A royal culinary treat

There is no greater love than the love for food and when you have robust flavours served to your platter, love only strengthens. At the moment, The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel is serving as the food paradise. The irresistible Hyderabadi cuisine, from the mouthwatering Haleem to appetizing Biryani, every dish on the menu is a real delight.

The second leg in the food festival series 'Dine like a maharaja', celebrated the cuisines from the city of Hyderabad. Going with the theme, the hotel took note of the minutest detail so as to give the diner an authentic feel of royal darbars. Set in an open space, the bright interiors perfectly complimented the chilly weather of the November evening.

To bring out the best of the Hyderabadi cuisines, Chef Ashwani Kumar Singh traveled to explore the hidden culinary jewels residing in the lanes of the city. Interacting with the locals for a better understanding of the flavours is what helped him to do justice with the cuisine.

The very moment I stepped in, a royal setup, alluring aroma and musicians playing classics to keep the diners engaged is something which appealed to me instantly.

Without any delay, a tempting plate of starters was served. Dum ka Kebab, Nizami tawa murgh and shikampoor were few of the many items on the platter. It was the rich flavours of Dum ka kebab that can compel anyone to look sideways from his dietary plans. Shikampoor served with chutney was equally good, however, I found Tala gosht a bit oily to consume.

Pacing to the main course, I treated my taste buds with Nehari, Handi ka gosht and mirch ka salan. All of the three dishes with rich gravies were truly an explosion of tastes in my mouth. Though you have multiple options in the bread section including Roghani roti, Warqi parathe, Khamiri roti, Ftiri, I preferred to keep it simple and enjoyed the exotic flavours with plain naan (a kind of bread consumed in Hyderabad specifically)

But would that be a complete Hyderabadi meal without 'Haleem' and 'Biryani'? Not for me at least. So, despite a full stomach, I dug my spoon to calm down my cravings. Served with various accomplishments, Haleem was a perfect balance of flavours to light up my mood. Biryani, on the other hand, tasted good, though not up to my expectations.

Anyway, all's well that ends well. And so to give a sweet ending to my royal dinner, I moved to the table of desserts. Nimish – prepared through a very interesting concept of churning the milk kept overnight under the dew – was quite innovative and new to taste. The continuous churning gives out the froth which is served with a sprinkle of sugar crystals. 'Khubani ka meetha' was the next thing I got my hand on. And this is when my stomach felt satisfied completely. I won't mind treating myself with such culinary delight again, and that too in the most royal style.