After an onslaught of trying progressive Indian cuisines like Farzi Cafe and Tresind, I could swear I almost forgot what true Indian food tastes like until I arrived at Zafran Indian Bistro for a wonderful Blogger Managed Event by Doin Dubai.

This branch has been given a face lift and now boasts some great interiors!

Zafran Indian Bistro
Zafran’s new interiors give the place a more modern look.

To start off our night, we were offered roasted and fried papads with a lot of sweet and savoury chutneys. Of this, I really enjoyed the pineapple one, and the one made with watermelon rinds. Talk about making the best use of produce!

Zafran Indian Bistro|Papad
Just look at all those sweet and savoury sauce options!

We then tried their watermelon-feta amuse bouche that was vibrant in colour and just burst in the mouth. We were then informed that Zafran doesn’t include any preservatives to their food. No wonder their food hits so close to home.

Zafran Indian Bistro|Amuse Bouche
The exemplarily tasty watermelon feta amuse bouche

We then were offered starters, which comprised of:

  1. Dahee Kebab
Zafran Indian Bistro|Dahee kebabs
Crispy dahee kebabs

A delicious dish; this dahee kebab had cold yoghurt wrapped in a crispy shell. Genius.

2. Aloo Tikkia

Zafran Indian Bistro|Aloo tikki
A twist on the traditional aloo tikki, this somewhat reminded me of the ‘ragda pattice’ you get in Mumbai!

Before you shut this down as a been there, ate that:

a) Look at that. It’s making me drool profusely.

b) It’s tangy, it’s got a slight spicy tinge and makes a wonderful combination with the chickpeas.

c) Try it. And thank me later.

3. Kebabs

The non vegetarian kebab platter comprised of chicken malai tikka, chicken tikka, bhatti chicken and Rampuri seekh kebab. The chicken malai tikka and chicken tikka tasted wonderful; but if you truly want to try something true to Zafran’s wholesome food, try the bhatti chicken and Rampuri seekh kebab (which is slightly spicy, mind you.) Both are succulent and on point.

Zafran Indian Bistro|Mouth-watering kebabs
Mouth-watering kebabs

The vegetarian platter is also quite interesting, with its creamy paneer, tandoori aloo and an exceptional tandoori broccoli.

Zafran Indian Bistro|Vegetarian platter
Vegetarian platter

For the main course, I suggest you opt for the palak paneer and aloo masala, both done exceedingly well and sporting an excellent fragrance. For those who prefer something meatier and heavier, the rogan josh is worth a try although I’ve had better. Another option was the prawn coconut curry, which in my opinion was a little too thick in consistency.

Zafran Indian Bistro|Aloo masala
The fragrant aloo masala
Zafran Indian Bistro|Palak Paneer
I love spinach, so palak paneer was one of my favourites of the night
Zafran Indian Bistro|The prawn curry was too thick for my taste
The prawn curry was too thick for my taste

Here’s a look of only part of our spread:

There’s no bae without bae-ryani, haha.

Zafran Indian Bistro|Biryani
The one with a little green thingy on top is the vegetarian one

The chicken was exceptionally cooked, without it being smelly. Often when I go to other Indian restaurants, they get the chicken wrong in their biryanis.. The one at Zafran just melted in the mouth.

A fun experience is to try to see the family naan being made. It is MASSIVE. (And shaped like a heart <3 )

Humongous naan|Zafran Indian Bistro
Humongous naan

To close our meal, we indulged in the dessert platter. I highly recommend the gulab jamun and the ras malai out of the options on there, but since you have a little of everything; I can’t really complain. 😉

Zafran Indian Bistro|So many options!
So many options!

A huge kudos to the staff that hosted us like we were family (And in my case, a dribbling baby because I dropped my napkin like a billion times and there was always someone to pick it up.) Mr. Gaurav, the Restaurant Manager cares deeply about the Zafran brand and this just shines through. At the end of our meal, we all received a lovely spice box as a keepsake. Zafran truly brings you home – to India.

Zafran Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

LOCATION
1st level next to Fitness First, Mirdiff City Centre

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