Looking to add a touch of spice to your next meal out? CHAAT at Rosewood Hong Kong adds delectable new dishes by chef de cuisine Manav Tuli.
Who doesn’t love a spot of street food from time to time? The rustic yet appealing food combinations that keep the masses fuelled are often the best and at CHAAT, the Rosewood Hong Kong restaurant dedicated to modern renditions of Indian street food, this means innovation as well as tradition.
The restaurant’s chef de cuisine, Manav Tuli, has introduced a series of new seasonal dishes that are served alongside the signature à la carte menu at lunch or dinner.
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Equipped with a trio of authentic tandoor ovens, Chef Manav recreates the traditional flavours of Indian street food with modern flair and delectable seasonal ingredients. New spring dishes include Beetroot Kulfi Kebab, a traditional savoury street snack from northern India that is typically made with vegetables cooked in spices, wrapped in bread, then deep-fried; Nargisi Kofta, a dish of meatballs with boiled egg centres that originates from the royal courts of the Mughals; and Lamb Seekh Kebab, a dish from the streets of Delhi, via Turkey.
There are many different stories and debates on the origins of biryani, but the most popular version is that of Mumtaz Mahal (wife of Emperor Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal), who asked her chefs to create what was the earliest version of the biryani for under-nourished soldiers of the Mughal army. Dum Biryani is typically prepared with meat, spices, onion and yogurt, layered with rice and cooked in a sealed pot to trap the aromas of the spices. At CHAAT, Chef Manav prepares the new seasonal dish of Chicken Dum Biryani in a distinctly Hyderabadi style, where the meat is marinated in yogurt and spices before cooking. Dum is applied to the biryani by sealing the pot with a crust made of melon seeds and spiced paratha.
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Also look out for the Black Truffle Biryani, which fuses the delicate flavours of black truffle and wild mushroom with Indian spices in a new twist on traditional biryani; as well as CHAAT’s smoky new Black Pepper Chicken Tikka, a modern version of Murg (chicken) Malai (cream) kebab; Alaskan King Crab Tandoori, with boneless Alaskan crab legs marinated in turmeric, green chilli, green cardamom and homemade 12-spice garam masala; and Adraki Gobhi Aloo, a type of potato and cauliflower curry from northern India.
Be sure to pair your meal with a glass of port. It may seem a strange combination, but port wine, a fortified sweet wine native to Portugal, has a special place in India’s colonial history. In the 16th century, Portuguese colonists at Goa introduced Port winemaking and the production of fortified wine, which then spread to the other regions of India. Fortifying wine also helped to preserve wine in barrels during long overseas voyages, and centuries later, has contributed greatly towards southwest India’s booming wine scene.
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CHAAT re-explores this fascinating 500-year-old bonding history between India and Portugal by way of new Port wine offerings, serving now at the restaurant. This includes Graham’s Fine White, a sweet and citrusy blend that pairs harmoniously with tandoori meats, except beef and lamb; and rich and nutty Graham’s Tawny 20yo, the perfect digestive.
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