Mango Fish Curry @ Kayaloram in Karama

one thing about indian restaurants in dubai, most are rich in serving cuisines from all over india; north indian, and south indian, oh and wherever else! as a result, we get all this different kinds of briyani, all sorts of curry imaginable – indian cuisine is infinitely rich in flavours, texture and taste! amazing. and when we stumble upon kayaloram, we’re also spoilt for choice. what curry to eat with hot steamed rice?

kayaloram is near al-khazna center, karama. we were waiting for khaleef’s specs to be fixed nearby, grew hungry, and got into the first available indian restaurant. what a find. boasting ‘the real taste of kerala’, the food here is indeed delicious!

 

mango in curry? whaaaat or wowwww?

 

 

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the interior is simple, but very clean and spacious. the staff were helpful and courteous; smartly dressed complete with head cover like shower caps. i would say, kayaloram presented itself very well.

 

khaleef enjoying his paratha.

 

we tried the chicken corn soup, a very common soup available in any indian-chinese restaurants in dubai. this one is flavourful and freshly made. yummy!

 

 

malaysians call it ‘roti canai’ but here in dubai, the same fluffy bread with crispy flakey texture is called ‘paratha or parotha’. at kayaloram, the paratha is deliciously fluffy; as good as you can get at ‘green city’ or ‘metro falcon’ – both a favorite paratha haunt for malaysians in dubai. my boys are great fans of paratha, but only my eldest khaleef eats it with spicy curry. kahfi and kazim preferred dipping their paratha in sugar.

 

 

now comes the star of the show – the ‘king fish mango curry’ with all its smell, flavour and color! i was skeptical at first; being the less adventurous foodie of the two, but mr khairul immediately loved it. love at first sip of the curry! i mean, mango FRUIT, in a savoury curry? it’s absurd (at least to me!) just like putting nangka in our masak lemak cilli padi huhu. but try it i did. it’s not drastically different in taste compared to the curries that i’ve had before, but with the mango in the curry, it does give the curry an extra kick of zest. overall, delicious with hot steamed rice!

 

i wanted something other than fish, which is also NOT too spicy, so we got this crispy dry-fry chicken. absolutely tasty. crispy on the outside, juicy and tender on the inside. well-marinated.

 

 

   complimentary plate of veggies.

 

if you ever wanna try ‘the real taste of kerala’, head on to kayaloram in karama. i don’t know for sure whether it IS the REAL taste, but i can assure you that it is a great one. delicious! semua sedap!

Homely Feel @ Indian Restaurant ‘Katis’ in Sharjah

if you ever need to eat out while still feel you’re eating at home with friendly faces and personalized service, I would recommend ‘katis restaurant’ – an indian restaurant serving north indian food in sharjah. they offer chinese cuisine too. the food was good and the staff welcomed us with warmth and smiles.

how did we find ‘katis restaurant’? we were thinking of mandi restaurant, but later decided to go for indian food. browsed ‘zomato’ and looked for the highest-rated indian restaurant in sharjah. bam! it brought us to ‘katis’.

 

here I am with mr. khairul’s family in front of ‘katis restaurant’ – his aunt maklang, me, my sis-in-law tina, and mr. khairul’s mom. they’re here in dubai for a 1-month visit. ‘katis restaurant’ is situated opposite ‘safeer mall’ at al-khan street. it’s easy to spot with its big red font and a funny cartoon of a chef holding a hot pot.

 

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for starters, we tried the popular ‘momos’ – which was regularly mentioned positively by patrons in their review of ‘katis’. ‘momos’ is a type of dumpling with filling. the one we got at ‘katis’ was steamed fresh and filled with chicken. mr. khairul loves dumpling, but me not so much. however, I can always try at least one!

 

our plate of hot steamed momos came with a delicious spicy chili dip. though I would’ve preferred pan-fried momos, but this tasted good. the crescent-shaped dough was soft and light, while the filling is tasty, with a nice portion. when you dip it in the hot chili – saucy! I would order the momos again – and this time, fried ones!

 

for the main course, we ordered the ‘chicken handi briyani’, served exotically in a claypot, covered with bread; like a lid. adorable! (if I’m not mistaken, ‘handi briyani’ means that the briyani is cooked in an earthen pot – ‘handi’ being the cooking pot for the rice – hence, the presentation). the briyani presentation looks so traditional that it beckons our hungry tummy even more!

 

mr. khairul cut-up the top of the bread to reveal the delicious briyani inside the pot.

 

the chicken handi briyani

 

the steam came up and I see soft beads of rice with wonderful color and aroma. so inviting! the chicken is hidden somewhere inside the rice, like a tasty treasure waiting to be unearthed. the combination of chicken and rice – delicious.

I’m always cautious when eating indian briyani because sometimes the spices can be a bit too much for my mild taste buds but the ‘handi briyani’ at ‘katis’ seemed just right to satisfy my tummy. highly recommended!

 

my sis-in-law fancies having fried rice so we got this ‘shanghai fried rice’ which was, funnily enough, rice fried together with noodle! interesting! this dish is simple, yet satisfying. the key is its freshly fried! (also, because I love anything with capsicum in them!)

 

my boys had their favorite ‘paratha’ and enjoyed their meal. to me the texture of the paratha at ‘katis’ is more to capati than the fluffier version of paratha that I’m used to. nevertheless, my boys had no trouble finishing up the whole basket of paratha, and that’s just fine by me! oh but I just love their dalcha, tasty and complements the paratha well.

 

my sis-in-law tina enjoying her meal with a smile. huhu. beside her is mr. khairul’s aunt mak lang – not saying a word while eating – that means the food is good! haha

 

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when I first entered ‘katis’, it seemed gloomy and cramped because of the bold wallpaper – but slowly I find the pretty wallpaper welcoming, and the gloominess was actually comfy and cozy. especially when we received personalized service from the staff at ‘katis’, including the owner himself who was very friendly and always suggests good food we might like to try.

 

beaded curtains separate our eating area with the door to the washroom which is a nice touch. and hygienic too!

 

welcome to ‘katis restaurant’!

 

this photography was taken from its facebook page. click here to go to katis restaurant’s facebook page. thank you for the memorable picture!

Mango Curry & Iced Chili Drink @ Calicut Paragon

‘calicut paragon’ in karama is one of our favorite indian restaurants in dubai. for the best dry fry crab with the juiciest flesh and spicy marinade, this is the place to be.

however, during our umpteenth visit to ‘calicut paragon’, we decided to eat hot steamed rice with fish curry – and not just any normal fish curry – but MANGO fish curry! also, mr. khairul was pushing his adventurous foodie card a little too far this time by ordering an iced cool drink – with cut-up chili in it.

yeap. icy cold drink with chili slices. crazy!

 

the scary drink called ‘green fire’ with sliced chili

 

steamed rice, with mango fish curry – my first try

 

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one of our favorite indian restaurants in dubai – other than appa kadai, and saravana bhavan

 

other than our must-order dry fry crab, this is also our favorite appetizer – the ‘spinach delight’, crispy fried spinach served with garlic flavored spicy sauce. crispy, crunchy, delicious and really appetizing! we never come here without ordering a plate!

 

tangy mango fish curry

 

this is the first time I tried the ‘mango fish curry’, fresh fish and raw mango in creamy coconut milk. hmm mango. I half-expected this dish to be slightly on the sweet side like our malay ‘pajeri nenas’. then I remembered that I LOVE pajeri nenas, so I would probably like this dish too. it does have that slight tang of mango but not too empowering.

the flesh of the fish falls off easily from the bones like jelly. lovely texture. the curry gravy is not too thick. an overall delicious dish that is so perfect with hot steamed rice. highly recommended.

 

the star : the dry fry crab

 

“..and this is the dish that we came here for. if you’re a crab-fan, don’t miss trying this dry fry crab when you’re at ‘calicut paragon’.

it’s marinated to perfection, and spiced well. the bits of crumbs on the plate floor adds to the appeal of this dish. mr. khairul was disturbingly quiet the entire time as he ravaged through the delicious dry fry crab. literally tak toleh kiri kanan!

i only get to taste one bite! but that’s just because i’m no fan of this side-walking creature of the sea. i’ll let the real crab-freak finish this one!”

- what I wrote in my first ever review of the dry fry crab at ‘calicut paragon’. click here to read more.

 

me eating briyani rice or steamed rice and indian curry is incomplete without these accompanying buddies – the every appetizing crispy popadam, and the refreshing yoghurt dip ‘raitha’. it’s like my ‘sambal belacan’ la. must have!

 

‘the green fire’, a drink with chili, said to be a popular drink in some parts of india

 

and now we come to that crazy drink that mr. khairul was bold (and brave) enough to try – called the ‘green fire’ described in its menu as a ‘refreshing passion fruit drink with ripped chili and lime’.

the key word is CHILI. it’s suicide for your tongue!

mr. khairul stirred, and plunged his straw deep down, and took a sip. I’m sure steam was coming out of his ears macam citer kartun tu. it was a weird combo – icy cold, and yet super spicy.

actually the trick is to pull up your straw and drink the top part of the drink; since all the chili and whatnot are at the bottom. then only you get the passion fruit taste with that intended spicy zing. it won’t be that spicy. mr. khairul found this out the hard way – only after subjecting his taste bud to this incomprehensible spicy chili drink!

 

 

click here to read our first experience at ‘calicut paragon’.

Beautiful Nan Bread @ Ravi, Satwa

my bff putri was in dubai mid feb. once landed on dubai sandy soil, we straightaway took her makan. tak lapar? jom la makan sikit. supper. isi perut.

yeah, right. with us, nothing is ‘makan sikit’. hihi.

it was way past midnight, so we took her to ravi restaurant in satwa (one of the makan places in dubai which is still open after hours), and got her the most beautiful looking nan-bread I’ve ever seen! and eaten!

 

one of the best nan bread you will ever eat. thick and fluffy. crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. and the pattern on the nan bread that amazed me the most! mr khairul said it resembles a bee-hive columns! cantik siot! SO delicious!

 

aunty put with kahfi. happy to finally reach dubai, and super tired right from the 7-hour flight from malaysia. kena paksa makan besa pulak tu. haha.

 

we sat outside on the pavement, soaking in all the hustle and bustle of late-night dubai. the weather was fantastic – cooling and windy, just nice for an outdoor makan-makan. potted plants lined the curb so no worries of your kids trailing out on the open road.

 

we got the chicken curry – as delicious as any chicken curry should be! SO yummy to accompany that gorgeous bee-hive nan bread!

 

apart from the chicken curry, we also ordered this ‘lamb keema’. ‘keema’ dish is simply curry but using minced meat. and it’s not exactly dry, but there’s not much gravy. this one is so delicious, I absolutely LOVE it with the nan bread!

 

ravi restaurant offers cheap, super delicious pakistani and indian dishes. it opens way into the night, making it one of the more popular makan places around satwa and bur dubai. sedap, murah dan banyak. jarang nak dapat kat dubai wo. (image : google)

Briyani Birthday Party

we haven’t seen this lovely indian family for so long that i was surprised to see how much the kids have grown. i then fell into the cliched makcik-makcik comments of saying, “wah, you got so tall already! taller than your father i bet!” no wonder we got that all the time from elderly strangers when we were growing up! that’s the first thing they notice when they see us!

we were there at radha and sreeja’s home to join in the celebration of their daughter’s birthday, rajsree who turned 3 yesterday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY sweetheart!

 

ben10 buddies : their eldest son rahul, whom khaleef fondly calls ‘abang’ (brother)

 

our lovely hosts; sreeja & radha holding the birthday girl rajsree

 

from right : radha in white shirt, mr. khairul & a very smiley guest. hihi. radha is mr. khairul’s former right hand man, who still keeps in close contact even after he joined another company.

 

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partying at an indian household means the main menu is unmistakably the delicious briyani rice! we really looked forward to eating briyani at radha’s as we know his wife sreeja makes really good homemade chicken briyani – original indian briyani!

 

…however, with a lot of guests coming and sreeja not feeling well – they simply ordered chicken briyani from a newly opened restaurant near their place. radha has a way of knowing good briyani when he sees one, and this one is another good bet because it’s really delicious!

 

they also ordered this spicy chicken dish that taste a little bit like our malay chicken rendang. it was really good and i took a lot! thanks sreeja for packing some for us to bring home!

 

also a must-have when you visit any indian restaurant – their fried chicken with special herb and spices. fried with onions and curry leaves. yummy.

 

roti canai pun ade! khaleef just ate the parotha (roti canai) with sugar.

 

indian’s food history is rich with milk-based desserts. seems like everything would be just a little bit sweeter with as much milk as they can add! this particular dessert is essentially sweet milk, with fideo pasta (really thin, short pasta) drowning in it. hihi. indian sweets have always been too sweet for me!

 

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the kids had a great time hanging out at abang rahul’s new double deck bed and playing with his cousins. the parents of course had a great time chit-chatting and stuffing their tummies with delicious briyani and all the chicken dishes. excellent!

before we left, radha also had some presents for our boys, wrapped up nicely. how thoughtful! the boys were so excited. thank you uncle radha! hihi. next time – home-cooked chicken briyani from sreeja’s kitchen ok!

Briyani in Bamboo @ Masala Bay

briyani rice cooked in bamboo?

there are so many, many, MANY indian restaurants all over dubai. in order to stand out from the many, a restaurant needs to have good food with great price, good location with good service – and to be unique.

‘masala bay’ in discovery gardens may look like any other indian restaurant, service pretty much the same food – but the uniqueness lies in the way they serve their briyani!

 

briyani rice is served in bamboo trunk. the server pushes out the rice from the wooden tube, by edging a stick through an opening.

 

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this branch of ‘masala bay’ is situated in discovery gardens, serving south indian food of the kerala state which – like its name suggested – rich in ‘masala’ (indian spices). the fiery symbol on its red signage can also prepare you for the hot spices of their dishes!

 

 

my favorite color is yellow, so i was immediately drawn to their ceiling which brightens up the minimal interior of the restaurant. it’s not that spacious, but comfy. a small clear window shows the chef in action.

i love the pictures on the walls – close-ups of spices, chillis and my favorite is a world map made solely from small beads of indian spice. nice.

 

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appetizer : the super crispy popadom which is unlike any indian popadam i’ve ever tasted. very thin and crispy, with curry leaves and sprinkled with what probably is paprika. it’s served with this green dip.

 

 

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this is ‘raitha’, a cold yoghurt dip with cut-up cucumber and onion, usually served with indian food to balance the heat and spiciness of the dishes. i love to dip my popadam in this ‘raitha’, as i eat my spicy briyani. excellent.

 

love this one too. is this coconut chutney? hmm.

 

for the boys, we ordered roti canai.

you’d be surprise to know that although there are many indian restaurants in dubai, it’s not as easy to find GOOD roti canai (parotha they call it here). really!

here, they are not too big on roti canai because they make so many, many other types of indian ‘roti’. so the best roti canai in dubai so far that i’ve tried are from ‘green city’, and ‘appa kadai’. and then i found this one at ‘masala bay’, and i liked it! not bad. soft, with a little crisp brownish spots here and there. nice.

 

we accompanied our roti canai (the parotha) with this thick, delicious curry chicken. yum.

 

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..and here’s the main dish!

we ordered mutton briyani and they’re cooked normal but later steamed in this cool, classic-looking bamboo trunk, and then served straight on our plate. the waiter pushes out the rice from the wooden tube, by edging a stick through an opening. what a presentation!

 

the portion can be shared by two, especially if you’re also eating parotha. hihi. i like this mutton briyani at ‘masala bay’ because they’re not too spicy and the spices – though rich in flavor but not too overwhelming like some briyani tend to be if you add too much spices. overall, a delicious treat – soft beads of rice, and the mutton easily shreded and tender.

 

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as usual, mr. khairul’s trip to any indian restaurants is incomplete without an order of sada chai. this indian tea is heated up on stove together with the milk, water and tea leaves which gives it a more rich milky taste that mr. khairul loves. must always ask, “tea bag? or not?” if it’s JUST tea-bag, don’t go for it. hihi. try the original!

 

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while you wait for your order, you can enjoy amusing yourself with reading the jokes on its placemats. funny!

 

 

‘masala bay’ has a nice, relaxed ambiance to it, and the servers are polite and prompt. i would try this place again for the chicken briyani next!