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Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, is now upon us and according to my Indian friends it’s a time that signifies the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance and hope over despair.
It’s also regarded as one of the happiest holidays and a case of ‘in with the new … and out with the old’, resulting in a shopping frenzy for clothes and glittering gold gifts.
It also means family and friends gathering to enjoy traditional feasts … so where better to combine both pursuits than the marvellous City Centre Bahrain and its adjoining Baharat restaurant at Le Meridian.
The venue is conjuring up a sensational Diwali Festival of Food … with a special touch of authentic India in the shape of Master Chef Shahnawaz Qureshi who has flown in especially from sister hotel, the JW Marriott Juhu, Mumbai.
This week, he has teamed up with the restaurant’s executive sous chef, Hany Mostafa and his right hand man, Indian junior sous chef Habibu Rahaman Molla, to offer specially-themed lunches, dinner and even a Diwali Brunch on Friday.
“I’m using some treasured recipes which will be finding their way on to the dining table after 200 years!” Chef Shahnawaz told GulfWeekly.
He’s not joking. The talented culinary conqueror is the fourth generation descendant of the famous Qureshi family of chefs from Lucknow and brings with him secret recipes which have been handed down by his ancestors.
With more than a decade of experience, Chef Shahnawaz is passionate about gastronomy, spices and authentic flavours. “Tradition is extremely important to me,” he explained. “It means a great deal. The secret recipes, spices and traditional cooking methods have been handed over to me by my family and I take great pride and confidence in presenting them to diners in Bahrain.”
He then whispered those four magical words that would delight any food critic ... ‘let me show you’.
And show me, he did.
If you love plump fried prawns flavoured with a hint of ginger and garlic, then bite into the Sunehri Jhinga. Taste the tantalising vegetarian alternative to chicken too with a plate of Paneer Tikka, a fresh cheese delight.
My standout starter, however, was the Galawat Lamb Kebab, marinated mince made with the Qureshi family’s secret recipe of spices and simply one of those melt-in-the-mouth memorable moments I will forever savour.
The main courses sampled showed the chef and team’s culinary divisiveness as it included a red meat marvel, a piece of perfect poultry and the finest of fish dishes.
The Gosht Biryani will surely be a firm favourite with the many Bahraini guests joining the party.
It’s a lamb marinated with yoghurt and oil to help tenderise it and cooked on a low flame with spice-infused rice.
The Murgh Musallam was described as an ‘impress-your-friends-and-relatives dish’ by my Indian friends if you want to try making it at home (so don’t miss out on the master class, folks!).
Again, the tender taste is down to the marinating and the spices, and the same can be said for the superb Samurari Fish Masala, a black pomfret, native to reefs of the Indian Ocean, cooked in an tomato fragrant, flavour-enhancing, spice mixture based gravy. It was absolutely gorgeous.
Enjoy the Diwali Festive Season at Baharat until Monday with lunch and dinner priced BD18net.
The Diwali Brunch on Friday from 12.30pm to 4pm costs BD26net with soft drinks and BD38net with selected beverages.
An exclusive cooking class on Saturday from 12.30pm to 2pm with Master Chef Shehnawaz costs BD18net.
The festive celebrations also include live Indian entertainment and there’s the chance to win gifts, prizes and much more.
For more details or to book a table, call 17171441 or 33606232.
