Karim's Muhglai Food: generations-old royal culinary tradition

March 11, 2012

Across the road from Jama Masjid is Karim's, a family restaurant. So why did we choose to eat at this family restaurant? Well, this family was the "official" royal chefs during the Mughal period (Muslim emperors). Therefore, for a taste of authentic Mughlai Imperial cuisine, we set out to try generations-old tradition of this family's cooking!

There are 3 or 4 restaurant buildings for Karim's so the queue
was for different ones

I think it was already around 3pm when we got here and yet, the number of people lining up for food remains the same as if it's lunch time peak hour. We know it was a good sign, that we were in the right place. The thing is, WE ARE SO HUNGRY ALREADY!

Repeat after ME: If it's worth queuing, it really
must be something good (or something like that)

At about 4, we finally got seated and ordered our food. Of course, there is waiting time again as everything is served freshly-cooked. I made do with the water and coke. I was just so happy to have coke--like a feeling of being back home. 

Chicken tandoori

We ordered both veg and non-veg dishes. We had chicken tandoori, mutton, butter chicken (which is not butter + chicken--it was more of a thick orange butter sauce, ala kaldereta texture in kare-kare color, plus chicken-->it was good though!), egg curry (boiled egg in curry sauce), veg fried rice, plain white rice, and bread.

Mutton (old sheep/lamb)

I think there was a paneer dish too but I can't be too sure! Everyone's hungry (and so was I) so most of the food shots are just stolen, just as these are being whisked away! hehe. There was a dessert as well, in a small clay saucer/dish--it looked like puto, texture of coconut milk but the taste was maja blanca-ish.