Of A Hundred Spices And A Gastronomical Delight To Remember

A visit to Lucknow is never complete without partaking of its food, ranging from royal Nawabi cuisine to the savouries from the Chowk. Recently, Chef Mohammed Aleem Qureshi, a fourth-generation Masterchef (working at JW Marriott Hotel in Delhi's Aerocity), created a delightful experience with a range of Awadhi dishes recreated by him.

Chef Aleem's dishes were spiced to perfection, and each dish prepared with finesse. Be it the melt-in-mouth kebabs or Dal Sultamim, Band Gosht, Arbi ke Kebab and Chowk ki Tikki among others.

Speaking to Outlook Traveller, the chef said, "I have spent my entire childhood in Chowk in Lucknow. Much of everything I have learnt in cooking is also an inspiration from how Chowk is in real life, the aroma of freshly ground and sauteed spices. The aroma of the meat being cooked and served hot with a bed of rice or with rumali roti and sheermal. Or, for that matter, the nihari without which Awadhi cuisine is incomplete. Each lane in Chowk would make you feel hungry even if you didn't feel like it. So I have tried to recreate that atmosphere here in Delhi".

We tried the nihari, sheermal, rumali roti, kakori kebab and needless to say, the authentic taste of each dish was a revelation for our taste buds. The festive season has kickstarted in India with it so has the spirit of celebrating food. Food is an integral part of any celebration in the country.

We asked Chef Qureshi to spill some secrets with Diwali around the corner. "Garam masala is everything. This particular spice can change the game of any dish. When it is put at the right time towards the end, it can spice things up, literally,"