KITES RESTAURANT,
Holiday Inn Glenmarie Kuala Lumpur,
1 Jalan Usahawan U1/8,
Seksyen U1, 40250 Shah Alam,
Selangor
Tel: 03-7802 5200 ext 2941
IF YOU are looking for something to spice up your taste buds, then the Indian food festival at Holiday Inn Glenmarie Kuala Lumpur should fit the bill.
The Kites restaurant has brought in the young but talented chef Rakesh Mehar from Crowne Plaza Bengaluru, India, to whip up dishes from various states in North India for its lunch and dinner buffet.
The spread includes dishes from Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
Chef’s speciality: A type of briyani.“Spices play an integral role in Indian food preparation and are used to enhance the flavour of a dish and create unique flavours and aromas. Meanwhile, slow-cooked items with masala, yoghurt, herbs and spices reveal the complex and unique blend of flavours evident in Indian cooking,” said the 28-year-old.
Rakesh said there’s difference in the cooking style between North and South Indian, even though the choice of spices were similar.
He added they used less black pepper in North Indian dishes.
Aside from spices, dried fruits, nuts, milk, cream, cottage cheese, ghee and yoghurt also play an important role in making North Indian cuisine unique and popular.
Some of the delicacies featured in the buffet like tandoori chicken, tosai and briyani rice are already popular among Malaysians.
Authentically Indian: Rakeshwhips up a sumptuous spread of North Indian delights.The tandoori chicken, cooked in a clay oven, is moist and aromatic.
The chicken is infused with spices and comes with a creamy coat of gravy that enhances both the taste and texture of the dish.
The right doses of chilli powder, garam masala, chat masala, coriander powder, yoghurt and ginger garlic paste are needed to create the unique flavour of this dish.
The crispy tosai goes well with the onion and potato curry.
The harmonious blend of flavours makes this simple dish a delight.
Other dishes like Chana Dhal and Poori Bhaji are moderately spicy and set to excite one’s taste buds.
The briyani rice is the chef’s speciality.
The plain briyani lures with a light but appetising aroma while the chicken briyani impresses with a burst of hot spices.
However, the Hyderabadi Mutton Briyani is touted as the king of all briyanis and one to look out for.
The different types of chutney and condiments to accompany some of the dishes are made from scratch using Rakesh’s family recipes passed on by his mother.
Diners can find a variety of Paranthas (plain or stuffed flattened Indian breads), soup, kebabs at the live cooking stations.
A Northen Indian spread is incomplete without the sweets and the ‘hot cakes’ are gulab jamun and khoya that are mainly desserts made from milk solids as well as gajar ka halwa, a traditional Punjabi carrot pudding.
The North Indian buffet is served at RM55++ per person for lunch and RM75++ for dinner.
The promotion ends tomorrow.
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.