Forgive me for I have Sindh !!! I have sIndh’ulged in the rich and comforting cuisine of the wonderful Sindh kitchen.

Sindh kitchen is a hidden gem that creates and brings the cuisine of the North West Frontier, right here to Bangalore’s doorstep. Bearing an array of dishes that range from places like Kabul, Peshawar, Rawalpindi and the Sindh frontier, this is a melting pot of these regions and literally so because their preparations just melt in the mouth 😀
The place which is a few months old, is relatively unknown, which is quite unfortunate because the food here is so real and honest that it touches your heart along with touching your tummy (in a good way of course ) and they really deserve to be on the local foodie’s radar.

Started a few months ago by Akshay Luthria who was inspired by his mother’s traditional cooking, their mantra is to follow the elaborate and time consuming processes that go into the making of these classic dishes, in order to achieve the right flavors and textures.

The restaurant is a part of the ILodge Hotel, bang in the center of Indiranagar and it is an all day diner. The little ‘cafe’ as they have labelled it, lies inconspicuously within the hotel but let not the simple, canteen’esque interiors disappoint you, for the ambience merely belies the rich treasures that the inside hides.

I was invited to experience this place and having never heard of it before, I was rather skeptical and I went with very neutral expectations. The food however, changed all of that, and I was quite astonished at the parade of dishes that came forth from the kitchen. Apart from the non vegetarian, they also have a great choice of veg items, including mock meats that are so well crafted that they might just make a vegetarian wonder if they have been crafty 😀
We began with the Shikanji Paneer and Karare dhanhiya ka Paneer and the home made paneer that they make from buffalo milk at their Gurgaon kitchen, will give all local paneers a serious complex. And this coming from someone like me who has quite a neutral and unenthusiastic relationship with paneer, is quite the compliment.

Up next were the Kumbh Khazaana with its large mushrooms stuffed with spinach and cheese and the Subz makai seekh made from corn.

The mock meat in the form of Soya chaaps and Malai Soya chaaps were so meaty that Carolyn, the vegetarian at the table could not remain Chop Chaap and kept asking if they were sure it was veg 😀

And that sweet and spicy pomegranate chutney/sauce they served with it, just took it to anar’ther level altogether !!!

The non veg consisted of an insane number of items with the Grilled
fish, Mahi Kandhari fish, Tawa mutton chops, Nizami mutton chops, Irani kebab and Jhinga balaika – the prawns which I very much Laika !!!

Every single dish was done to perfection and while I could manage only tiny portions of each, I did not show any such restraint with the prawns, which were luscious 😛
Their usage of Bhetki fish is highly commendable and they fortunately frown ferociously upon basa.

While you may think that enough was had, let me tell you that they were not done yet. The mains came forth with the creamiest of Dal Afghani and Lahori paneer and a seemingly boundless number of non veg items that included the Murg Handi Lazeez, Murg peshawari, Turkistan Gosht and Lahori Gosht, with each and every dish distinct in flavor and spices.

So now they expected us to mop up these riches with their breads (how unreasonable of them right ? 😀 )and hence baskets laden with Pudina lacha parantha, Wheat roomali roti and regular roomali roti unabashedly made their appearance.

And though we studiously avoided making further eye contact with them 😀 they came ceremoniously bearing the big daddy of them all … the humongous Family naan which we were supposed to break from and dine together in the true spirit of community dining that is prevalent in the region of origin.

Well this concept did help because we got away with nibbling tiny bits of it and though we were totally comatose, we had enough awareness left to appreciate the crisp and flaky bread with the delectable gravies 😀

Glasses of refreshing mint lime coolers helped wash away our sins and we ended the meal with a plea to withhold the desserts for another day … desserts of which they seem to have quite a few.

Of course in a final bid to showcase their teatime treats, they brought out their excellent samosas, kachories and palak chaat and the chaat with its crispy spinach leaves doused in tamarind chutney and curd, was actually a strange but soothing way to end the meal.

Operating from their website www.smashingbread.com, they also attend to corporate and outdoor caterings and in these cases they do not restrict themselves to their signature cuisine but serve from a surprisingly wide range of Indian and global dishes that have been said to be of the same high quality too.
It is also helpful to know that they serve customized meal plans to people on diet and fitness regimes, including a low salt/sugar diabetes friendly meal box.
There is an extensive usage of organic products too, in keeping with the health theme.

They are open right from from 7Am – 11PM and also serve a good breakfast and some yummy tea times snacks too (remember the kachories and chaat ?).
They also deliver in and around the Indiranagar locality, so if you are lucky to reside within their ambit,  do give them a call … or better still, get there and dine in.

I am sure you will find their fare s’Indubitably excellent !!!

They are at  iLodge, 1215, 100 Feet Road, Indiranagar, Bangalore 

For more pictures see My Facebook – Sindh Kitchen

Aug 31st, 2017