Yes, you read that right. You can have the best chicken biryani in town delivered to you courtesy of Nadodi. One of KL's best restaurants is currently serving an impressive "grab and go" menu for patrons to enjoy at home until the first half of the year. I recently got to try a small range of what's on the menu, and as I expected, Nadodi knocked it out of the park.
Sure, dishes may be on the pricier spectrum of delivery foods, but an amazing meal in the safety of your own home is itself worth paying for. I tried a total of six dishes and two small plates, a meal that will more than satisfy four to five diners.
Nadodi's country chicken biryani set (RM190), which comes with aubergine salna, cucumber and yacon raita, and mutton kola urandai, was undoubtedly the main star. A hearty melange of flavours, the bold yet balanced staple was delicious on its own and with its accompanying sides. Fried shallots, cashews, and sultanas provided savour-sweet spikes to the fluffy Basmati rice. The perfect accompaniment to this was Nadodi's raita, a cooling mix of cucumber and yacon, a root vegetable favoured for its light, sweet taste.
Mutton kola urandai, Chettinad-style pounded meatballs, can be enjoyed with the rice or as a substantial appetiser. The meatballs had a soft and tender texture underneath a crispy outer shell. Aubergine salna, on the other hand, an eggplant version of a thin gravy not unlike curry, provided another way to modify the flavours of the biryani with tender slices of aubergine and a complex concoction of spices.
I absolutely loved the restaurant's yuzu kosho chutney, a game-changing chutney that masterfully married the zest of yuzu, the mild heat of chillies, and the freshness of mint. It made everything taste better. It was so incredibly good that I saved some to try out with other home-cooked dishes!
In addition to the set, there was the river prawn rava fry (RM45), spinach and green lentils kootu (RM40), lamb ghee roast (RM110), and short-grain coconut rice (RM35).
The river prawns fell under Nadodi's "short eats" category, meant as a snack/appetiser. The restaurant calls it a "coastal preparation from Southwest India", fairly large-sized breaded and deep-fried prawns that were crispy, crunchy, and succulent.
The spinach dhal was an excellent addition to my meal. The flavourful mix of fresh, sweet spinach and the earthy, nutty taste of lentils introduced a much-needed greeness to the overall ensemble.
I love mutton, and Nadodi's lamb ghee roast really spoiled my palate. The bold ghee masala enhanced the tender, roasted lamb's already robust natural flavour, so much so that I recommend having it with the short grain coconut rice instead of the biryani. Sure, having it with the biryani is entirely viable, but the powerful blend of flavours might quickly wear your palate out. The other staple on the menu was coconut-infused rice which uses steamed and then tempered samba rice. I could really appreciate the differences in both rice dishes when taken side by side. The biryani has more punchy flavours, while the coconut rice has a lighter, sweeter profile, making it more suitable as a plain carbohydrate without completely surrendering an identity of its own.
Having Nadodi at home was such a luxury that I highly recommend it to anyone looking to have a fantastic, flavour-packed meal with their families. I throughly enjoyed my entire experience from start to finish, and I suggest pairing a bottle of wine to go with your meal. You'll be so satisfied I guarantee you'll be happy to slip into a food-induced coma right after.