Indian fine dining restaurant Maharaja’s Retreat on Maid Marian Way in Nottingham recently celebrated its opening with a special event attended by around 120 people.
Maharaja is a title for a great ruler or a great or high king who were said to be big about their food and wanted different hues of colour, fragrances and tastes. The aim of the restaurant is to provide diners with just such a menu, as well as to make every visit memorable and fit for a king.
With that in mind, award winning head chef Barry Dhaliwal has created a range of Mughlai dishes with majestic flavours designed to tantalise the taste buds. These include regional dishes as well as timeless classics.
Appetisers and starters include: Sev Pappadi Chaat (sev, chickpeas and crispy pappadi tossed in coriander leaves, mint, yoghurt and tamarind chutney) and Sabzi, Lal Maans, Murgh and Machhalee Tirangas – trios of various different vegetable, lamb, chicken and fish starters.
Amongst the mains are: Murgh Nihari (slow cooked chicken with nihari masala); Gosht Zaika, a succulent lamb dish that has been braised for four hours and Maharaja’s Fish Curry.
Visitors to Maharaja’s Retreat can also experience some expertly prepared vegetarian dishes with amazing flavours and textures, such as Bhindi Do-Pyaza – a dish of pan roasted Okra with a duo of red and spring onions, Tadka Daal Panchmel, an eclectic mix of five different types of lentils with a roasted panchmel masala and Kabli Chole – a traditional chickpea masala with Assam tea leaves, onions and whole spices.
In keeping with the name, the restaurant’s interior is regal but at the same time there is a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere, as befitting a family owned business. The restaurant is managed by the brother and sister team of Suraj Dhaliwal and Andeep Mann with support from dad John Dhaliwal, whilst the kitchen is firmly the domain of John’s brother, Barry Dhaliwal.
Guests were welcomed to the celebrations by Indian drummers and were given the opportunity to sample some of the items on the menu whilst being entertained by a street magician.
They were also given a goody bag containing samples of a range of spices and instructions on how to make a Kashmiri Rogan-Josh at home – one of the restaurant’s signature dishes.
Andeep Mann said: “We have been open a few weeks and the restaurant is already proving to be popular. We decided to wait until after the Summer break to hold our official opening event as lots of people have been away and it’s also given us time to ensure that everything is running smoothly. It was great to see some familiar faces at the event as well as plenty of new ones and we look forward to welcoming them back in the coming weeks. “
