Taj Mahal, the restaurant that has been bringing Indian and Pakistani cuisine to Cordoba homes for 18 years

Taj Mahal, the restaurant that has been bringing Indian and Pakistani cuisine to Cordoba homes for 18 years.

The Vistalegre establishment opened its doors in 2008 and maintains a menu of Indian and Pakistani cuisine with spiced meats, rice dishes, breads and numerous vegetarian options.

Since 2008, Taj Mahal has maintained a menu focused on Indian and Pakistani cuisine in Vistalegre. Located on Calle Escritor Azorín, the restaurant offers curries, marinated meats, biryanis, basmati rice, and a wide variety of naan breads baked in their clay oven.

The restaurant's history is intertwined with the Raja family. Hamza Raja, born in Pakistan in 1997, arrived in Córdoba in 2008, when his father, Iqbal, opened the restaurant, encouraged by an uncle who was already living in Spain. Since then, they have both taken on different roles in the business. Hamza primarily manages the dining room, while his father works in the kitchen.

Iqbal has decades of experience in the kitchen, and, as his son explained in an interview with GURMÉ Córdoba, that experience is precisely one of the keys to the restaurant's success. "My father, the one who knows about cooking, is creating some really good dishes. And that's the secret, after all," Hamza pointed out.

A menu of curries, meats and spices

The menu features classic Indian and Pakistani dishes, with a strong emphasis on chicken and lamb. Among the offerings are chicken curry, chicken tikka masala, butter chicken, chicken korma, jalfrezi, and vindaloo, as well as various lamb preparations such as Rogan Josh, Madras, Korma, and Tikka Masala.

The restaurant uses a wide variety of spices. Among those mentioned by Hamza are cinnamon, cumin, and different types of pepper. The spiciness level can also be adjusted in many dishes, a particularly relevant option for those who prefer milder cuisine.

Chicken tikka masala is one of the dishes that allows you to understand part of the restaurant's culinary approach. The chicken is marinated for 24 hours before being oven-roasted and served with tomatoes, onions, peppers, and a sauce made with spices and other vegetables.

The menu also includes options for those who prefer to avoid meat. Mutter paneer, chana masala, sag paneer, aloo gobi, dall tarka, and various vegetable dishes are part of the vegetarian section.

Biryanis and rice dishes to accompany them

Rice is another important element of the menu. The restaurant offers everything from simple basmati rice to pulao rice with herbs, mushroom rice, and the so-called Taj Mahal rice, prepared with fruit.

In addition to these, there are biryanis, available with chicken, lamb, fish, shrimp, or vegetables. The menu also features the Taj Biryani, which combines rice with chicken, lamb, and shrimp.

For sharing, Taj Mahal also has different karahi-type preparations, such as chicken or lamb, prepared with fried onion, ginger, garlic and fresh cilantro.

Naan also plays a starring role

One of the most distinctive elements of the menu is the bread. It's prepared in a clay oven and can accompany curries, meats, and rice dishes.

Among them is the Taj Mahal Naan, made with coconut, cheese, and sugar, as well as other versions like cheese naan, garlic naan, vegetable naan, or Keema Naan, filled with minced meat. They also offer a Punjabi naan with pieces of chicken and a pronounced spicy kick.

The menu is rounded out with starters such as vegetable samosas, pakoras, chicken tikka, seekh kebab, and various tandoori dishes. Fish and prawns are also available.

The proposal thus maintains a broad menu, with options for different levels of spice and preferences, and with Indian and Pakistani cuisine as the common thread of a restaurant that has already accumulated 18 years of history in Vistalegre (Cordoba).