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.