Four dishes to try at Dubai's latest Mughlai restaurant Khyber

The 60-year-old eatery from Mumbai opened at Dukes Dubai on the Palm on July 26. Here are some signature dishes worth sampling

Clockwise from left, kaali dal, biryani, paneer korma and chicken tikka.

Kaali dal

Scoop up this slow-cooked black lentil dish with chunks of bread. Known for its thick consistency, the Khyber dal is enriched with cream and comes with tadka on top: a tempering technique that involves roasting whole spices in ghee, which is then poured on top of the dish right before it is served.

Mutton biryani

Using lightly spiced rice and succulent pieces of slow-cooked goat, the moist and flavourful biryani here does full justice to a classic. Although the focus is very much on naans, the restaurant also does chicken, prawn and vegetable biryanis, as well as cumin rice and peas pulao.

Read more: Interview with Sudheer Bahl, owner of Khyber

Paneer korma

Most foodies from the Indian subcontinent rue the quality of cottage cheese, or paneer, in the UAE, as it’s often hard and rubbery; but the paneer korma at Khyber is perfectly soft. It is cooked in khoya (thickened milk) and comes drenched in a cashew-cream sauce with a nutty aftertaste.

Chicken tikka

One of the most popular kebabs in Indian and British-Indian cuisines, the tikka at Khyber is marinated in a semi-spicy red masala. Unlike its more chunky and chewy counter­parts, the chicken is ­almost deconstructed in consistency, and melts on the fork and in your mouth.