Daawat by Sabs

FOOD

Goat paya gives Daawat’s weekend buffet a distinctive starting point. Paya is a slow-cooked preparation of goat trotters, a cut valued for the body it brings to the gravy as its connective tissue softens. It is a traditional South Asian breakfast and brunch dish, with bread alongside it here. Goat curry is a separate part of the spread. The buffet selection varies, bringing these meat dishes together with vegetarian cooking, South Indian staples and breads.

Halwa puri supplies another classic brunch combination: sweet halwa with puffed fried bread. Chana bhatura pairs chickpeas with a different fried bread, bhatura, usually a larger, leavened bread with a pillowy character. These combinations bring a recognizable South Asian breakfast tradition into the lunch, with both sweet and savory preparations sharing the meal.

Butter chicken brings the familiar creamy chicken curry, alongside a separate chicken curry and chicken biryani. Biryani is the seasoned rice-and-meat preparation among the main dishes. Tandoori chicken and chicken seekh kebab extend the cooking to the grill-and-tandoor selection. Seekh kebabs use seasoned minced meat shaped around skewers; chicken is the meat in Daawat’s version.

Dosa and idli give South Indian cooking its own place at brunch. Dosa is the thin griddled pancake, while idli are steamed rice-and-lentil cakes. The two preparations show different uses of the rice-and-lentil batter tradition: a thin griddled form and a soft steamed one. Sambar, the lentil-and-vegetable stew, and chutney accompany this part of the spread.

The vegetarian cooking includes dal tadka, alu sabzi, saag and cabbage sukka. Tadka refers to the spice tempering used to finish the lentils. Alu sabzi is the potato preparation, saag brings greens, and cabbage sukka takes the vegetable cooking in a drier direction. Additional Sunday choices have included kadhi, a yogurt-based curry, and malai kofta, dumplings served with a creamy sauce. Kadhi traditionally uses gram flour to thicken the yogurt, giving this curry its characteristic body.

Small samosas, spring rolls and pakoras belong to the Sunday appetizer repertoire. They bring pastry-wrapped and batter-fried preparations to the meal. Dahi bhalle supplies a different appetizer: dumplings dressed with yogurt. Its yogurt component gives that part of brunch a tangy dairy element alongside the fried starters.

Naan and tandoori roti accompany the curries, with raita and salad also available. Raita supplies a yogurt-based accompaniment, alongside the raw salad and the rice dishes. Naan is the leavened flatbread; tandoori roti is the whole-wheat bread baked in the clay oven. Bread service during a Sunday buffet can bring naan, bhatura and puri directly to the table, so the meal’s bread selection reaches beyond a single kind of flatbread.

Chicken tikka pizza and chicken Alfredo pasta are the crossover additions, alongside the paya, curries and South Indian cooking. Masala tea and coffee accompany the buffet. The spiced tea belongs naturally to this substantial brunch, with the halwa-and-bread combinations supplying its sweet side.