I just love kababs. I love how decadently smooth they taste, garnished with onion rings and served with green coriander chutney (I don't like mint, so no mint chutney for me). Whether its Shammi or Seekh, Kakori, Galauti or Patthar, the word kabab just opens up an alternate reality for me. It speaks of an era of leisure and art, of dance and music, of delicate finesse and master craftsmen, of zardozi and chikin, of the Mughals and their palaces.
I've grown up, listening to stories about the fabled Tunday Kababi in Lucknow (courtesy my father who spent many of his summer holidays as a child in Lucknow). Tunday Kababi has grown from an Awadh institution to a brand name and a successful business today, probably due to the fact that they have been able to keep up the quality of their kababs to what it was when it became famous.
People adore kababs with a variety of different breads. My husband's favourite is kali mirch-malai kababs with garlic naan. Kababs are also popularly paired with parathas. I've had kababs with roomali rotis, rolled up with some shredded-cabbage-onion kachumber and green chutney - just like wraps. I've also had buttery smooth shammi kebabs in piping hot puris where burning your tongue on the first bite is a part of the joy of eating the kabab.
There's this place close to my workplace which makes these kababs called 'Chicken Russian Kababs'. I've never figured out what is so 'Russian' about these kebabs. All I know is that they are soft and gooey on the inside, crisp on the outside (shallow frying at its best). I also suspect that they add some cheese to this (I'm sure the purists will raise a mean eyebrow at this). But they taste great.
Unfortunately, Mumbai isn't very famous for its kababs. It seems as if the kabab culture has not really trickled down here. I mean, there are a couple of places that make decent kababs, but nothing great enough to write home about.
Do you know of places in Mumbai that make good kababs?
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