HYDERABAD: Located in the heart of the information and technology hub, Kanak an Indian specialty restaurant at Trident, Hyderabad hosts a pleasant ambiance with cream coloured floors and walls well contrasted with black tables and comfortably cushioned chairs. The hotel also features a sea food display, two semi-private dinning rooms, a wine tasting room and an exclusive chai bar that offers premium teas.
The ongoing Anglo-Indian food festival at Kanak, serves an interesting cuisine which is a blend of Indian and British methods of cooking. Starting off with mulligatawny soup, the very popular English soup after an Indian recipe with chicken and rice is palatable. For appetisers, grilled fruits and vegetable salad is a spicy serving of properly grilled sweet potatoes, taro, sweet peppers, cucumber and pineapple. Made from potatoes, cheese, herbs and Kashmiri red chilies, Rawalapindi potato scones are so smooth that they melt in your mouth. Travancore fried fish, an elegantly fried Pomfret with very less oil, is a must have for sea food lovers. The best of the appetisers is chicken pantras, crunchy pan-fried rolls with a stuffing of minced chicken, parsley, cinnamon and cloves, is extremely delicious.
For the main course, bamboo and bhindi korma, a bright orange dish with proportionately diced lady’s finger and bamboo shoots, okra simmered in coconut gravy with cashew nuts is tangy and triggers your taste buds. A house specialty dish, subz aur paneer jalfarezi consists of carrot, potato, green peas, red cabbage, cottage cheese with chilies, coloured capsicum coriander and has a sweetish flavour.
Doll churchuree, (thanks to our colonialists for the strange name as they have pronounced dal as doll) the typical Indian dal with apples and spices was very bland and can be given a miss. Chicken drumsticks, dak bunglow murgi roast, marinated with whole spices, oven roasted, served with potatoes and gravy, is way yummy. Railway mutton curry, the traditional lamb and potato curry is delectable as the meat is tender and very well cooked. With a fantastic aroma, meen moilee, fish cooked in a coconut gravy with vinegar, fresh coriander, green chilies and ground spices is also worth a try.
Country captain from the boned free range birds selection, cooked in pepper-hot, mustard, coriander, cumin and vinegar gravy, has a peppy flavour. Captain is the Anglo-Indian distortion of capon – a rooster. Even the shrimp and egg curry, cooked in coconut milk, tamarind, tomatoes and coriander seeds is lovely.
All the above dishes are perfect to be paired with naan or roti.
Dessert, the most delightful part of the meal is highlighted by shahi tukhra – bread dipped in sugar syrup, topped up with saffron and reduced milk. Garnished with pistachios and almonds, the desert is amazing and will definitely stimulate your sweet tooth and leave you craving for more.
The Anglo-Indian soiree, which is on till June 28. A meal for two (A la carte) would be approximately `3500 + taxes.