On the roof of the eleven-storeyed Savera Hotel basks Minar. This twenty-one year old restaurant is a haven of the superb culinary culture of the Mughals. The food is genuinely high class; even the simplest dish of the most common ingredients being cooked as if it were a rare delicacy. It is rich, but sparingly spicy, so that no single ingredient overwhelms the flavour of the lesser, subtler condiments. Even the desserts are moderately sweet. The service is painstakingly courteous and attentive, and it would not be stretching the truth to say that visitors are truly made to feel like Nawabs.

Over the years the menu has seen several changes, but the best-received preparations have been retained, and are listed on a page of their own: Specialities for Royalty. The five dishes on this page merit description; Murgh Saleem (a whole chicken marinated in special curds, stuffed with minced lamb, eggs, mint and rice, charcoal-grilled and served with melted butter; Rs.275), Jhinga Tariwallah (spicy tiger prawns simmered in coconut milk; Rs.425); Gosht Jehangiri (tender lamb charcoal-grilled and simmered in sauce; Rs.165); Machili Noorjahani (deep-fried fish kofthas stuffed with eggs and simmered in a nut-and-tomato gravy; Rs.160); Noorjahani Biriyani (minced lamb biriyani garnished with nuts and raisins; Rs.165).

The marinating (of meat) in curds is what gives Mughlai cuisine its smooth, mellow taste. There are no sharp flavours; only soft tones that come alive gently on the tongue and that linger for a while afterwards. That is why Mughlai food is better when eaten slowly, not during a short lunch break when the diner's mind is preoccupied, but for a leisurely dinner. There are several more dishes of fish, chicken and lamb, among them Machili Koliwada, Murgh Begum Bahar (buttered chicken on minced lamb) and Gushtaba, or stuffed meatballs, (around Rs.150 each). There are kebabs of panneer, and meat (Rs.100-150) served with a mint sauce to add a little tang. Of vegetable delicacies, the most popular are Shebnam Taranum (vegetables simmered in a sauce with mushrooms; Rs.100) and Mohabat-e-Mumtaz (marinated flowerlets of cauliflower cooked in a tandoor and served with butter gravy; Rs.100). Besides Noorjahani Biriyani, mentioned above, there are also Murgh, Gosht and Tarkari biriyanis (Rs.130-160). For dessert there is Kulfi, Kala Jamoon, Badami Gajar Halwa, and a delightful Shahi Tukda (fried slice of bread soaked in milk and garnished with nuts and raisins).

It is inevitable, with any establishment as old as this one, that a custom has developed that is observed faithfully by its regulars on every visit. At Minar one steps out onto the terrace at the end of the meal, or while waiting for a table, to take in the view of Chennai - at this height, quite breathtaking.

Minar is at Savera Hotel, 146, Dr. Radhakrishna Road, Chennai 600 004. Phone 8274700. Open from 7 pm till midnight.

Arun Masilamoni

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