It’s been more than six years since I moved to southern California and it’s been almost as long since I first heard of Noorani and bookmarked it for a visit. So when my friend asked me to come along to lunch with her and some other friends for Pakistani food, I asked where (Noorani was the only place I knew) and when she said Noorani, I was eager and excited to finally pay them a visit.
I am glad I didn’t embark on this adventure on my own because I wouldn’t have known what to order. I’ve never had Pakistani cuisine before and although Indian food is similar, there are definitely huge differences when you are from the area as opposed to someone like me who is observing from the outside.
First of all, most Pakistanis are Muslim so no pork is used here. Unlike Indian cuisine, you will find beef on the menu, but everything is ‘halal‘ (a method of slaughtering similar to how Jews slaughter their meat — ‘kosher‘). Proteins such as lamb, goat, beef and chicken dominate the menu, there is also fish and shrimp and various vegetarian options as well.
We left the ordering to the expert, a new-found friend and fellow food lover. She deftly went through the menu and picked out a variety of things for us to try. Before the food arrived a plate of conndiments is given with sliced onions, jalapenos and lettuce. There is also a jar of yogurt sauce.
Tandoori Mix Plate ($13.95) consists of tandoori chicken, chicken tikka, seekh kabob (ground beef made into a log), bihiri kabob (spiced tender beef), all cooked in the tandoor, or a clay oven, and served on a sizzling platter topped with onions, red and green peppers and chopped jalapenos with lemon wedges.
I really enjoyed the Chicken Qurma ($6.99) — bone in chicken pieces (white meat available) bathed in a mild tomato based curry sauce. What I love about it is that there is no cream at all, making it less heavy and not as harsh on my lactose-intolerant stomach.
If you are a fan of biryani, the one here is rather flavorful. Lamb Biryani ($9.99) is an aromatic dish of basmati rice flavored with spices and steamed with lamb pieces. If you don’t want lamb, there are many varieties to choose from including chicken, fish, beef or even, vegetable.
I absolutely loved the Bhindi ($6.99), sliced okra cooked with onions, chili, tomatoes and spices. In fact, I could have eaten this with some rice and called it a day it was THAT delicious.
Fish Karahi ($9.99) wasn’t my favorite. I’m not sure what sort of fish was used but it had a muddy, fishy taste. The accompanying sauce was on the mild side which wasn’t enough to balance out the fish’s pungent aromas.
The same goes for Haleem ($7.99) which I googled and the explanation was a stew of beef, lentils and wheat pounded into a paste. It was on the bland side and wasn’t texturally pleasing to me.
Besides rice, breads are also traditionally eaten with the meal. Plain Naan ($1) or Paratha ($2) accompany without overpowering. I prefer the latter even though it is on the greasy side, but it is flaky and crispy.
If you like Indian cuisine you will like Noorani, the flavors are similar but without the usual creamy richness of northern Indian cuisine which is typically served in restaurants in southern California.
Noorani Halal Restaurant
14178 Brookhurst Street
Garden Grove, CA 92843
Tel: 714-636-1000
I don’t get it, how is this different than Indian food? I eat most of these dishes at my favorite Indians places.
well India and Pakistan are neighbors but there are differences in culture. They prepare it slightly differently, that’s it. Kind of like Thai and Lao food which is similar yet slightly different. The biggest difference is there is beef in Pakistani cuisine and not in Indian cuisine
Ah I see, thanks for the info!
Hi.
Love your blog, but have to say that halal is COMPLETELY different to kosher. Jews & muslims don’t get along & their ways of butchery are completely different. In halal butchery, teh animal is not stunned, a prayer is said over the animal & then his throat is slit, sometimes they are still alive while the blood is leaving the body. In a kosher house, there is underatnding of the animal & in fact the meat & dairy are kept separate as a sign of respect.
sorry I didn’t mean for it to sound that it was the same thing. I just meant that they have to go through a ritual in slaughtering the animal like both Muslim and Jewish cultures.
I’m not sure how correct wikipedia is but this is what I found on “halal”: Kosher meats, which are consumed by Jews, are permissible if no Halal meat is available. This is due to the similarity between both methods of slaughtering and the similar principles of Kosher meat which are still observed by the orthodox Jews today.[1][2]
I am hungry! thanks for another useful review
this place is gooooooooooooooooood!
Wow, that tandoori chicken looks so good! Seems like it’d be very similar to what I already enjoy!
PAkistan and India were one before 1947, that is why most of the recipes and dishes are quite similar. India is famous for spices. Im glad you liked it 🙂