kebab made out of minced yam with a variety of flavors. The texture was rough but the kebab was super smooth. It melted in my mouth. This created an explosion of the finest Indian flavors while I chewed the kebab lost in a pleasant reverie.

It had mild sourness emanating from green mangoes stuffed in, subtle sweetness from the Yam, savory salty flavor from the cheese stuffing and a pleasant fragrance from the Ginger. It was not spicy and the chili on the top was merely for aesthetic purposes. This kebab was easy on the mouth as one doesn't even need to chew it - It just melts away. This was an amazing experience even for a carnivore like myself.

I have been to many fine dines which have unsuccessfully tried to make Prawn Kebabs or at best have attained mediocre results. Chef Farooqui however has whipped up one of the most delectable Prawn creations that I have ever eaten - Lagan Ke Jhinge or Prawns cooked in a Lagan pot.

The meat felt completely different from prawns used in a western dish. The gravy had completely blended with the prawn's natural flavor to result into something unique and different from the flavors of either ingredient. The aroma was appetizing and the jumbo prawns were juicy, oozing out flavor with every bite. One could feel as if this food was made with both professionalism and passion. If you love seafood, then this is an item not to be missed. The tails have been removed so it makes the experience more comforting.

These four are portions from the mains. Murgh Tilayee at the front is part of the event menu. It was a beautiful creation made of chicken thigh cooked in its own juices and given a finish with vark. This was tender chicken with just the right flavor. It was neither too mild nor too spicy. Juicy, savory and it made the heart warm with happiness. That also counts as internal heat I guess.

To its left is Burani Gosht, an extremely flavorful and moderately spicy dish. This mutton based dish is one of the restaurant's best sellers and all for good reason. The flavor is very addicting and the aroma very enticing. The usage of yogurt makes the flavor smooth on the tongue.

The green colored dish at the top is Hari Mirch Gosht. Its lamb cooked in a marinade of green chili. This one was very spicy and very rough. Its recommended for those who love to turn up the heat in their food.

The small portion at the right is Guchidara Murg - It was a wonderful fusion of chicken and morel mushrooms. The flavor was a mix of slightly sour from the mushrooms, savory and salty. Its another one of those things that one won't find anywhere else.

This was the creamiest Kulfi that I have ever had. And I am not kidding. It was far better than any ice cream I have had. This malai Kulfi felt very much like a cream caramel flavored ice cream, except that its creaminess was legendary. It was served with a bit of Rose falooda(dessert noodles) and sweet saffron syrup. I preferred to eat the Kulfi on its own as its flavor was amazing.

The service at K&K is one of the best that I have seen. The people are well trained and know the menu well. Its another one of those small luxuries of eating in a restaurant inside a famous five star Hotel. The service quality was exceptional.

The Pricing is on the higher side. Its expected since the restaurant is inside a five star and the food is made from the best of ingredients by the best of chefs. I'd say its money well spent.

K&K is one of the best places for North Indian food in Mumbai. And it specializes in the Awadhi or the Oudh cuisine making it an important place on any food connoisseur's map. The regular menu itself is amazing and the special event menus simply enrich the experience even more. If you love Indian food, then a visit to K&K at the ITC Grand Central in Mumbai is an absolute must.

The Captain's Score : 9/10

Map Co-Ordinates
K & K
ITC Grand Central,
287, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road,
Parel, Mumbai

-I was invited by ITC Grand Central to sample the special menu at K&K. My review however is objective.-

 

K&K at ITC Grand Central -Parel, Mumbai

We were sailin' through familiar seas and I had me looking glass glued to me eye. I was looking for a place that I had visited many moons ago. Soon enough, I spotted it on the horizon. An island with a lone grand palace on it. Unlike last time, the ship was in good health and I was just on the look out for fine grub.

As we approached the island, the radio buzzed. The message told something about a restaurant in the palace celebrating its birthday. Eh! people celebrate birthdays, how does a restaurant do it? Intrigued, I chose that restaurant for my excursion. There be something special about it, I could feel it in me bones.

The erstwhile Kebabs and Kurries renamed itself to K & K. It is an award winning restaurant that is primarily known for North Indian grub especial Kebabs. (Psst, The name was a giveaway.) The establishment is celebrating its tenth Budday...err anniversary in a grandiose fashion. ITC Hotels had summoned eight of its finest Chefs from across India to Mumbai in a celebration fit for a king or at least a greedy Kebab lover like yours truly.

The Ala-carte menu for this event offers forty (yes you read that right) different Kebabs covering eight different cities and local cuisines. Sadly, the event lasts only till 13th September which means you can read this later and head to K&K right now. Its truly a celebration of Kebabs or Jashn-e-Kebab.

I had been invited to a Blogger's table event in which one could sample sixteen of these forty kebabs. I was thankful that it was not forty. It would have been too much to eat and write about. But sixteen is not a small number either. I wonder if I made it into some kind of record books for the most number of different gourmet kebabs eaten in a day. Oi Guinness! are ye listening?

The restaurant has a typical North Indian-Mughalai appearance. The golden lights and decor work well. Although, I found the ceiling work to be a tad bit of a mismatch. One is greeted with an open kitchen where one can see the grub being made. The restaurant defines itself into three regions - The Maidan(Open Ground), The Kheema and Qila(Fort). Maidan is meant for small groups as visible on the lower floor of the above picture, Qila is slightly elevated giving people a view over the entire restaurant and the Kheema is more for community folks on a large communal table.

This is where we sat.

The evening opened with a glass of sparkling champagne and soon enough each of the eight chefs presented two Kebab dishes each. Each Chef brought their signature style of cooking and regional influences on the table. North, South, East, West and Center - Most of India was covered in their collective work.

Gulnaar Kali
A Chef who has been working for twenty eight long years in the ITC Grand Central Kitchens, Chef Haji Mohammad Farooqui has certainly mastered his craft. These tender, succulent Lamb Kebabs were so good, that I compared everything after this with it. It was the paradigm of a good kebab. This had a very North Indian and homely feel to it. Its a cuisine one would rarely come across outside Lucknow. These Kebabs were cooked overnight in malt vinegar and a collection of fine spices. It is said that these Kebabs were once served in royal courts of Mughal emperors and somehow the recipes have survived though a few chefs.

Captain : Oi, as Captain I ask you to give me your Gulnaar Kali.

Crewmate : Mighty nice of you to come straight Captain. But sadly I cannot give you my Kebabs.

Captain : You are disobeying your Captain mate?

Crewmaten : Heavens No Boss. Just that I already ate em'. :D

Peekaboo its Guftaguu - ITC respects its Vegetarian customers and as a result each chef had at least one vegetarian craft on offering. Chef Haji's kebabs are made of minced Cabbage mixed with saffron and cardamom. Although I am not a big fan of either cabbage or vegetarian grub, the melt in your mouth trait of these Kebabs was certainly appealing. These would dissolve right away leaving the spicy mixture as an after taste.

Chef Sundar from ITC Grand Chola presented the Kovalam Vathu Ulartyathu Kebabs. Lets call em KVUs for now. These tender morsels were made of Kerala style pot cooked duck. All right, this was my first time eating a duck so excuse me if I am incorrect - The meat didn't taste that different from chicken but the spice mixture in which it was cooked was quite potent. It was spicy and strangely the addictive kind of spicy. The flavors seemed to permeate deep into the meat making the entire bite a flavorsome experience.

Captain : Duck tastes much like Chicken.

Crewmate : For a lover of fine food, that sounded very naive Captain.

Captain : Who cares? I enjoyed the duck and the spice mix was lip smackin' good.

Vazahapoo Pertati
Chef Sundar's banana blossom and spiced potato Kebabs had a new flavor for me. Though I did not find myself liking this newly experienced flavor of banana blossoms.

Chef Surat Singh from ITC Mughal brought forward the Sarsonka Machi Kebabs. These were made of Fresh water sole. The kebabs were cooked in a mustard marinade, stuffed with chilies-spices and charcoal grilled. The chef wrapped them with a thin slice of eggplant as a finishing touch. These were juicy, soft and almost perfectly cooked. Mustard and fish go very well together.

Kache Kele Ke Kebab had a lot of K in it but apart from that, these were made of minced raw banana wrapped in mace and green cardamom. Though I am not originally fond of Raw Bananas in Indian cooking, Chef Surat had really worked the spices well in this chargrilled banana kebab. The Kebabs tasted much like potato kebabs and they easily got lost in the mouth. These were not the melt in mouth kind but somewhere quite close. It was a unique experience.

Chef Gunjan Goela presented her vegetarian only Kebabs made with a lot of old world knowledge.
Vrantikam Kebabs were well plated. It resembled Tacos in some sense. These were made of thick slices of eggplant stuffed with onion and hungcurd. I however could not get over my dislike for eggplants to enjoy the dish. The thick slices of eggplant did not appeal to my palate at all.

Shabarkand was again well plated and this one synced well with me. These were made of sweet potatoes  cooked in charcoal. These were served with sweet and tangy chutneys and topped with pomegranate and sev. This had a mix of sweet, salty and tangy sensations. It felt very close to the popular Mumbai street food of Ragda pattice.

Its important to note that Chef Gunjan invented both these Kebabs so it would be impossible to find it elsewhere.

Chef Zaki Kazmi from ITC Gardenia brought a wonderful creation in form of Pathar Ka Gosht.
These lamb escalopes were grilled on stones in a technique only used in Hyderabad. These thin slices of meat tasted great. The yogurt and the mild spices made the flavor creamy and savory. These ended up being one of my many favorites at this event.

Captain : These thin sheets of meat be me favorite.

Crewmate : These get over too fast.

Captain : Your shoe laces are untied mate.

Crewmate : Oh let me check. (Bends) I don't have shoelaces on my sandals... HEY where did my Kebabs go?

Captain : You just said that these get over too fast, right?

Chef Zaki's Gulezar Dhungari Kebab resembled Cigars to be honest. These were tasty juicy vegetarian kebabs and I instantly found a liking to them. These were made of minced Garden vegetables, dry fruits and wrapped in aromatic spices. The Kebabs were cooked on skewers in a tandoor and felt soft with a calming flavor. I am no chef but somehow felt that the flavor could have been enhanced further with the addition of Cheese in the core.

Chef Srinevasu of ITC Windsor brought this succulent shishkebab called as Bijapur Mutton Roast. This kebab was made of roasted and yet juicy chunks of lamb cooked in a style popular in the district of Bijapur. The spice mix was unique and I found the flavor of Star Anise to be a new addition to Kebabs. The kebabs were roasted with curd, almonds and coconut and as a result their flavor had married the meat perfectly. The aroma was quite appetizing as well. If I had to judge on aroma alone then these morsels had the best among the dinner platter.

Chef Srinevasu's Tofai-e-Zameen looked like brown ice hockey pucks. The shape was almost perfect and these had a powdery appearance on the top. These were yam kebabs stuffed with cheese and pomegranate. The flavor was a bit strange with sweetness of yam and pomegranate slightly clashing with the saltiness of cheese. It felt very much like a lentil Kebab due to the chickpea it was wrapped with. Can't say I liked this one.

Chef Akshraj Jodha served us with Achari Maans Ka Shola. These were again Lamb Escalopes with an unique addition of Figs and Rum. But somehow I did not feel Figs and rum anywhere and the flavor felt very Rajasthani. The coriander was strong on this one. Chef Akshraj had fused the Royal desert state's spice mix perfectly with the meat. Its surprising how the same Lamb Kebabs can differ so greatly from chef to chef.

Sangriki Shami by Chef Akshraj did not feel Rajasthani. It strangely felt a bit Kashmiri to me atleast. It was made using a Rajasthani recipe involving cluster beans and Chana dal known as 'khersangri'.

Chef JP Singh of ITC Maurya served great meat and vegetarian kebabs. Jhinga Firdaus Shahi was as good as Gulnaar Kali. These were my two favorite meaty kebabs of the evening. These tender freshwater Shrimp kebabs had a crunchy batter coating and a flavorsome core. These were marinated with Firdaus E Mauj spice mix which I apparently have no idea about. All I knew was that these were crunchy and tasty. Just the way I like them' shrimps. These could make great bar nibbles as well.

Captain : I always love me a crunchy shrimpy Kebab.

Crewmate : What is Firdaus E Mauj?

Captain : Uhh..Why don't you google that while I finish eating...err wait for you to find out :D? 

Crewmate : Wait for me? Yeah right Cappy. >_>

Chef JP Singh's Guchhi Paneer Ke kebab was made of Morel mushrooms filled with cheese. These had a little spice and were a perfect combination of spicy and savory. I don't think there was a person on the table that did not enjoy this kebab. I have eaten many mushroom and cheese combinations but this one definitely has been the best duo in my experience so far. Again this would make a great bar nibble. The flavor felt very Punjabi.

ITC's vegetarian Pulao and Mutton Biryani are quite famous in Mumbai. ITC Grand Maratha is said to have the best Mutton Biryani in all of Mumbai but sibling ITC Grand Central isn't too far behind. The mutton Biryani was less oily and definitely one of the best I have had. In fact, there was only one other place which offered better Biryani.

Gulab Jamun Panna Cotta was brought in by smiling Chef Avani Mudbodri who had created this dessert. The Panna Cotta had perfect consistency and would make the best of Masterchef contestants fume with envy. It was properly fused with the essence of Rose and once could savor the flavor deep within. It was paired with Gulab Jamun and both seemed to go well together. This goes on to say that Indian and Western foods work very well together. If only they stop talking about who is better and start working together (wink). The grainy yellow mixture surrounding the dessert seemed to resemble the flavor of Almonds and Sohan Papdi.

The prices are on the higher side as is the case in any super five star establishment. But how often does one get to experience eight experienced chefs from all over India making forty different Kebabs with many signature recipes that no one else can concoct? KnK seems to enjoy good patronage as there were many patrons seated on other tables. The restaurant appeared crowded.

The servers were professional, very well versed with the grub themselves.

I thank you, if you managed to reach this point. I felt that it was necessary to cover all sixteen Kebabs, each was an unique experience after all. That still leaves twenty four so there is a lot left to explore ha. This is once in a lifetime kind of thing. Sadly it only lasts till the 13th of September so if you love Kebabs, you better head out fast.

The Captain's Score : 9/10

"The Banquet is over, stop being greed lads. SIXTEEN Kebabs should keep ya happy for a week. Time to leave this island...for now."

Map Co-Ordinates
K & K

ITC Grand Central,
287, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road,
Parel, Mumbai

-I was invited by ITC Grand Central as part of a Bloggers and Influencers bunch. The meal was thus on the house.-