Gorge on this Diwali treat
HOW WOULD YOU like to add a touch of Paris to your Diwali festivities? As bizarre as it may sound, this is exactly what we tried ahead of the Festival of Lights at Galeries Lafayette’s Le Gourmet restaurant in The Dubai Mall. The multi-cuisine restaurant, with an open-floor seating plan and a Parisian store feel, has pulled out all the stops for this grand Indian celebration with their special Diwali offering.
On the cards is a three-course fixed menu featuring North Indian classics (with a choice between two starters, main course and dessert). Light and simple (instead of a full on buffet), perhaps a Choti (small) Diwali treat on Badi (big) Diwali day, this offer makes for an interesting choice for people who would be gorging on calorie-rich sweets and other treats on the big day.
We started with the Kaddo ka Soup – made from roasted red pumpkin with Indian spices. We would have preferred this dish to be spiked with some more spices. Next, we tried the Dahi Vada (fried lentil dumplings topped with sweet yoghurt, tamarind and mint sauces). The chilled Vada went well with the yoghurt and chutney topping and made for a refreshing appetizer.
The mains featured Murgh Malai Kebab (grilled boneless chicken marinated in yoghurt, cream cheese and cashew nuts) and Palak Paneer (cottage cheese in a creamy spinach and fenugreek gravy). Both the mains were delicious, but our personal favourite was the Murgh Kebab. The dish featured delicately spiced, mouth-melting pieces of chicken topped with diced mango, and it went well with the tandoori naans.
Lastly, no Diwali celebration can be complete without sweets. This is one day in the year (besides a few others of course!) that one should leave their diet goals behind and gorge on festive sweets, and that’s exactly what we did. We tried some mango kulfi (traditional Indian ice cream), it was divine and a delightful baked vanilla yoghurt. Both dishes left us asking for more.
The Diwali treat ended with steaming cups of the ubiquitous Kadak Chai, flavoured with spices. Though we are used to elaborate treats during festival time, this Diwali special, however, offered us a different take on a traditional festive meal, and at Dhs90 per head (inclusive of taxes), it’s worth it. The Diwali menu offer ends today.