Aromatic, rich in flavours, and comforting in taste, it is the sort of culinary experience that you cherish for a lifetime. The restaurant Okra at the Hyderabad Marriott Hotel, Tank Bund Road, gave Middle Eastern cuisine its well-deserved moment in the sun. Curated by Chef Jameela Ghani, the lavish Arab food buffet spread drew many tempted tummies from across the city, including CE.
We started with Fattoush, made with mixed green salad, pita croutons, and Salatan Dijaj, which was chicken salad. The beauty of Middle Eastern food lies in its grilled delights — from the live counter, we devoured the Dijaj Shawarma, pita pockets stuffed with pan-grilled chicken. We also had Shish Lamb Kebab, a ground meat lamb kebab, Shish Tawook, a grilled chicken kebab, Samak Mishwi, which was grilled fish, and Rubiyan Mishwi, grilled prawns. Paired with hummus and broccoli dips, this made for a scrumptious experience.
Moving on to the main course, we had Kabsa Dijaj, which was Arabic chicken biryani, and Rubiyan Nasaf, prawns in semi-dry gravy which had the perfect balance of flavours. Salona Batata, a delightful potato gravy, was also a standout dish in the buffet spread. And isn’t dessert always par for the course? So, we savoured the rich milk pudding, Mahalabia, which was a great end to the meal.
Chef Jameela beamed with joy as she saw people enjoying her food. In no time, she was quite the celebrity too, politely posing for selfies and chatting with guests.
But the most wonderful experience was her sitting along with us; with a graceful smile, she suggested what we could try from the spread. With each bite, it was evident that she had put her heart and soul into making sure her guests were well-fed and satisfied — classic Arab hospitality, very similar to our Hyderabadi generosity.
She expressed her love for Hyderabad, saying, “I love the city and appreciate the fact that people here relish their food with love. Each time I come here, I have a great time and take those memories with me.” The chef has a favourite dish in Hyderabadi cuisine — “I love marag; it is really very tasty here. But the biryani is too spicy and the haleem has too much masala in it. I am a simple person when it comes to food…I do not make my food too complicated, especially when I’m cooking for myself,” she says, laughing.
The buffet spread at Okra showed that Middle Eastern cuisine doesn’t just carry a piece of its grand history in each bite — you feel the love, warmth, and happiness with which it is made.