Sentul's Manjalis Indian Cuisine serves up 'seeraga samba dum biryani'

KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 — I'm a big fan of biryani.

Sadly, this means an instant food coma right after. It may work for a lazy weekend but not when it's a working day, unless you plan to use toothpicks to keep your eyes open.

Enter Manjalis Indian Cuisine. They have upped their biryani game, by using seeraga samba rice.

What's that, you may wonder?

Once I pour out my Manjalis Mutton Dum Biryani (RM18.90), I can see the texture is different.

The grains are tiny. Wikipedia likens the look to cumin seeds. Hence the name seeraga is a take on the Tamil word for cumin which is seeragam.

We may think samba here has something to do with the dance. That is far from the truth. In fact, it actually refers to the season in which these tiny grains are grown. Usually it's from August to January.

There's apparently loads of good-for-you things in these grains like selenium and fibre, but what I really appreciated was how eating a whole plate didn't make my stomach bloat or send me to sleep.

The grains also seem to absorb the flavours well from the mutton. This results in a deeply delicious biryani.

It's so good, I finished the whole plate in a heartbeat.

I also liked the generous portion of tender mutton pieces. There was even one mutton bone with a little bit of marrow inside. What a treat.

You're given a refreshing raita with sliced onions and a curry sauce, which is thick and fragrant and goes perfectly with the rice.

I am actually so satisfied with that biryani that ordering anything else from the menu feels over the top.

So I opt for the ugly delicious Palak Paneer (RM12). I liked the fluffy cubed paneer that tasted homemade swimming in the sea of spinach. It's a little bland but I know it's good for me, which Popeye the sailor would agree.

End your meal with their masala tea made with fresh milk (RM5) for a satisfying meal. What's also unique here is they serve their food and drinks in clay pots, giving it a traditional look.

Almost every table in the restaurant ordered the biryani. They offer so many versions, including Nathukori chicken or free range chicken. There's even a prawn 65 or a chicken 65 pairing. You can even ask for a paneer version and vegetable biryani.

There's more to explore as they also offer parotha, chapati, various cooked dishes and even fried rice.

I had a little trouble ordering food as the wait staff seemed to only speak Tamil. Nevertheless I did get my orders in.

The newly opened eatery is located inside the busy Sentul Raya Boulevard. For a weekday lunch, it's not easy to get a parking space since it gets busy when the school run by Dignity is in session. Do try a weekend or maybe at night.

You will notice a music theme in this cafe with their decor, a nod towards the owner Gowri Arumugam. She is a popular Tamil singer, who is famous for her song Yengguguiren.

Unlike your typical ho hum Indian restaurant decor, what dominates the space is a colourful mural depicting a woman carrying a clay pot. It brightens up the dark wood interior.

There's also another black and white mural showcasing Gowri with an instrument, a nod to her music background.

Manjalis Indian Cuisine, 10-G, Jalan 15/48A, Sentul Raya Boulevard, Kuala Lumpur. Open: 11am to 9pm (Monday to Friday), 11am to 10pm (Saturday and Sunday). Tel:011-1115160. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092327515723 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manjalis.my/

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