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SPICY COLD REMEDY
BY SARAH BROBERG
It's said that Indian food is a natural remedy for a head cold,
the curry and cumin clearing sinuses faster than any modern medicine.
And on this particular night, with my sinuses in a jam, I discovered
it to be true.
Biryani, Cairo's newest Indian restaurant, welcomes diners with
the fragrant, and flu-fighting scents of curry and cumin, but goes
light on the aesthetics. The sparsely decorated dining area - really
just a few Indian tapestries and wall paintings - may suggest the
owners are parsimonious when it comes to the food, but that's simply
not the case. Clearly, a great amount of energy has been exerted
to make really great food.
We started with the lentil soup with curry (£E 9), a fragrant
blend of lentils, with just enough fresh parsley to register above
the spicy curry. Although a bit thin for our liking, the warm broth
revved up our appetites without filling us up.
And so we were in peak form when the samosa (£E 10) arrived.
Similar to the local sambousak, Indian samosa are fried pastries,
but are stuffed with whole peas and spicy mashed potatoes and seasoned
with onion, green pepper, garlic, coriander, ginger and red pepper.
Served fresh and warm - almost like a mini potpie - the spicy pastries
helped clear my stubborn sinuses a bit. Fortunately, the accompanying
green dipping sauce, a mixture of pureed garlic, green pepper, parsley
and dill, helped take a bit of the kick out of the spicy snacks.
Following our waiter's recommendation, we ordered two entrées
- one saucy and the other spicy. The former, murgh tikka masala
(£E 30), was a boneless chicken in tomato and curry sauce,
while the latter, gosht biryani (£E 39), was pieces of lamb
mixed with basmati rice, onions and curry spices.
As murgh tikka masala goes, Biryani's is a particularly generous
portion of large chunks of chicken. Skewered and then stewed in
a thick, tangy tomato sauce made with cream, butter and a hint of
coriander, the chicken absorbed the flavor of the sauce yet maintained
its distinctive grilled taste. Eating it with naan (£E 6)
a traditional Indian flat bread, or pudina paratha (£E 6),
a multi-layered bread with chopped mint, proved a bit messy, so
we ordered a side of basmati rice (£E 12).
The gosht biryani, meanwhile, was a zesty combination of lamb cubes
mixed together with basmati rice, fried onions, coriander and curry
spices. The succulent lamb had been expertly prepared, preserving
its flavor and juices to balance the slightly dry, yet well-cooked
rice. Each bite revealed new complexities, with hints of ginger,
garlic, green pepper, cumin, saffron, mint and turmeric.
Both entrées were well complemented by our side order of
palak paneer (£E 18), creamed spinach with garlic and cheese.
The hearty serving, sprinkled with mozzarella, was thick and dark
having been pureed with cream and butter into a heavy paste. Inside
were large, tasty chunks of fried paneer - a high protein cheese
that is often substituted for meat in many Indian vegetarian entrees.
While my sinuses were clear, my belly was feeling the heat. The
sweet lassi (£E 6), a homemade yoghurt drink made with a dash
of honey and served cold helped put out the tummy fire, leaving
us with enough warmth to brave the chilly outdoors.
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Biryani
Indian Restaurant
Salma Hotel
12 Mohamed Kamel Street
Mohandiseen
Tel: 760-9430, 760-6353
Hours: 11am to 11pm
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