India is known for its collection of regional spices
India is known for its collection of regional spices, several of them aromatic, that add layers of flavor to the food being prepared. It is no longer a secret that each dish tastes great if spices are ground in small batches. Nirvana Restaurant devotedly does this each day. Chef Nadeem Rahmat, a native of Hyderabad takes great care to buy fresh whole spices. Spices are taken in small batches, ground individually and slow roasted on a cast iron skillet over an open flame. The roasting releases the oils and essences of each spice. It is then ground from coarse to fine texture, as needed, that blends in with the meats, poultry and seafood dishes being cooked.
Three new and unique, most popular dishes at Nirvana Restaurant are the Goat Bukhara – succulent chunks of goat meat immersed in rich brown gravy with apricots; the Moghlai chicken that is reminiscent of the Moghul era gone by – moderately spicy gravy made with cashews, almonds which are ground to a rich, thick paste, then seasoned with fried onions, yogurt and kewra water essence, based in a rich tomato and cream sauce; the Chicken Madras – Chicken pieces flavored in Madras curry powder, coconut milk, flavored with fried curry leaves and mustard.
With a-la-carte specialized service in the evenings, lunch buffet is served daily, seven days a week. On Monday evenings alone, dinner is served buffet style for families who love to try new dishes that Chef Nadeem loves for his diners to try. The buffet features 16 varietal dishes with a mini salad bar and dessert bar. The Monday evening buffet has been well received. The buffet has mild to medium spicy dishes. The a-la-carte however, can be customized to the diner’s taste, moderate to more spicy. Buffet dishes are new each day. The buffet features some classical Indian dishes – Tandoori chicken, Shrimp Jalfrezi, Chicken Tikka Masala, Chicken Vindaloo, Mutton Rogan
Columbus Josh, Aloo Bhajia, (potato vegetable), Chana Masala, (Chickpeas in spicy gravy), Khadi – Dumplings in yogurt sauce, Sag Paneer (Spinach with cottage cheese cubes), and Vegetable Pulao.