The setting is perfect for an evening away from the city's noise and buzz. But surprisingly, this little oasis, with a tiny water body, a fig tree and a potted herb garden is right in the middle of the new and happening suburb of Bellandur. Maia opened its doors earlier this week with a different concept menu. Most of the dishes are unique to Maia because these are secret recipes that have been sourced from mothers across different parts of the country and a few international recipes that have been given a twist by Indian mothers. Therefore, the restaurant is named, Maia which means mother in different Indian languages.
Woody notes
Their menu includes signature dishes such as Farali Pattice, Mushroom Galouti Kebab, Burrata & Roasted Beetroot Salad, Undhiyo, Malai Paneer Tikka, Undhiyo, Kathal aur Subz ki Biryani, Urad Daal Lasooni and more. We started our tasting with the Maia Signature Aromatic Kebab. Minced vegetable kebabs infused with sandalwood powder and edible camphor, these were served with mint chutney. What impressed us was how seamlessly the aroma of sandalwood marries with the spices of the minced vegetables. The camphor leaves a finishing note. The Farali Pattice was served next. A must during fasting days, this traditional dish gets a twist with the addition of pomegranate pearls instead of the usual raisins and cashews. The mix of flavours of peanuts, grated coconut and pomegranate pearls stuffed in the gooey mashed potato pattice makes this sweet-nutty starter worth a try. But the best from the starters were the Mushroom Galouti Kebabs. The smoked minced mushroom kebabs made with pure ghee are utterly sinful. It feels like these melt in the mouth because of the velvety texture.
Glocal flavours
From mains we opted to try the Vegetable Tagine with Kodo Millet. This Moroccan curry was was served with locally sourced kodo millet instead of couscous. The vegetable curry has a tangy flavour because of the addition of preserved lemons in chermoula. It's the kodo millet that turned out to be the surprise. The fluffiness of the millet makes it comforting with the hot-tangy curry. The Kathal aur Subz ki Biryani was served next. The mix of spices was perfect but the sparse quantity of kathal and vegetables didn't do justice to the biryani claim. But the Urad Dal Lasooni that was served compensated for the biryani's shortfall. A dhaba special curry, this dish gets an upgrade here with addition of pure ghee and finely minced garlic pods. Try this with either roti or steamed rice, you won't be disappointed. Opt for the Burrata & Roasted Beetroot Salad on the side. The oven roasted beetroot with Burrata cheese that's made in-house and tossed with rucola leaves with a balsamic and olive oil dressing is quite refreshing. We opted for the Chocolate Mousse for dessert. It was a tad bit dense, perhaps a slightly lighter version would have worked best. But the sweetness was just right! Maia does make a sincere attempt at serving a mix of Indian and global dishes with a twist, additionally the ambience has been thoughtfully done which makes this place worth a visit.
Rs 1200 for two. At Bellandur
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