Chefs at work; (below) kebabs on display at Radisson Blu Hotel. Picture by Hardeep Singh

If you are crazy about kebabs, The Great Indian Kebab Factory should be the next stop on your munch map.

Within a few months of its launch, the shahi food joint at Radisson Blu Hotel in Kadru, Ranchi — complete with Mughal décor and dishes — is aiming to rewrite the capital’s gastronomic history with 10 signature varieties of vegetarian and non-vegetarian kebabs.

The hot, happening and royally rich galouti kebab, arguably the shahenshah of chef Santosh Kumar’s factory, is making the young and the old drool alike.

The aroma of the Epicurean snack, prepared by Kumar’s five-member team on a tawa, is enhanced by the sweet smell of shirmal and bhakharkani, breads flavoured with saffron and fennel-cashew, respectively. The platter is a total recall of Mughal meals.

The regal restaurant has seating arrangements for 83 guests, who are served up kebabs roasted on a tandoor, shallow or deep-fried in kadhai and steamed in pots by uniformed waiters. The hotshots include the unique shahi gilaawat kebab or galouti kebab, the temporal kakori kebab and the charcoal grilled mans ke sooley. They are served with either six types of special breads or biryani.

A decade old in the hospitality industry, Kumar has won accolades for his culinary skills while working in the UK and at ITC, Calcutta. Shedding light on the craze, he said that the savoury snack had its origins in north frontier states like Kashmir and countries like Afghanistan, where kebabs and breads are the staple food.

“Today, kebabs are in great demand. Ranchiites are lapping it up. We alter the menu daily for them. Some kebabs are sautéed with Delhi spices and served with mint chutney and onion lachcha,” the chef said.

“We serve our guests five types of vegetarian and non-vegetarian kebabs. However, galouti kebab is the hot favourite. I ask our guests personally whether they like the day’s preparations and the response is often overwhelming. Even foreign guests enjoy kebabs with biryani,” he added.

The hotel’s food and beverage manager Sujit Chatterjee said The Great Indian Kebab factory was opened in July. “Our guests are enjoying the hospitality since,” he said.

The kebab-crazy capital couldn’t agree more. “It has been one of the best gifts. We attend food festivals at the hotel for its kebabs and biryani. My romance with kebabs began five months ago,” said Mahi Roy, a regular customer.

Elderly couple Manojit and Sarita Rai too can’t stop praising Radisson’s kebabs. “The capital is springing pleasant surprises with new food joints, multiplexes and malls. We had never thought that an eatery like The Great Indian Kebab Factory will open in this small city,” said sexagenarian Manojit.