There's something incredibly comforting about the winter sun in its full glory while the chill is significant in the air. The slight sense of warmth on the skin, a little hide and seek from the clouds makes one enjoy the romance of winters. Combine that with a hearty meal straight out of the tandoor, and we have ourselves the perfect afternoon.
This week, we checked out Jasper at Le Méridien that has recently gone through a menu revamp, now featuring a host of Mughlai dishes using time-honoured slow cooking techniques and recipes. The rooftop space on the 12th floor opens up with a view of the pool in focus. Indoors, we’re greeted by the wellstocked bar.
We called for the Hyderabad beats, a peach, rosemary and lime-based cocktail perfect for the sunny afternoon. While we soaked in the views from the rooftop space, a host of grilled The tandoor route appetisers were brought in. Notably, all the dishes were served with three chutneys — mint, pineapple and a surprising option, an apricot based chutney inspired by Hyderabad’s iconic dessert, the Khubani ka meetha.
The Murgh tikka angara was a stunning dish to kick off our meal with. Marinated in a blend of tomato, chilli paste and nuts, the dish paired especially well with drinks. Amping up the winter-special was the Bhutte dill ki tikki, a corn and cottage cheese based cutlet flavoured with dill leaves. Coarsely ground, the corn rendered a soft crunch to every bite. What’s a Mughlai meal without some shorba? We dug into the Murgh badami, generously topped with slivers of almonds in a lentil based broth. The Dal-e-jasper, a dal makhni preparation, paired with the Missi roti oozed smokey goodness. A must-try at Jasper would be the Nalli boti korma. With incredibly soft, buttery and succulent meat that fell off the bone in a spicy sauce, the dish took the prize for its balanced flavours. The Kesar badam kulfi, a frills-free dessert option completely pandered to the Indian palate.
Rs 1,900 for two.
At Gachibowli.