Sufiaana in Rajouri Garden boasts of authentic Persian cuisine and lays great emphasis on presentation. Shrabasti Mallik finds out more about the place
Shrimps in vodka shot glasses, malai chicken on a portable tandoor and shawarma in champagne glasses — were few of the dishes at Sufiaana that stole our hearts with its unique presentation, not to mention the delectable array of food.
Food places which specialise in specific cuisines we have many, but there are only a handful of places which boasts of serving food lovers with Persian, Arabic and Turkish cuisine. Six-month-old Sufiaana in Rajouri Garden is creating a name for itself for two things — good food and an even better presentation. We decided to check the place out for ourselves and we were not disappointed.
It was a little difficult to spot the place amidst the hustle and bustle of the busy street but once inside, we were cut-off from all the cacophony with sufi music playing in the backdrop.
Chef Niraj welcomed us to a wonderful culinary experience.
We were just getting comfortable when the chef offered us an amuse-bouche made of misti doi, prepared using the molecular gastronomy method. The sweet flavour of the yoghurt burst into our mouths, leaving a tingly feeling. “It is a complimentary appetiser that we serve all our guests,” the chef told us.
Next on our table was the Persian tamatar shorba (a tomato stew) along with a slice of well-toasted bread. Non-vegetarians can try their murgh dhaniya shorba (chicken stew with freshly chopped coriander). But one can give it a miss in this summer heat. What we would recommend is their fattoush salad. Not only is it refreshing with its crunchy veggies but it also has a lot of cooling spices that the chef uses. He pointed out, “It is mainly a mixture of pomegranate molasses, garlic cloves, dried mint and lemon juice.”
One would identify shawarma rolls as a lebanese dish and we were surprised when the chef presented it to us. He explained to us that shawarma is an Arabic word. “In 539 BC, Phoenicia, a place at the coastline of modern lebanon, was conquered by Persia. So that is why it is a part of Persian cuisine,” he added. The dish, accompanied with tabbouleh (a levantine vegetarian dish traditionally made of tomatoes, finely chopped parsley, mint, bulgur and onion, and seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt) and hummus was soft and the chicken shavings were fleshy and juicy.
We got a glimpse of their presentation when the shawarma came in champagne glasses followed by rubyan mal’i (prawns coated with flaked rice powder and golden fried), which came in vodka shot glasses, with three sauces — mustard, chilli and mayo and cheese. The coating was slightly hard but the prawns were fried perfectly.
Chef Niraj said, “The way the food looks on the plate is what tempts our eyes and makes you want to taste it. A good presentation enhances the taste and flavour of a dish. There is no hard rule for presenting a preparation. It is all about imagination and your applying your creativity and we have paid special attention to it.”
The most spectacular presentation was that of the chicken harissa brought to us on a fiery grill and was set up in flames before being served. We also tried their aam panna and lychee mocktail. The mixture of the two ingredients was balanced and was a refreshing break from all the food.
Vegetarians can try their Kashmiri paneer tikka, which is prepared in the Persian way — with yoghurt, lemon and coriander. The chef explained, “Persian cuisine is ancient, varied and cosmopolitan. Eating habits and products from ancient Greece, Rome and many Asian and Mediterranean cultures have been influenced and are affected by this unique cuisine. Persians brought their cuisine to the Indian subcontinent in the Middle Ages, and to this day the Persian and Hindi names for many dishes are nearly identical. Few dishes are very popular in Persian cuisine like pita bread, hummus, chelow kebab, harissa and rubyan.” For the vegetarians the menu has spinach and cheese fatayer.
Typical Persian main dishes are combination of rice with meat, lamb, chicken or fish and some onions, vegetables, nuts, and herbs. Chef Niraj has tried to keep the Persian flavours intact in his preparations. He explained, “Persian flavorings such as saffron, dried limes, cinnamon, pomegranate sauce, pistachio and parsley are mixed delicately and used in some special Persian dishes.”
For the main course we went for the chicken tajine (chicken and gravy on a bed of khus khus). The gravy was moderately spicy which went well with the khus khus. “Khus khus is a grain of the barley family,” the chef told us. One can also try their veg mezze platter, an assortment of different dishes like spinach and cheese fatayer, batata hara (veg kebab), pita bread, hummus, baba ganoush (a levantine dish of cooked eggplant mixed with onions, tomatoes, olive oil and various seasonings) and tabbouleh.
There was nothing new that we could order for dessert because the chef is working on some Persian desserts which he will introduce soon. “The baklava (a Turkish rich, sweet pastry made of layers of filo filled with chopped nuts and sweetened and held together with syrup or honey) is undergoing trials and we have plans to introduce it soon. We will also add the molten chocolate lava cake to our dessert list,” explained chef Niraj.