Try a Bit of Everything at  "taste of the east" Buffet in Shrewsbury

Appetisers

• Specially Seasoned Olives (V) (GF)

  Olives, seasoned with onions, tomatoes, lemon juice, cumin, cracked black pepper, and extra virgin olive oil.

• Houmous (V) (GF)

  My famous houmous is prepared freshly using my own recipe and ingredients, with a hint of garlic, lemon, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

• Mast-o-Bademjan (V) (GF)

  Aubergines are baked in a clay oven, cooled down and finely chopped, then rubbed in salt, pepper, and garlic. They are then folded into yogurt and garnished with cumin.

• Flat Bread

  Unleavened and baked in a clay oven at extremely high temperatures, this is the most delicious flat bread that you have ever tasted. Ideal for dipping in this course!

Main

• Fesenjan (chicken) (GF)

  A classic Persian dish for special occasions. Traditionally cooked with duck or pheasant, my version uses chicken, and it’s simply delicious. A thick and naturally sweet-and-sour dish, cooked with pomegranate juice, tomatoes, onions, walnuts, and, as my own unique touch, flaked almonds. My personal favourite Persian dish is soon to be your favourite, too!

• Kabab-e-Kobeideh (Chicken) (GF)

  Persian gatherings will almost always have an assortment of kababs. Served on a bed of fried onions, these mouth-watering kababs are made with ground or minced chicken, salt and pepper, crushed coriander seeds, and a few chilli flakes (not for the faint of heart!).

• Joojeh (Chicken) (GF)

  Joojeh means small chicken. Using off-the-bone leg and thigh meat, I marinade the chicken in grated onions, oil, salt, pepper, cumin, and a few chilli flakes and leave it overnight. Steamed joojeh has a lovely texture that quite literally melts in the mouth. This dish is easy to make and the results are delicious, so please check out the recipe page to try it yourself. I’m sure that you’ll make it as good as me!

• Cold Joojeh Kabab (Seasonal)

  This is the same as the hot dish, but it’s sliced and served with mixed salad and olives. Ideal for a summer’s day!

• Gosht-e-Akbari (Lamb) (GF)

  A rich and spicy lamb curry that dates back to the days of Mughal ruler Akbar the Great, in the early days of Indo-Persian culture. Cubes of lamb are cooked until tender and succulent in onions, garlic, ginger, cumin, cardamom, cloves, coriander powder, and salt to taste. An absolute delight for meat eaters!

• Chickpeas and Potatoes (GF)

  Fairly spicy, this very special vegetarian dish comes from North Africa and is unlike anything you might have tried before. Cooked with just onions, garlic, whole grain mustard, fenugreek, cracked pepper, and salt, it tastes scrumptious!

• Ghormeh Sabzi (V) (GF)

  Pronounced Qormeh Sabzi, this is the latest addition to my menu. It is a traditional and very popular Persian dish, served when family members return home after being away. It is deliciously savoury and loaded with the flavours of several different green herbs. Using Rose coco beans instead of the traditional red meat, this dish contains spinach, onions, fenugreek, parsley, and sun-dried limes. It is traditionally served atop rice, but is very pleasant and very comforting with naan, too.

• Khoresht Gheimeh (Lentils) (V) (GF)

  Lentils have finally shaken their image as the poor man’s legume and have even become somewhat glam! Khoresht is a Persian stew, usually made with meat and lentils. My delectable meat-free version proves the versatility of this dish. Yellow split peas are cooked with onions, tomatoes, sun-dried limes, and fresh lime juice giving it the lip-smacking quality. A delight for vegetarians and meat eaters alike!

• Cauliflower, Carrot, Dorrington-Grown Potatoes, and Aubergines (V) (GF)

  This has been a very popular dish since its introduction on my menu. It is cooked with onions, ginger, and salt to taste, garnished with fresh ginger julienne.

• Pollo (Rice) (V) (GF)

  Aromatic Basmati rice steamed with vegetables and fruit, including grapes, sultanas, plums, and even apples and pineapples.

• Onions, Mushrooms, Cabbage, and Tomatoes (V) (GF)

  A basic, yet flavoursome dish. A number of these ingredients are thrown in together with a bit of oil, salt, and pepper, and heated, rather than fried, for a simple, tasty treat.

• Cous Cous (V)

  Who says cous cous is bland? Come and try mine, flavoured with mixed vegetables, bean sprouts, and fruit/olive, and you’ll never say that cous cous tastes of nothing again!

• Mahi-e-Biryaan (fish)

  One of my signature dishes. River cobbler (a freshwater fish with a moist and meaty texture), seasoned and marinaded in salt, carom seeds, lemon juice, pepper – both black and red, in a light tempura-like batter. This is a luscious, plainly delicious dish. * Served GF, on request.

• Naan-e Barbarri

  A type of Persian flatbread in a round or oval shape, freshly baked in a clay oven. Apparently, this bread was baked by the Barbar people and brought to Tehran in the early 1800s. The dough mix is made with just flour, water, and a bit of salt. Light, fluffy, and full of flavour, it is slapped onto the hot wall of the clay oven where it sticks until baked fully.

• Salad Oliveih (GF)

  Alternatively named Russian Salad, this dish originates in the far north of Great Persia, in the regions we now know as Armenia and Azerbaijan. Salad oliveih consists of cold chicken with apple, pineapple, carrots, white cabbage, boiled potatoes, and eggs, all folded in mayonnaise and cream. It’s not a spicy dish, but it’s still yummy!

• Mast-o-Khiyar

  This bracing seasonal salad contains diced cucumber with grated fresh ginger, salt, and parsley, all folded in yogurt.

Afters

• Sheer Birenj

  Ground Basmati rice, plain whole milk, sugar, cardamom, floral extracts, and honey, set and chilled with golden sultanas.

• Sheer Khurma

  Another sweet dish imported by the Mughals. Traditionally, this dish is served in the Indian Subcontinent on the special occasion of Eid, twice a year. Here, we serve it all year round. Made with vermicelli, plain whole milk, honey, sugar, sultanas, dates, and floral extracts, it tastes divine!

• Halva

  Semolina is cooked in butter, oil, sugar, aniseeds, raisins, peanuts, coconut shavings, and rose water, then delicately sweetened for an aromatic delight.

• Faloodeh (Seasonal)

  This seasonal dessert is cool and refreshing on warmer days of the year. Chilled sweet noodles, (yes, really!) prepared with honey, rose water, and rose syrup.