o December 2024 – Bhai Jaans
We had a great time on December 5th at our last Enak event for the year held at Bhai Jaans, a Pakistani and North Indian restaurant. Our hosts were Nabila Ahmad and Zeff Khan who was accompanied by his wife and guest, Hess. We had 34 Enak members and guests present for the event.
Nabila and Zeff chose Bhai Jaans to celebrate their Pakistani heritage and give us an authentic taste of dishes they enjoy. The restaurant is owned by four friends raised in the UK with deep roots in Pakistani home cooking. This is reflected in the restaurant’s name as “Bhai Jaan” is a very respectful and loving way to refer to a “brother” in Urdu. In essence, it signifies “brotherly love”. The restaurant is located just across from The Strand shopping mall in Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya. Its colourful décor is very inviting and is inspired by the famous truck art of Pakistan.
As part of their welcome, Nabila and Zeff shared personal stories about the significance of the dishes they had selected. Nabila noted the regional differences between the cuisines of the northern and southern regions of the Indian sub-continent where Pakistan is located. Nabila also brought her copy of Shanaz Ramzi’s book Food Prints: An Epicurious Voyage through Pakistan: Overview of Pakistani Cuisine (Oxford University Press, 2012) for us to gain deeper insights into the cuisine we were going to enjoy.
There was a wide variety of dishes for vegetarians and non-vegetarians for the price of RM55 per person. The tradition of sharing plates was honoured and seating was arranged in groups of four to enhance the communal spirit of Enak.
For starters, we had Vegetable Pakoras and Vegetarian Golgappas. The pakoras were crispy and made from a paste of gram (lentil) flour and water mixed with spices, onions and vegetables. The Golgappas, also known as panipuris, are a deep-fried hollow spherical shell filled with a stuffing of potatoes, onions, chickpeas and spices. A tamarind-flavoured sauce went with the Golgappas.
For the mains, we had Chapli Kebab (a minced beef patty), Chicken White Karahi (a smooth, white, creamy mild-flavoured curry), Daal Tarka (tempered split lentils), Aloo Ghobi (a dry curry of potatoes and cauliflower), Chicken Biryani, and Vegetable Pulao accompanied by two types of bread (roti in Urdu) (Roghani Naans and Tandoori Roti). Dessert was Kheer (a classic sweet treat that could be best described as a cardamom-infused rice pudding boiled with milk and sugar). We enjoyed starting our meal with a drink of Sweet Lassi (a sweetened yogurt drink served in jugs and perfect for a hot day). At the end of the meal, Karak Chai (black tea boiled in milk with sugar) was served with the dessert.
To experience more of Pakistan’s rich culinary heritage, go visit Bhai Jaans Instagram account: bhaijaansmy.
Our thanks to all who came to this event and made it a success. Special thanks to the following for their work in these roles:
Hosts: Nabila Ahmad, Zeff Khan
Collection: Santhi Nair-Moine, Dana Newberry
Photos: Terrence Perera, Rosemary Chin, Jagdev Kaur, Melinda Klanderman
Review: Thanks very much to Sumitra Sundram
