You might remember Anaida Parvaneh from the ’90s with her pop songs such as Oova Ovaa and the Indian rendition of Hakuna Matata. Based out of Mumbai, the singer now works with her Iranian roots, such as practising Tebb e Sonnati, the country’s traditional medicine. We were hosted by her for lunch atSodaBottleOpenerWala, where she is presenting a pop-up of Iranian food (not to be confused with Irani cuisine or Parsi cuisine) called, Postcards from Persia.
Dressed in a white top and distressed jeans Anaida animatedly tells us about the menu. “All the dishes here have a story behind them,” she says with obvious love for the cuisine. The Osh-e-Reshte, for instance, has a custom where young girls give the noodle soup a stir and make a wish for their future.
We started our meal with the Jujeh Kababs, succulent chicken kebabs served with grilled tomatoes and sumac-flavoured rice, noteworthy for its mild spices. Next we sampled the Kashk-o-Badenjan, an eggplant dip. Kashk is a dried, sour yogurt from Iran and the dish is served with fried onion. With their homemade pavs, it was easily one of our favorites. A surprising dish on the table was the Esfahan Beryani, one of the oldest dishes from the region. “The interesting thing is, originally, biryani does not have any rice,” Anaida explains, adding, “It is only when the dish came to India that the rice component was added.” This minced lamb preparation is served atop a naan.
Middle eastern bites
The Lubiya Polo is lamb and French beans with rice, and is another of our recommendations. We sampled the Baghali Polo which is dill- flavoured fava bean rice, best had with their Laboo Burani, a sweet beetroot raita topped with dried rose petals. Also on the menu is Fesenjan, slow-cooked chicken or shiitake mushrooms in a sweet and sour gravy of walnut and pomegranate puree and, if you need a bit of warming up, Anaida’s soop-e- jadooi (magic soup) — chicken soup with pearl barley.
For dessert, we were treated to the Shole Zard. Literally meaning yellow flame, the recipe for this rice and saffron dessert apparently dates back 5,000 years. Also on the table was the Halwa, traditional wheat flour preparation flavoured with rose water and cinnamon, a comforting classic. The pop-up is a must try for food nerds who love to experiment and try unfamiliar dishes from different parts of the world.
Rs.1,200 ++ for two. Until August 16. At SodaBottleOpenerWala, Lavelle Road. Details: 7022255299