Mumbai food: A 'shahi' treat from Delhi

(Anti-clockwise from centre) Sheermal; chicken biryani; mutton Jahangiri; shahi tukda; mutton seekh kebab; murgh malai tikka and raita

Food: Excellent
Packaging: Smart
Cost/Pocket-friendly

In the early 20th century, Haji Karimuddin, who was once a chef in the shahi dastarkhwan or royal kitchen of the then-exiled Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, would cycle from his Uttar Pradesh hometown to Delhi, carrying freshly cooked alu gosht. The chef - who had spent years dishing out delicacies for the Mughal emperor and his staff - would dock himself outside the Red Fort and sell the humble alu gosht, earning himself a growing band of loyalists among the aam admi too. "He then decided to sell some of the rewards that the Mughals had given him, and purchased a property in front of Jama Masjid in Old Delhi [in 1913]. He called the dhaba Karim's - after himself, and one of the 99 names of Allah," Karimuddin's great great great grandson, Aivaz Asif, tells us over a call from Delhi. And the rest, as they say, is history - Karim's is on every to-do list of the Capital's visitors, and stands tall in the bustling gullies of kebab joints as the OG Mughlai restaurant.

Chicken biryani and mutton Jahangiri

City-based F&B enterprise Aallia Hospitality has now brought the 107-year-old culinary legacy to Bandra's Linking Road, opening doors earlier this month. MD Ranjit Bindra shares that he has spent a long time surveying the Capital's landscape for the ideal taste to bring down to Mumbai. "With its exemplary flavours and traditional techniques that haven't changed since the Mughal-era, we were positive that Karim's was a product that would carry an all-round appeal across ages, cultures and preferences," he asserts. Having queued up for hours to block a seat at the restaurant on our visits to Delhi, we can testify to his claim, and were pleased to find that the spread sent over by the Bandra outpost lived up to it.

Even before unpacking the food, the unmistakable aroma of pure ghee wafts in the room. We tuck into the mutton seekh kebab (Rs 200 onwards for half plate) first to welcome its familiar peppery notes hitting the back of the throat, evoking fond memories of Delhi 6. To spice it up further, we dip the seekh into the green chutney and find ourselves reaching out for more. We alternate this with bites of silky, melt-in-the-mouth murgh malai tikka (Rs 430, six pieces) that is a hit with a glass of leftover mulled wine. We tear off bits of sheermal (Rs 130), a large, chequered, saffron-flavoured flatbread that ensures we polish off the rest of the malai from the tikka.

The Karim's outlet at Bandra

Next up is the slow-cooked mutton Jahangiri (Rs 340 onwards), which Asif informs us, is a mix of two secret gravies. "It was invented by another family member, so that's why it has a different taste," he shares about the coarse, flavourful gravy that brings out the best of the tender meat. Its richness is matched by the mildly sweet sheermal. It also pairs well with the comfortably spicy, aromatic chicken biryani (Rs 290 onwards).

As we wrap up the rather magnificent meal - with great price points - with a slice of sweet and crispy shahi tukda (Rs 130), we can't help imagining what feasts in the shahi dastarkhwan must've been like. "These were foods meant to keep the soldiers fed for hours, so they're filling, yet healthy," Asif weighs in. Well, more power to that.

At Ground floor, 35th street, Linking Road, Bandra West.
Time Lunch - 12 pm to 3.30 pm; dinner - 6 pm to 10.30 pm (will soon be available on Swiggy/Zomato)