You know what is pure bliss?…for a food enthusiast like me walking into a food establishment and being surprised and enchanted by the flavours and aroma that an eatery offers. Same was the case when my sojourn took me to a small eatery called Makrana in Primerose Mall, Baner. Trust me when I tell you don’t go by the looks of it, flavours from this small eatery sure pack a punch, that will surely make you go back for the seconds. Here you can gorge on delectable non-vegetarian preparation spanning across North India and so this is how my bellydriven chronicle goes…
The first preparation that came on to the table was the ‘Makrana Kebab’- and my my the mouth-watering mildly spicy and flavor infused succulent chicken kebabs were moist, succulent, fragrant with the right amount of char on their surface. The first thing that hits you when you bite into them apart from the aromatics is how fresh the chicken is and how well marinated the chicken legs are.
THE MAKRANA KEBABS
Next in line was the ‘Tandoori Nisha’, this gnarly tandoor preparation with chicken marinated overnight, that had an incredible depth of flavour, and a dash of lime gave me the extra tang I needed.
THE TANDOORI NISHA
The next thing in the menu that I savoured was the ‘Murg Lahsooni Tikka’. This garlic flavoured chicken kebab grilled to prefection in tandoor. With a melange of cream and garlic it was like the flavours danced on my palate.
THE MURGH LAHSOONI TIKKA
Then sizzled the Mutton Galauti Kebab or ‘the one that melts’. Minced meat, tender round patties using unripe papaya paste, cooked over griddle, smoked with aromatic spices served on mini flat breads. The Gilafi seekh was a miss, as it was too meaty in texture and I could hardly taste the seasoning.
THE MUTTON GALAUTI KEBAB & GILAFI SEEKH
I was also introduced to a new entrant in their menu, the shammi kebabs and for me they were sure a hit. Succulent minced lamb patties with some bengal gram and loads of fragrant masalas sure did give a special and delicate flavour to these kebabs
THE SHAMMI KEBAB
After a tummy full of kebabs came the mains that consist of Murgh Tikka Lababdar, a Methi Dum Jhinga along with bread basket. Murgh tikka lababdar was a dish with spicy shredded chicken tikka in a thick masala gravy, I lapped it up with tandoori rotis. On the other hand when I tasted the Methi Dum Jhinga – Prawns simmered in creamy yellow gravy flavoured with fenugreek, I loved the gravy but the sea food lover love in me missed the bold seafood flavour of the prawns, that may have been because the gravy needed big prawns. This was explained by the owners that the catch of the day did not have the big prawns.
THE MAINS
For dessert we were served an extra-large gulab jamun that was true to its taste.
THE DESSERT
All in all, there were a few hits and misses but the kebabs speak aloud for this place and Makrana should feature in your ‘must eat’ list.
