This past friday we went out for our weekly family dinner to Copper Chimney. It has probably become one of our favourite Indian dining places. They have been serving excellent comforting food for years. They serve North Indian/ Mughlai, the menu hardly ever changes but the quality has remained the same. I remember distinctly from my memories as a kid when my parents would take me to Copper Chimney, the original one which was located a little further up on Worli from where it is located at now – it was one of the first places in Bombay with a display kitchen.

Even before the menus were handed to us we called for a crispy roti smeared with butter and some masala on the side. Eating a crispy roti with masala is no less than an event. The crispy roti with warm butter and a spicy masala is very satisfying.

We began by calling for some murgh kalimirch, tender pieces of chicken that are marinated in yogurt and spiked with pepper – these kebabs melt in your mouth and are smoky. Then we called for Jinga Nisha, these were jumbo prawns marinated in tandoori flavoured spices and grilled to perfection. We also had to call for their succulent lamb seekh kebabs – minced lamb kebabs with fresh herbs that are skewered and then seared.

As we were savouring our appetizers and enjoying every bite, our conversations drifted to far away places and we began making travel plans for sometime in the future. We never really manage to go on a family vacation as coordinating travel schedules for a family of seven is a mammoth task but still at that very moment we chose to believe that we will make it happen soon.

For our main course we skipped Copper Chimney’s popular Butter Chicken and instead called for Chicken Bharta, shredded chicken cooked in a tangy tomato based gravy that is spiked with coriander and green chillies. Next we had Machchi Rahra, fillets of Pomfret simmered in a tomato and onion based curry, simply delicious. Bhuna Gosht, cubes of lamb simmered and cooked in a gravy similar to Machchi Rahra. We also called for some plain naans, butter naans, garlic naan and a roomali roti(soft delicate thin bread).

This time we did not hold back and indulged in desserts. We called for some Ras Malais, paneer(Indian cottage cheese) soaked in thick sweetened cream flavoured lightly with cardamoms and garnished with dry fruits. From our experience we felt that the Ras Malai’s are better at Punjab Grill. We also called for some Malai Kulfi, a rich creamy traditional indian ice cream. The service at Copper Chimney is always good, though on friday night they did seem short on their wait staff. The ambience is cheerful and may be a little too bright for restaurants. The food in one word is irresistible.