A Royal Mughlai Dining Affair At Versova’s Koyla

It’s no secret that the Mughals knew how to live lavishly. From monuments like the Taj Mahal to the plethora of poetry, texts and paintings that the dynasty left behind, there’s a lot of evidence that tells us that the Mughal emperors and their courts and harems left no stops unplugged when it came to luxury.

Their indulgent attitudes are best reflected in the Mughlai cuisine, which is still extremely popular today. The Mughalai cuisine boasts a distinctive aroma, a generous use of spices and ghee as well as large amounts of meats.

Carrying forward the Mughlai tradition of lavishness and luxury is Koyla, a chain of restaurants in Mumbai which place a focus on ethnic North Indian fare.

Making A Royal Feel At Home

Along with a North Indian menu, Versova’s Koyla embraces its Mughlai theme with luxurious indoor and outdoor seating with a red and silver color scheme, plush seating and service which combine to create an experience that would make Emperor Jehangir or Emperor Akbar feel right at home.

The Koyla in Versova has just revamped its menu, which now lavishes even more attention on Mughlai flavors, with dishes like Paneer Tikka, Mutton Seekh Kebab, Paneer Lazeez and a collection of biryanis on the menu.

Tasting The Talk

Thinking to ourselves that it had been a while since we’d dined like a royal, we took the Metro over to Koyla to sample the new menu.

We began with bowl of Chicken Dhaniya Shorba, which was a heady soup with lots of zing thanks to the dhaniya. The combination of warmth, coriander and a splash of lemon makes it the perfect treat to fight off the last-of-the monsoon sniffles.

Being the unapologetic carnivores we are, we then called for the Sizzling Mutton Platter and the Sizzling Tandoori Prawns Platter. All meats and prawns from the platters were skillfully spiced and cooked to a perfect tenderness. We particularly loved the boti kebabs with an intense, smoky and spicy flavors and the Mutton seekf kebabas which were made with tender, beautifully spiced mutton.

We then moved on to the mains; a Paneer Lazez and Koyla’s Butter Chicken with butter garlic naans. In a true tribute to the Mughals, both gravies were incredibly rich; the Paneer Lazeez was a rich blend of cashew nuts, cream and tomato pulp with a generous amount of firm fresh paneer cubes. Meanwhile, the butter chicken gravy was silky and incredibly tangy.

We rounded off our mains with a fragrant Dum Murg Biryani which boasted long grains of deliciously spiced basmati rice, layered atop soft, flavour packed chicken.

Finally, we finished our Mughlai dining affair with a serving of Phirni, which was served in a matka and was tongue tingingly sweet with a creamy texture.  

As you may have guessed by now, we give Koyla full points for its delicious fare as well as its charming ambience which work together to create a truly royal experience. Head there to unwind, Mughlai style this week!