An Exultation of Lentils
New York Times, 2012
“The most eye-opening item to come out of the oven is tandoori chicken, a preparation said to have been introduced to restaurant dining by the original Moti Mahal. Justifiably, the dish and the restaurant became famous. Juicy despite its black streaks of char, the tandoori chicken at Moti Mahal Delux has a subtle heat and spice but does not have the quarter-inch of candy-red flesh that indicates the presence of food coloring. After tasting it, I thought of the restaurants where I had been served poor facsimiles of the dish and wanted to demand refunds from all of them.”
Indian Import Brings Chic Buffet to Upper East Side
The Wall Street Journal, 2012
The unlimited lunch special has a vegetarian or non-vegetarian option—just remember they don’t include a soft drink. Both serve a variety of dishes, including a salad of the day, vegetables and a dessert. The non-vegetarian tacks on chicken dishes, sometimes its popular Murgh Makhani, or butter chicken, for the entree. It is made with fresh tomato purée, Mr. Anand says, giving it a “tangy effect.”
International Indian Eatery Opens First US Outpost on Upper East Side
DNAInfo, 2012
Moti Mahal’s signature chicken dish is served in a velvety sauce of creamy tomato, a more authentic, more delicious dish than the Tikka Masala version more commonly found in America, Anand said. The menu traces its lineage to the royal chefs of the Mughal Empire who used the tandoor, or clay oven, for cooking chicken. It also includes such specialties as Kaali Daal (black lentils and house-churned butter cooked for 18 hours in special six-layered copper pots imported from India), Kadi Patta Jheenga (grilled prawns cooked with curry leaves), and Masala (a fragrant curry prepared with a choice of goat brain, crab, chicken or shrimp).
