Dosa served with sambar and various chutneys. The portion at Aryaas is easily enough to do for lunch.
Dosa served with sambar and various chutneys. The portion at Aryaas is easily enough to do for lunch.

Restaurant Review: Charmed by chutney at Dubai's Aryaas



With its white walls, utilitarian chairs, bare tables and metal trays, Aryaas in Bur Dubai (part of a chain of restaurants spread across Dubai and Sharjah) vaguely resembles a canteen. In terms of decor, it's clean, functional, but by no means memorable. The food, however, certainly is.

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Within a minute of walking through the door we'd been greeted and seated, ordered a couple of pineapple juices and a pappad a piece, and had set to work deciphering the extensive menu. This is divided into sections and can seem a little baffling at first.

The availability of many of the dishes depends upon the time of day, for example: pakoras, samosas and bajji are only served at tea time (between 4pm and 7.30pm), whereas traditional south Indian snacks such as idly can be ordered from 7.30am onwards and the Night Meal is only available after 7pm (no surprises there). Still, because of its sheer length, no matter what time you visit, you're still guaranteed plenty of choice.

Our pappads arrived quickly, scorched around the edges, glistening with the barest slick of oil and just generally looking and tasting as though they'd been lifted straight from the pan. However, it was the selection of accompanying chutneys that really caught our attention and suggested that we could be on to something special.

These six little pots boasted a pretty array of bright colours and assertive flavours: cooling coconut; vibrant, zesty coriander; sweet onion; mild tomato; a pile of chewy, roasted garlic and a deceptively spicy ginger dip. Next to arrive was my friend's masala dosa. This lacy, wafer-thin pancake of lightest golden brown was stuffed with mildly spiced, turmeric-yellow soft potato, onion and nigella seeds. It was very tasty indeed.

Aryaas's version of this popular Indian street food is easily large enough for lunch and at Dh9 it's a steal (they offer a takeaway service). The poori masala, which consisted of two puffy balls of chewy, freshly deep-fried bread, served with a slightly sweet potato and carrot masala was not quite as tasty (the poori lacked a little seasoning) but we were soon dipping them into the various chutneys with abandon.

For our main courses, we shared tadka dahl and paneer kofta, which were both lovely. The dahl was perfectly cooked: the lentils had been stewed to the point that they were just starting to disintegrate into the garlicky, tomatoey, cumin-rich gravy. On its own, the dahl was pleasantly mild and rather comforting.

Once we stirred in the layer of aromatic tarka that rested on top, it was even better. The fresh, sharp spices, dark-green curry leaves, flashes of bright-red chilli, minced garlic and hint of shallot (all cooked in foaming golden ghee) added another element entirely.

We both agreed that we could have easily polished off the bowl and ended the meal there. That would have been a mistake, though, because when we got around to trying it, the paneer kofta was just as good. Two chewy rounds of fried vegetables and startlingly white paneer were surrounded by a luxurious creamy, smoky, vaguely aniseedy sauce. It was perfectly spiced: there was just enough heat to awaken the taste buds and lead them on a merry dance, but it stopped short of causing pain.

From the pappads and pineapple juice that we enjoyed at the beginning, to the steamed rice right at the end, all the food we ate at Aryaas tasted as if it had been freshly cooked. The smartly dressed waiters were knowledgeable and attentive but also left us alone to enjoy the meal, which is so important. When they noticed that we'd barely touched a bowl of cucumber raita, they offered to package it up for us to take home, which I thought was a nice touch.

As you can see, I was rather charmed by Aryaas. I liked the lack of pretension, the array of different dishes, the reasonable prices and the unassuming atmosphere. So, I suspect, might you.

• A meal for two at Aryaas, Bank Street, Bur Dubai (opposite BurJuman) costs Dh84.50, not including service. For reservations call: 04 357 7800.

Reviewed meals are paid for by The National and reviews are conducted incognito.

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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
  • Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
  • Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
  • Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
  • For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
  • Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
  • Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
  • Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
  • Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
  • Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
  • Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.

Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz

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Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale

Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni

Director: Amith Krishnan

Rating: 3.5/5

THE SPECS

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine 

Power: 420kW

Torque: 780Nm

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Price: From Dh1,350,000

On sale: Available for preorder now

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Business Insights
  • As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses. 
  • SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income. 
  • Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Rating: 2/5
 
The specs

Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now

SPECS

Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now

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Breaking News: The Remaking of Journalism and Why It Matters Now
Alan Rushbridger, Canongate

Game Of Thrones Season Seven: A Bluffers Guide

Want to sound on message about the biggest show on television without actually watching it? Best not to get locked into the labyrinthine tales of revenge and royalty: as Isaac Hempstead Wright put it, all you really need to know from now on is that there’s going to be a huge fight between humans and the armies of undead White Walkers.

The season ended with a dragon captured by the Night King blowing apart the huge wall of ice that separates the human world from its less appealing counterpart. Not that some of the humans in Westeros have been particularly appealing, either.

Anyway, the White Walkers are now free to cause any kind of havoc they wish, and as Liam Cunningham told us: “Westeros may be zombie land after the Night King has finished.” If the various human factions don’t put aside their differences in season 8, we could be looking at The Walking Dead: The Medieval Years

 

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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
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21 Lessons for the 21st Century

Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
 

No_One Ever Really Dies

N*E*R*D

(I Am Other/Columbia)

Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Rating: 4/5
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Mia Man’s tips for fermentation

- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut

- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.

- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.

- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.

 


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