Kund

Kund is a small north India/Punjabi restaurant in Indiranagar, adjacent to Domino's Pizza, and virtually a stone's throw away from my office. Given this, it's a little strange that in the past 5 years I've worked at the current company, I've visited Kund only twice before (and both times were before I started this blog). Kund is owned by the father of Chef Manjeet Singh (the owner of Herbs n Spices in Indiranagar 80 feet road). It's a tiny joint, with 5-6 six-seater tables and an equal number of 2 seater tables.

The menu has several options for vegetarians (the usual gobi and mushroom and half a zillion paneer options), but for non-vegetarians, it's almost like hitting pay dirt. What's heartening to see is that they have several lamb dishes on the menu. Since this was one of the few and rare occasions where the number of vegetarians outnumbered the non-vegetarians (I went with some freinds from office) comprehensively (in a group with whom I've dined), the non-veg dishes are minimal.

The vegetarians started off with usual - paneer tikkas with green mint chutney. Along with this, they also ordered a veg seekh kabab, which all the vegans seemed to like a lot, but left a lot to be desired with my palate. Also, a good number of these guys are poor eaters really, and one of 'em is allergic to mushrooms - talk about narrowing your options - vegetarian and allergic some of the veg stuff!

Us non-PETA folk settled for tangdi kababs and gosht mazedar kabab. I got a real kick out of the name. The tangdi kababs were drumsticks marinated in a chili, ginger & garlic paste, cumin, and fenugreek. These were nice and hot and the meat just slipped off the bone. The lamb kababs were marinated in cashew nut paste amongst other spices, making it rich and creamy. The lamb itself was boneless and was extremely tender. We ordered seconds of this.

Tangadi kabab

Paneer tikka

Gosht mazedar kabab

For our main coin course, my fellow non-veggie and I ordered a gosht lababdar. I didn't read what exactly this had, and really didn't care as long as there was gravy, no bones, and tender meat. And this was exactly that. Hurray! We also ordered a mutton biryani, which came in a copper pot and was nicely cooked. I've had better biryanis elsewhere, but this was not bad, and the quantity was more than enough for the two of us after having 2 kulchas each.

The PETA folk had some paneer dish and a dal along with kulchas, and to mop up the excess dal, they had a jeera rice. I guess it was good since they didn't complain and everything was polished off - the hallmark of hungry diners and/or tasty food.

Paneer something and Dal something

My plate with my food

Mutton biryani

Food: Good
$$$: Not too expensive. 8 of us (6 veg, 2 non-veg) ate and the bill was a touch under 2000, which was around 250 per head...well worth it!
Service: Decent
Verdict: Must visit if in the area and if you want to have north Indian/Punjabi food.

Kund, #303, Ashok Terrace, Next to Domino's Pizza, 100 Feet Road, Indiranagar, Bangalore. Phone: 25281416

Birthday @ Tandoor

11th was when I became 26...which means I need to update the byline of my blog :)

I started off with a mutton shorba, which was nice, but then I regretted it because that was something you should be ordering on a cold, chilly, winter night, and not on a warm summer night.

Mutton Shorba

My brother, the fussy eater, wasn't having any of the standard fare, and settled for a mango drink, a mocktail comprising of mango and orange juices.

My mom, who's turned vegetarian since last year, ordered the veg gilafi rolls, and although it didn't taste bad, we weren't quite sure how to put our finger on the exact tatse - so for the time being, to be nice to the people at Tandoor, I'll say it had an interesting taste.

My brother and I ordered a plate of malai kabab, and it was wonderful - soft, juicy, and of course creamy.

For our main course, we ordered some breads - kulchas and rotis, and ordered a brinjal (egg plant) dish called bhartha Rawalpindi, and I have to say that for someone who didn't like brinjal at all, this dish made a believer. It was simply amazing! Along with it, we also ordered a butter chicken, and without a doubt it was sinfully good.

Both mom and bro aren't as heavy eaters as I am, and so I ordered a kulfi for dessert and sighed at the end of a satisfying meal.

26. Another year gone by, and to be honest, this year hasn't started off in the best of ways. Things are still frosty at best, and acrimonious at worst, with a friend of mine with whom there had been a 'fallout' a couple of months back. I hope things improve with the weather, and a change in the season beings about a change in my friend. As Ogden Nash said:

Man is a victim of dope,
In the incurable form of hope

All I can do is hope, hope that things get better, because there's isn't anything I will be allowed to do on my own to get things to improve - my friend won't allow it (I still say friend, because for me it's still the same).

Food: One of the better north Indian food joints.
$$$: Probably around 300-400 per head if in a group.
Service: Good
Verdict: If anything, go for the bartha Rawalpindi - divine! :)

Tandoor, Oasis Mall, 4^th Floor, Koramangala-Indiranagar (Intermediate) Ring Road, Bangalore.