The Exciting New Menu at Kanak, Trident

Even when a restaurant is doing well and already has a set of loyal customers, a relook at the menu is often desirable. This is because of the fact that however satisfied your customers are, still their “Dil Maange More”. With this in mind, Kanak, the popular fine dine Indian restaurant at The Trident, Hyderabad has recently revamped their menu. The old favorites are still there, but a new set of dishes have been added primarily from the items which became popular from the numerous food festivals conducted by them. As the restaurant states, it is in fact a menu created by the patrons of Kanak. The menu marks the second anniversary of The Trident in Hyderabad.

Soya Ke Tootak
Soya Ke Tootak

A Blogger’s Table was organized by the restaurant to celebrate the new menu. We started with Soya Ke Tootak – a vegetarian delicacy which had spicy soya bean fillings covered by a hard and crisp semolina crust. I had tried this at the Rivaayat festival organized by the restaurant couple of months ago, showcasing traditional Indian cuisines, and have come to like the soya in the masala.
Kashmiri Seekh Gilafi
Kashmiri Seekh Gilafi
Kashmiri Seekh Gilafi was lamb seekh kabab prepared in Kashmiri style – it had generous doses of onion, tomatoes, dried ginger and saffron in the kabab, apart from minced meat.  A gilafi kabab normally has an outer and inner layer, which was not very apparent here. However the kabab was exceptionally soft and succulent, and the combination with vegetables and spices tickled my taste buds.

Murgh Kalmi Kabab
Murgh Kalmi Kabab

The pick among the starters was the Murgh Kalmi Kabab – chicken legs grilled on charcoal in a garlic and pepper based marinade. The kabab was cooked to perfection, with the meat coming off the bones with ease. The light spices had done wonders on the chicken and there was no way I could deny myself a second helping.

Kadak Rumali
Kadak Rumali

A great accompaniment for the starters was the famed Kadak Rumali of Kanak – a huge Rumati Roti made crispy and covered with generous helping of tomato, cheese, coriander and onions – somewhat like an upgraded masala papad. Rumali can normally never be imagined to be kadak, but this dish changed my perceptions.

Haleem
Haleem

Next was Haleem time – the haleem was served with a little fried onion in it, and additional fried onion and mint leaves separately. The meat was soft, and it had blended well with the wheat, and the ghee was aromatic. Overall, a perfect combination of the ingredients which can compete with the best offerings of Haleemabad.

Bharwan Amchur Bhindi and Peyaz
Bharwan Amchur Bhindi and Peyaz

The main courses again had an old favourite of mine – Bharwan Amchur Bhindi and Peyaz from Rivayaat. A very simple recipe it goes very well with any type of Indian bread. I thought the stuffed okras today were a tad high on amchur today – but the overall taste was still very decent.

Bhetiki Paturi


Machhi Paturi
Machhi Paturi

Next was Paturi Machhi or Machher Paturi as we call it in Bengal - boneless fish in a mustard based marinade wrapped in a banana leaf and steamed.  I had already heard good things about this dish, and it truly lived up to the expectations - right from when I unfolded the leaf and the fragrant aroma of mustard hit me to the point when I devoured it with steamed rice.

Murgh Handi Korma was another star of the menu on offer. The chicken was soft and succulent but the highlight was the masaladar gravy stood out when we dunked the soft naans in it. My friends judged this the best dish among the lot, though the Bengali in me will still opt for the paturi.

Akhrot and Badam Halwa
Desserts

The dessert platter had a Rajbhog and Akhrot and Badam Halwa. The latter was delicious and not very heavy, given it had ingredients like walnuts, almonds and ghee. For a person like me who loves mild sweets this was a perfect dessert to have.

Hyderabadi Paan Cocktail
Hyderabadi Paan Cocktail
Along with the food, Kanak has their signature Indian cocktails on the menu some of which are very unique and caught my fancy. I liked the Hyderabadi Paan - a paan flavoured drink with vodka and cranberry juice and Patiala Peg - a whisky preparation with cinnamon and cardamom. Both these cocktails can serve as ideal pairings for the spicy Indian cuisine.

The items tried out were only few of the highlights of the unveiled new menu, which has many other hidden gems. The dishes offered provides a culinary journey across the country, ranging from Hyderabadi cuisine to recipes of Coastal India as well as those from the North West Frontier. I could see other old favourites like Pathhar Ka Gosht, and Rivaayat hits like Purani Dilli Ki Nahari, which will definitely make me go back there soon.

Address:

Kanak
The Trident
Hitech City (next to Shilpa Kala Vedika)
Hyderabad
Telephone: 66232323

The restaurant is open only for dinner.

Some pics are courtesy The Trident

Disclaimer: The review is based on an invite by the restaurant. However the opinions expressed in the post are honest and unbiased.

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