Zafran, The Shahi Kitchen, the name itself sounds intriguing, doesn’t it? And when you realize the one behind this intriguing name is the same lady who runs “Zaiqa – The Spice Store”, you know you are in for a treat! And a major one at that!
To be honest, I have been in a dilemna of sorts. Anisa, the lady who runs both is a dear friend. And we have been waiting for her for what seems like forever to start this new venture of hers. The masalas from her Zaiqa store are so good that my kitchen has a continuous supply of them throughout the year. We just cant do without them masalas, you see! Coming to my dilemna, I don’t review friend’s restaurants as a rule as I am dead sure my judgement will be overshadowed by my friendship with the person. Even though I had ordered my first portion from her last Saturday, I had been contemplating whether or not to put up a review all this while. But then I realized I wouldn’t be able to call myself a true blue foodie at heart and not review this takeaway! It would be criminal not to review food this good!
Coming back to the review, Zafran offers a range of dishes, right from biryani to flavoured rice to kebabs and gravies. There is something for everyone in this menu. And the best part is that she offers an option of ordering half kg biryani too. This works best for smaller families like ours where ordering a kg of biryani would mean having the same dish for a week 🙂
Last weekend we ordered half kg of Sindhi Biryani to start off with. And the same was delivered in an insulated box which meant the food arrived piping hot! And the first thing that gets your attention is the packing, elegant and classy! And then the portion size hits you hard! When I rechecked afterwards, half kg actually stands for half kg of uncooked rice. And she uses a ratio of 500gms rice to 650gms meat which roughly translates to a whole lot of biryani! And priced at just 700rs, this Sindhi Chicken Biryani was already a winner of sorts. The biryani was accompanied by a portion each of salad, brinjal curry and a sweet.
After clicking those mandatory pictures that re needed for any review, we sat down to eat. In my mind, I was thinking how different it could be considering I make the biryani with her masala? And once you have a spoonful, you realize the difference, the two are actually miles apart! And then you understand the amount of passion she has to her craft. And the amount of love she puts into her food, just like her masalas. And then you are reminded of those wise words from that gem of a movie, Ustad Hotel, that the key is not to fill a person’s stomach. That is some thing anybody can achieve if they are sincere about their work. But to fill a person’s heart with love, now that is something rare. And only those who are truly passionate about food can even dream of achieving this.
With Zafran, Anisa has started doing just that. And we are having serious discussions at home on what should we order next!
Overall, the half kg options are quite easy on the budget and economical too considering the portion size. We are a family of two adults and two children and the half kg lasted for two solid meals. So, am I recommending Zafran? Immensely!
Hop over to Zafran – The Shahi Kitchen for the menu.
