Zaffran : A family that eats together stays together

A family dinner is a rare occurrence in our household. Mom , Dad and I reach home in the evenings at different times, and our hunger clocks are so un synchronized  that we hardly get a chance to sit down for dinner at the same time. I took a weekday off sometime back and “Carpe Diem” ed the chance to take my family out for dinner to the newly opened Zaffran in Orion mall.

Among all the numerous cuisines that I have sampled, Indian cuisine is by far the most comforting. It is probably because there is an underlying reassurance in eating the food of your land, in your land. It makes you feel secure, and at home. 

Starters: owing to my long standing obsession with panner, I ordered the Pudina Paneer tikka : large, juicy cubes of panner with of course pudina. The mark of a perfectly cooked cube of paneer is when you try to cut it, you can do so in any shape you want without letting the paneer crumble apart. You must be able to see a cross section of the panner – intact and milky white. The Paneer Pudina Tikka surely passed this test. I also ordered the Murg Zaffrani Tikka : tender pieces if chicken marinated with cashew and saffron and cooked in a tandoor. The chicken was succulent , tender and absolutely delicious.

Murg Zaffrani Tikka

Pudina Paneer Tikka

Main course :. My eyes kept roving to all those dishes on the menu that had a “Zaffran” tag to it. We ordered the Zaffrani Taftan. One plate of the Kaftan serves three pieces of roti cooked in tamarind. These rotis are one of a kind and are a must have in Zaffran.  We paired up the taftans with Dum Sabz Handi Zaffrani . As the name suggests , the dish comprises different garden vegetables cooked in a  handi. The dish rich in malai and thick with gravy and the portion size can easily be a meal in itself.  Mom ordered the Chicken Pulao and the two of us devoured it within no time. Unlike a typical chicken pulao, this one had tiny pieces of chicken cuddled up in the midst of all that rice. I loved this unique style and restaurants that serve the overly pretentious chicken biriyani should take note of the simplicity of this dish.

Zaffrani Taftan

Dum Sabz Handi

Desserts: Now comes the show stopper of the meal – Zaffrani Signature Chenna Payesh : Oh my oh my ! The chenna payesh is a heavenly combo of marble- sized rossagullas ducked in  a pool of thick, creamy , mouth watering malai. What make it more interesting is that it is served in a cocktail glass. It would be criminal if you visited Zaffran and did not order this culinary masterpiece.

Chicken Pulao

Zaffrani Sigmature Chenna Payesh

Zaffran is slightly overpriced but completely worth every penny you shell out. I got a deja-vu feeling didnig at this place because it vaguely remned me of Samarkand. Now which was one better - Zaffran or Samarkand. I would say Samarkand ONLY because it liked its ambience better.

Pulimunchi : The coastal restaurant

Of all the cuisines I have sampled, traditional Indian coastal cuisine remained largely unexplored in my gastronomical diary. This realization sunk in one fine day and within no time I found myself heading to

 Pulimunchi – the coastal cuisine restaurant in Sadashivnagar.

Pulimunchi is not that well known a restaurant; its close proximity to where I live is the only reason I picked this place. The interiors of Pulimuchi are pretty basic, with wooden pillars being the only out-of-the box addition. What psyched me completely was the menu – it was mere printouts that looked like they had been taken in the 18 th century. The management definitely needs to look into this.Coming to the food:  Mom I ordered Kori Roti, Chicken sukka, bangada fish fry and Ada Pradhaman for dessert. Here’s a low down of each of these.

Kori roti : This dish blew my mind. I do not know whether it was because it was insanely delicious or because I was having it for the first time after having heard so much about it. Kori roti is as simple as rice paapad soaked in homely chicken curry. Every Mangalorean household boasts of this dish.

Kori Roti

Chicken Sukka

Chicken Sukka : I would say its 30 % chicken and 70 % coconut. It looked like the chicken pieces were playing hide and seek on my plate; they were too few in number and when I did find them, it seemed to me like the chicken was also overfed with coconuts.

Bangada fish fry : This was the dish that my Mom liked it. It’s a little spicy but then again, its meant to be that way.

Ada Pradhaman : This is a mallu dessert comprising rice chips, jaggery and of course coconut milk. I loved it and wished I could pack some home.

Bagngada Fry

Ada Pradhaman

Overall, my experience at Pulimuchi was very average. The next time I crave for some coastal food, I will definitely give this place a miss.