Mutton Dry Fry @ Najaf, Deira

al-tawasol is my favorite restaurant in dubai to have mandi rice. however, right opposite of tawasol, there’s another gem that’s worth checking out – najaf restaurant, serving more than just good briyani, but a lot of other indian and pakistani dishes too.

their must-try specialty is the deliciously spicy mutton dry fry.

 

with my sis-in-law teh and the kiddos in front of najaf restaurant

 

it’s situated in deira, near the famous deira landmark, the clock tower. if you know how to get to tawasol, you know where najaf is, because it’s just on the opposite side.

however, parking near the restaurant can be complicated, because it cannot be accessed from the front – you have to come from the back of the restaurant, and park at the wide parking lot right next to najaf.

 

 

as always in most restaurants in dubai, there’s the common or all-male section on the ground floor, and the family section on the first floor.

 

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the briyani rice. soft beads of rice. melts in your mouth. hmm. enak dimakan begitu saja!

 

chicken masala. thick, tasty gravy and ultra soft chicken. excellent partner to the briyani. cicah dengan roti canai pun sedap ni!

 

i think this is called dry chilli chicken. not too spicy, but marinated so well that it’s so delicious! crispy, crunchy, juicy!

 

and here’s the star! mutton dry fry. fried to perfection with onion and plenty of curry leaves – and i just love the taste and smell of green chilli. tender lamb with great black peppery taste. simple the bomb!

 

to top it all, a complimentary plate of fresh cut-up veggies – cucumber, salad, tomatoes and carrots.

 

and of course, the briyani is incomplete without the popadam. krup krup!

 

here you can get a good glass of sada chai (teh tarik), and for mr. khairul, one glass is never enough! i decided to go against the norm (usually i just have plain mineral water) and ordered a tall glass of coconut juice.

usually when i say coconut drink, it’s usually clear with chunks of coconut flesh. however, here the coconut flesh is blended together with the juice and milk. the result – a lemak-lemak drink with rough bits of blended coconut. nice, and mr. khairul like this one, but i prefer the original coconut drink!

 

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teh with the boys

 

for khaleef’s birthday party last year, we actually catered food from najaf. their delivery service was prompt and smooth. they also provided the chaffing dish so the dishes were all very presentable and easily served to guests.

for a delicious, cheap plate of briyani, head on to najaf restaurant in deira. and be sure to order the mutton dry fry!