Zarin is India’s first Indo Persian restaurant, located in the beautifully picturesque Fairmont Hotel, Jaipur. The restaurant itself is spread over a huge space, with amazing views. The private dining room, where we ended up dining, is also quite opulent and special.
Our meal began with Mahi Zameen doz and Tabriz koftey. The mahi doz was sublime. It was a great piece of fish, marinated in amazing spices and then wrapped in a leaf and baked to perfection. It was like having a great European baked fish, elevated by subtle spicing.
Next came tabriz koftey, which were chicken dumplings with typical Persian nuts in a light onion broth. This again was a marvellous dish with spices making their presence felt without overpowering the taste.
There were a number of interesting accompaniments – chutneys, salads that made the food taste even better.
The chef was kind enough to get us the superhit of the day, the grilled lamb chops. The quality of the lamb, New Zealand was special along with the amazing marinade. Imprtantly, they were quite juicy inside with a perfect char on the top.
The best veg dish of the day was kasare pukhtan, which was a paneer dumpling in a sweet pumpkin gravy. I would have liked a little more spice to balance the sweetness of the dish but it was still quite palatable.
Another unmissable dish here was the atta raan, which was a whole leg of lamb sealed and cooked in a dough covering to keep it wonderfully moist inside. I’ve had many raan(s) in Delhi but this was raan – fine dining, delectable indeed.
I ended my meal with a plate of fresh fruits and some Iranian desserts along with a traditional Persian chai, that was really milky and a little heavy to end your meal with.
Indo – Persian is a fantastic concept that needs to be explored by everyone more often so that one can appreciate the subtlety and flavours here. Zarin is a stunning place to begin that journey. Not only is the setting opulent and beautiful but the food itself can make you wanting to come back for more every time.
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