Tribute to Tradition

CityInfo, Mumbai
Cover Story

Tribute to Tradition
The conventional Dal Bukhara served in Khurja pottery at the Peshawri has won the restaurant accolades for being the best Indian restaurant in the world.

Dal Bukhara, a dish served at The Peshawri, has won the restaurant accolades for being the best Indian restaurant in the world by the US-based Restaurant magazine, thrice in a row! Wonder what could be so very special about the ordinary dal, the staple diet of every Indian family?
Chef Bhaskar Sankhari, the man who has been creating magic in the kitchens of the ITC Grand Maratha Sheraton which is where the Peshawri is located, would tell us only so much: “I prepare the dal with spices and cream and leave it to slowly simmer on the tandoor overnight.”
Well, chefs have to be allowed to keep their secrets or eating out would never be the same. As the chef elaborated, “Every table at Peshawri calls for a plate of Dal Bukhara.” He takes a whopping order for 90 plates of Dal Bukhara everyday!
Tandoor is a clay oven used to cook food in the Indian North West Frontier province, which is the cuisine served at The Peshawri. The cuisine has been inspired by the Bukhara style of cooking, which is basically cooking of mildly flavoured meat directly over the fire.
“We serve the dal with a dollop of white butter,” added Sankhari. The Dal Bukhara tastes best with Indian breads, since the dal is thick in consistency. They have a special bread - Naan Bukhara - which serves 6-7 people and is the perfect accompaniment to the Dal Bukhara.
The restaurant is set amidst a charming rustic ambience. Unlike most restaurants which have a feminine feel to the décor, The Peshawri has a rugged and masculine look. The walls and the floors are made of stone. The seating is low, carved out of wood logs. Seasoned teakwood has been used for decorations on the walls.
To complete the rustic picture, the food here is served in Khurja pottery — glazed bowls made in the villages of Uttar Pradesh in Northern India. The pottery is showcased in wooden racks along the walls.
The chefs at Peshawri believe that fine dining is purely a sensory experience. You need to have all your five senses stimulated if a meal is to be truly satisfying. In keeping with Indian tradition, guests are encouraged to eat with their fingers so as to enjoy their meal better. The staff is dressed in traditional Pathani suits and jhuttis (typical Indian footwear).
Once seated, the guest is handed an apron instead of the regular table napkin, which double up as hand towels too.
Other dishes from the Peshawri kitchen include Murg Malai kebab, Reshmi Kebab, Kastoori Kebab, Tandoori Chicken, Sikandari Raan, Burra Kebab, Peshawri Kebab and Seekh Kebab in the non-vegetarian selection. They also have a Seafood Platter of Tandoori Prawns, Tandoori Promfret and even Tandoori Lobsters.
Besides Dal Bukhara, vegetarians can choose from their Tandoori Aloo, Paneer Tikka, Tandoori Shimla Mirch, Tandoori Phool (cauliflower) and Sab Sheekh Kebab.
All the food served here comes with a distinctive smoked flavour since it is cooked over amber charcoal doused with pure ghee. And the dishes are served with raita — thick curds with a garnishing of your choice.
Good food is obviously accompanied by good drinks. The bar at Peshawri is well stocked with an array of imported spirits and wines, along with choice of cocktails and mocktails. Scotch and whiskey however, remain the most preferred drink accompaniments with the kind of food served here.
As is the popular trend, Peshawri too has an open kitchen and encourages guests to take part in the fun session of cooking meals. “Foreign guests are often inquisitive to know how a Rumaali roti is made. And we put up quite a show,” smiled Sankhari.


The Peshawri
ITC Grand Maratha Sheraton
Sahar
Ph: 2830-3030