Maziga - Mesmerizing Modern Indian Food

Modern Indian Food has been arriving on the international scene for quite a while now, but it kind of exploded with Gaggan Anand’s unconventional takes on Indian Classics, and that is probably the gold standard of Modern Indian Cuisine for me. At Maziga, Chef Javed Ahamad puts a spin on Indian Classics as well, and we were there to sample their elaborate 15-Course Menu. Here is the lowdown.

This set menu is called ’15-Course Journey Through India’ and it needs to be ordered a day in advance in case you decide to have this and costs INR 2200 + Taxes. I will not list all 15 courses but some of the more memorable dishes from it. I paired this with a Cotes De Provence from Domaine de Saint Ser of a 2012 vintage, which is a rich bodied, complex rose, and to be honest, it went superbly with most of the food. Highly recommended pairing!

The Journey starts off with a spherification, a technique that is gaining popularity given the literal ‘burst’ of flavours that you get. In this instance, it was a chat masala yoghurt variation. I would have loved if the base was not curd-based, but it was a good attempt.

Goat Brain Pav: This was a pav, layered with an orangish gel on top, with a minced, goa-brain filling. The gel was sweetish with a slight tang of orange, and it actually went well with the spiced, mince mixture inside.

Quinoa Upma Cod Fish in Kaffir Lime Sauce : So this was  a beautifully cooked smoked Cod topped with a deliciously tangy kaffir lime sauce and tempered mustard seeds, and was served on a bed of Quinoa Upma.

Soup: A lovely sweet and salty broth of green peas and edamame, I enjoyed the soup. The only thing I could do without were the masala bondi that didn’t really gel well in this dish.

Malvani Prawn: This one was absolutely delicious. A superbly cooked prawn coated with an aromatic, rich, malvani ‘bharta’ sitting atop a charcoal lentils pan cake, I could have had half-a-dozen of these. I would have preferred a bit more chili in the spice to add that extra oomph to this dish!

Duck: This was duck smoked in a tandoor and cooked in a rogan josh curry. Divine would probably the word to describe this fusion. A mellowed down rogan josh recipe, this one too could do with a bit more chilli, but maybe it is just me

Risotto Khichdi: Definitely, the highlight of the meal for me was this one. A very simple combination of flavours , this was a palak khichdi using hand-pounded basundi rice, cheese and ghee. Now this is the kind of fusion I am down for, comfort food at its best!

Khasta Rahra Ghosht Biryani with Burani Raita : Of course, a journey across India is incomplete without some form of biriyani on the menu. This one had a quirky presentation, being served in a cup with a flaky pastry covering it, presumably as it was cooked on ‘dum’ under it along with the raita in a shot glass. The Lamb was beautifully cooked in ‘rahra’ style spices, from the Sindh region on India. The biryani was mellow and beautifully flavored with saffron and a few other spices.

The meal ended with a Turmeric Kulfi and Mango Panna-cotta.

Verdict: It is hard to hold your attention throughout any multi-course meal, let alone one that spans 15 courses, but Maziga does an admirable job at surprising you with each item’s entry at your table. While the journey is not without its ups and downs, it is a pleasant one that has dishes which span the length and breadth of the country. In the mood to be surprised at how Indian Food can too be fine dine or if you just want to have the meal on a whimsy, this meal is one that will stay etched in your memory!