Discovered in the Godawari River in south India some 5,000 years ago, the Kohinoor Diamond is believed to be one of the most extraordinary gems ever known to man, and it was long said that he who owned this 186carat marvel, owned the world.

The diamond's first recorded holder was the Rajah of Malwa, who came into its possession in 1304. The Kohinoor was passed on to each succeeding Mogul ruler until 1739, when the north of India was conquered by Persians under Nader Shah, who seized all the maharajah's jewels all, that is, except the Kohinoor, which somehow vanished.

The mystery and secrecy of the Kohinoor was kept within India until it suddenly resurfaced in the possession of the Punjab ruler Radjit Singh in 1813.

The glamorous stone was eventually confiscated by the British crown, that garishly reduced the diamond's weight and brilliance by recutting it to serve as a brooch for Queen Victoria. It was later set in the crown used in the coronation of Elizabeth II.

Today, the Kohinoor Diamond rests placidly alongside other crown jewels in the Tower of London, but the glory that the "Mountain of Light" once held for India still glistens in the hearts and minds of those who remember the grandeur this great subcontinent proudly laid stake to centuries before the European conquerors invaded its territory.

It was precisely with the desire to rekindle the splendor of the age of Kohinoor, the age of the Mogul maharajahs and monumental Taj Majal built by their ruler Shah Jahan in 1643, that Punjabi-native Inder Singh first opened his restaurant that bears the name of this mystifying gem, located in Santa Fe just across from the Sheraton Suites.

Indeed, Kohinoor restaurant is a culinary citadel that may lack some of the opulent majesty of décor that categorized the Mogul dynasties, but is as regal in terms of gastronomic fare as any Punjabi palace, past or present.

With three chefs brought in from the finest five-star hotels and restaurants in northern India, Singh has strived to create authentic Mogul recipes with the same grace and refinement that has made North Indian cooking the hallmark of South Asian gastronomy.

Two clay tandoor ovens, shipped in from New Delhi and stylishly displayed behind glass windows that allow guests to watch their main course being prepared as they enjoy freshmade appetizers of samosas and pakoras, constitute the heart of Kohinoor's kitchen.

The atmosphere in the restaurant is warm and inviting, with balmy yellow, ginger and auburn tones. The walls are generously adorned with colorful Indian paintings and tapestries, and piped in Indian sitar music helps to create an alluring setting.

Service is a top priority at Kohinoor, and the owner and his brother, Jessie Singh, are often on hand to greet the guests and make sure that they are pampered in true maharajah style. If the Singhs are not around, the manager, Armando Hernández, is usually there, and will cater to your every whim, making it a pleasure to dine at Kohinoor.

But food is the real reason to come to this restaurant. With spices and herbs imported straight from India, and Kohinoor's die-hard commitment to not skimp on ingredients no what matter the cost, this is as close to genuine Punjab cuisine as you can get outside of South Asia. If the rate of some of the dishes is a bit pricey, the reason is that you are paying for authenticity.

The best way to savor an Indian meal is as a group, which means that you can order several items each and place everything in the middle of the table to be sampled by all.

To begin your feast and a full meal at Kohinoor really does constitute a feast, so come hungry start with an order of vegetable samosas (40 pesos), little pastry triangles stuffed with potato and pea paste and accompanied by a tangy tamarind sauce and minced mint chutney. The fish pakoras (deep-fried, battered marinated fillets served with a chile-tomato chutney sauce) are also a delicious entrée (88 pesos).

Kohinoor's aloo papri chatt salad (40 pesos), a mouth-watering mixture of crispy wafer potatoes and chickpeas drenched in a yogurt and tamarind dressing, is a perfect appetizer for the calorie-conscious.

The daal soup (35 pesos) is Kohinoor's version of a hearty vegetarian mulligatawny, made with ground lentils and a symphony of spices, garnished with white rice and sweet lemon wedges, and makes a great starter if you are very hungry.

Most of the restaurant's main courses are produced in the tandoor ovens, and liberally bathed in saffron barbeque sauce or mint and coriander paste. A whole tandoori chicken costs 150 pesos, and a boneless chicken kabab with mild curry spices is 125 pesos. The house special, Kohinoor chicken breast (155 pesos), is marinated overnight in a succulent almond paste and seasoned with saffron before being baked in the tandoor.

The seek kabab (139 pesos), minced lamb mixed with masala spices, wrapped on skewers and smoked in the tandoor until golden brown, is a Mogul traditional main course and comes with grilled onions and cucumber slices. If you have a large group, the Kohinoor special ran (468 pesos) includes an entire skewered leg of lamb marinated in mint and coriander and can serve up to three or four people.

Seafood lovers will want to try out the tandoori giant prawns basted in saffron (299 pesos) or the fish takka (165 pesos) barbequed in masala spices.

No true Indian meal is complete without a curry or two, and Kohinoor's jhinga masala (139 pesos), fresh-shelled shrimp simmered in mild onion and spice sauce, is a good option to start with for the unindoctrinated connoisseur. The sag gosht (125 pesos) is curried lamb with chopped spinach, and the chicken vindaloo (125 pesos) is a fiery blend of red and green peppers and spices that is guaranteed to scorch the palate.

Vegetable dishes, such as sag paneer (85 pesos), homemade cottage cheese in a curried spinach sauce, and bengan bharta (69 pesos) eggplant grilled with fresh tomato, onions and ginger, can accompany the meat selections, and a daal makhani (85 pesos), whole black lentils boiled in an onion, ginger and tomato sauce, is as mandatory for a full Indian meal as refried beans are for a Mexican banquet.

Aromatic steamed basmati rice (29 pesos) and tandoor-baked kurmi naan (unleavened garlic bread, 29 pesos) will complete your meal, and for dessert, there is homemade gulab jamun (45 pesos), golden balls of milk curd soaked in sweet saffron sauce, and mango kufti (50 pesos), traditional Indian ice cream spiced with cardamom.

Therese Margolis is a journalist living in Mexico and specializing in international relations and global affairs. She can be contacted at: therese@prodigy.net.mx