A King's Feast at Tasneem’s

The celebration of Eid ul-Fitr culminates a month of fasting wherein the faithful have spent their time praying and beseeching God for forgiveness and mercy. For many, Ramadan was not just an abstention from food and drink. Rather, it was an exercise in patience and discipline. Eid is the celebration for those who fasted and obeyed God's rules and teachings. It is for those who spent the month of Ramadan in complete devotion to Allah. Eid is a time when the entire Muslim community comes together to share in each others joy and blessings and also to lessen the burden of those who may be suffering.

Muslims start the first day of Eid by getting up before sunrise, washing themselves and donning brand new clothes, usually bought especially for the celebration. Fajr (dawn) prayers are then offered as well as special Eid prayers. Family members then get together to wish each other “Eid Mubarak”, or a similar such greeting. In some places, children are gifted small amounts of money known as eidi. Food then begins to play a central role in celebrations.

The food during the celebrations vary in different parts of the world, but here in South Asia, the feast mainly consists of rich meat dishes and decadent desserts. Something truly fit for royalty. We were on the lookout for the perfect place Kathmandu to indulge ourselves with such delicacies and came across Tasneem’s in Dhamkal, Pulchowk.

What started out as just a home-based catering business, is now the beloved restaurant for all the meat lovers in town and sometimes vegetarians too. If you’re looking for great Indian food in the heart of the city, with Bollywood tunes to suit the mood, Tasneem’s is the full package. With indoor and outdoor seating options you can choose your setting depending on the weather conditions.

Ramadan is that special time of the year, when after a long day of fasting you look forward to sitting down with your family and friends for a that long awaited meal for Iftar. And what better way to do it than with a meal fit for kings. From barbecues to biryanis, they have it all.

We tried a selection of meats from the bbq section and the chicken biryani (obviously). You can choose what you want for the bbq from a selection of marinated meat displayed in the counter, and if you can’t make up your mind, the chefs are happy to help you choose from a selection of mutton and chicken options. Our favourites from the bbq were the Mutton Sheekh kebab, Mughlai chicken tikka, and the Achaari tikka. Each one had a distinct flavour and extremely tender. In addition to our bbq platter was the chicken cutlet, a customer favourite, and we can see why! - just melts in your mouth. And finally, the chicken biryani, served with raita met all our expectations. We’d heard about it for so long that we couldn’t wait to try it, and it definitely did not disappoint. With a generous meat to rice ratio, it’s one of the best biryanis we’ve had in town so far.

What’s great about the restaurant is that they really know how to throw a feast. Tasneem’s features few dishes on their menu that’s fit to feed an entire dinner party. Kabsa is slow cooked Raan, a whole chicken and a variety of kebabs all served on a bed of creamy chicken pulao. Bohra Thaal, a traditional ten course feast that showcases the different styles of cooking all served in one big platter to follow the age old tradition of eating together. And finally, Haleem, a meat stew that is slow cooked for 12-15 hours to get the best out of all it’s ingredients. With recipes passed down generations, you cannot find them anywhere else. All these dishes serve at least 6-8 people and require a day's notice for preparation. We would highly recommend this experience which is unlike any other.

Overall, it was a definitely an indulgent feast without breaking the bank. The chefs are well trained and have been called from India to keep the food authentic. There is so much more to try from the menu that we wanted to try it all. Maybe you could do that for us and let us know what to try next. On the 8th of June, Tasneem’s has put up a stall in Labim Mall for the Namaste Eid event, where they have a selection of their best sellers. They are also giving out free sevaiya to celebrate the festival with everyone, so don't miss out.

Eid Mubarak!

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