House of Karims: A Mughal Affair

Evolved in the royal kitchens of the Mughal Empire in Medieval India, Mughlai cuisine is an amalgamation of Indian and Persian cuisines.

Though often confused with the regular Indian food, Mughlai cuisine is an entirely different entity. Right from the ingredients, preparation and expertise to the time one takes to prepare, Mughlai cuisines are very unique and out of the box. The preparation is time-consuming and very involved with the number of flavoured sauces and butter-based curries—it's almost like it was created to make people want more food because it can be that indulgent!

Because the Mughals were Muslim and Hindus by religion, pork and beef were traditionally not a part of this cuisine and instead heavily consumed and used goat, fowls, sheep, and venison in addition to vegetarian-based dishes.

When we heard of authentic Mughlai food being available in Kathmandu, we couldn’t wait to get our hands on it. House of Karim’s is an authentic Mughlai food delivery service at the moment. At the moment they are available on Foodmandu, Bhojdeals and their very own delivery service. They are in the process of opening their micro outlet in Thamel and we cannot wait!

We tried some of the richest dishes offered by Mughlai cuisine by the House of Karim’s. They specialize in their curries and we were definitely not disappointed. Off the menu, we chose Nalli Nihari, Chicken Achaari, Malai Kofta and the Kolkata-style Chicken Biryani.

Biryani is derived from the Persian word Birian, which means ‘fried before cooking’ and Birinj, the Persian word for rice. While there are multiple theories about how biryani made its way to India, it is generally accepted that it originated in West Asia.

Banished by the British, the legendary gourmet Nawab Wajid Ali Shah tried to recreate his beloved dish in the city of Kolkata. Unable to afford meat due to budget constraints, the local cooks gave the recipe a tweak, replacing meat with perfectly cooked golden-brown potatoes – the signature of the Kolkata biryani.

After having tried some of the best biryanis in India, we were sceptical to try this, in fear of being disappointed. However, it turned out to be the best Kathmandu has to offer. It was everything a biryani should be- light and fluffy rice, tender meat pieces and full of flavour. And it was all tied perfectly together with some raita on the side.

Nalli nihari is a rich and spicy mutton stew, slow cooked for hours with the perfect blend of Indian spices that creates that great aromatic flavour. This dish was everything it claimed, and we can see it becoming our regular order.

In some restaurants, a few kilos from each day's leftover Nihari is added to the next day's pot. This re-used portion of Nihari is called taar and is believed to provide the unique flavour. Some Nihari outlets in old Delhi boast of an unbroken taar going back more than a century!

Another favourite was the Chicken Achaari. The name does give away what to expect from the dish. Achaari, meaning pickles, uses spices you’d find in traditional Indian pickles, giving the curry a punch of strong flavours and leaving you wanting for more.

Even though House of Karim’s specialises in meat dishes, vegetarians, don’t be too disappointed because the meat-less options, limited as they may be, were still very delicious. The Malai Kofta was melt-in-your-mouth and was at par with the non-vegetarian dishes. It’s worth trying for all those ‘hard-core’ meat eaters too, who run at the sight of a vegetable. We really wish we could have tried more vegetarian dishes, but our stomachs had given up on us.

Overall, the experience was excellent! It met all our expectations, and then some. If you’re hosting a party or just want to enjoy a rich and decadent meal fit for royalty, this is the place to keep in mind. Our compliments to the chefs!

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Bon appetite!

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