If you think that there's no alternative to the quintessential Chicken Reshmi Kebabs and Galawati kebabs when it comes to the timeless charred finger foods, you got to taste them at Charcoal Kebaberie. The year-old cloud kitchen, started by Mihir Naphade and his friend Pukhraj Singh Jawanda, is quietly introducing the city gastronomes to a variety of flavours and spice mixes when it comes to smoking kebabs.
"We have tried to meld international flavours with our love for North Indian or tandoori cuisine. We found a gap in the market when it comes to experimenting with kebabs and noticed that only the basics were available in Kolkata. Through our venture, we want to play around with new and exciting kebab flavours," tells the 32-year-old Mumbaikar, who has made Kolkata his home for the past couple of years.
Mihir and Pukhraj have designed the menu based on their gustatory discoveries while travelling for work and for this upcoming winter season too, the joint is offering freshly tandoored kebabs. There are a few very innovative items such as the Naan Tarts, Tandoori Chicken Puchka, Thecha Naan and Paté a la Patiala that you may try for their distinct notes. But for those, who like to play it safe, they have the regular kebab platters too along with some very basic North Indian entrees like Dal Bukhara and Butter Chicken.
We were really happy to see the clever use of such plain ingredients as beetroot, broccoli and coconut vinegar, along with traditional spices such as curry leaves, goda masala in various kebab recipes. We relished every bit of Tandoori Chicken Puchka for the unique stuffing of desi shredded chicken bharta and smoked chicken gravy as a substitute for masala pani. We’re glad it turned out to be a surprisingly flavoursome experience instead of becoming just another fusion gone wrong. Good news is that they also have a vegetarian version of the same.
Pate a la Patial is another such fusion number that has an interesting mix of flavours, bringing together the French and local palates. High on onions garlic and in-house Indian spices, the chicken liver pate comes wrapped inside a flavor bomb of an omelette. If you love daal makhni, try it with the inetersting Naan Tarts, which are delectable tandoor-baked tarts made of naan dough with a choice of stuffing. But if it has to be the one dish which has left an indelible aftertaste it got to be Chicken Ghee Roast masala mix. Cooked in tandoor, these tender pieces of meat are marinated with Ghee Roast masala mix and tossed with mustard seeds and curry leaves.
Alongside the quantity of the food, their pricing is equally pocket-friendly. Currently operating as a cloud kitchen, Charcoal Kebaberie has plans to open a diner soon. Till so long, keep ordering those sumptuous kebabs at home.
Meal for two: Rs 800+, 12 noon to 11 pm