Awadhi
cuisine is from the land of Nawabs, Lucknow, in our very own princely state Uttar
Pradesh. The cooking style in Lucknow is an amalgamation of cuisines from
Central Asia, Middle East and Northern India and comprises of both vegetarian
and non vegetarian dishes. As opposed to conventional thought, Awadhi food does
not make use of hundred-odd spices to produce each dish but a blend of handful
but not so common spices. The truth lies in the manner in which the food is
cooked on a slow fire……….. The Dum style of cooking was invented by the very
talented Bawarchis (Chefs) and the Rakabdaars (Gourmet Cooks)
It is
said that no or only few parallels can be drawn to the grandeur and style of
the traditional Dastarkhwan (royal spread of food). The cooking style goes back
a long time, when the former Nawabs of Lucknow had a specialized Bawarchi for
each dish that was made in their homes.
The
secret to the taste lies in a jugalbandi ( fusion and mixing) of hand-pounded aromatic
herbs and spices and food does not ‘float in oil’ as is the common misconception.
“Ghee and spices are used in moderation………
I have
always been a fan of Mughlai, Awadhi and Purani Dilli Cuisine and was elated to
receive an Invite to cover and review the ongoing festival , Daawat-e-Lazeez, Awadhi Food at
Seasonal Tastes, The Westin, Gurgaon.
With loads of excitement, I reached the place with my respected colleague Mr.Avininder Singh aka Foodie Surdie from
our group, TWCI- The Writers Collective of India............
We
were welcomed by the PR of “The Westin”
, Ms. Sukhdeep Bahara and were escorted to the restaurant. Where we met the
executive chef of the hotel Mr. Deepak Bhatia. It was pleasure talking to him .
He introduced us to the Mughlai Chef, who is taking care of the Awadhi Cuisine
as well, Chef Qadir Khan. He was well versed with his dishes and style of
cooking.
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| Qadir Khan (left) |
We
started with kebabs. First served with Galawtis , both veg (subz)as well as
Lamb. Very well minced and mixed, reasonably spiced flavors, which were very soothing to the palette.
Then came the Kakori Kabab, a lamb mince kabab mixed with raw papaya used as a tenderizer
or Gilawat. The texture was melt in the mouth and the flavors were good. We
also had the Chicken Tikka which were just normal, nothing over the top.
 |
| Kebabs |
 |
| Galawtis |
 |
| Biryani |
This
festival is not only for the Non-Vegetarians as many Vegetarian dishes have
been incorporated too. We were served the main course, which comprised of an
array of dishes. The Mutton Nihari, Murg Pista Qorma, Chicken as well as Mutton
Biryani, Chana Dal, the Bhindi Masala, Aaloo Nazaakat,Paneer Awadhi and so on……
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| Main Course- Nihari, Qorma, Dal, Paneer, Bhindi etc. |
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| Khubani ka Meetha, Phirni and assorted desserts |
From
the Awadhi dessert section, we tried the Sevvaiya ka Muzzafar (Sweet
Vermicelli mixed with ghee and nuts), Phirni and the Khubani ka Meetha (Apricot
in Sugar Syrup with Nuts).
My
favorite came out to be the Phirni, very delicately prepared and not very
sweet.
Overall,
a very nicely planned festival with good selection of dishes. I would suggest
all the foodies to plan ASAP as the Festival is on for only a couple of days
now.
Cheers
!!!
Where: Seasonal Tastes, The Westin Gurgaon, New Delhi
When: 16th February to 28th February, 2015
Timings: 7.00 pm to 11.30 pm
Contact: 91.124.497.7831
Price: INR 2400/- plus taxes
Written By : Vickrham Vicky
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By : Vickrham Vicky