Cuisine watch Suman Bolar experiences the hospitality of a bygone era as she's introduced to to chat about earlier visits to Bangalore, Dummy Copy Dummy Copy Dummy Copy Dummy Copy Dummy Copy Dummy Copy Dummy Copy his admiration for his 'guru' Khushwant Dummy Copy Dummy Copy Dummy Copy Dummy Copy Dummy Copy Dummy Copy Dummy Copy Avadhi cuisine by Jiggs Singh, and his long career as a Kalra, the granddaddy of journalist. Before I know it, we are t e l l s m e . “ T h e y a p p o i n t e d states firmly. Contrary to popular discussing our respective families, the representatives to perform the task of perception, the nawabs of Avadh were Indian foodies. unpredictability of life's sudden entertaining them.” The finest cooks, descendants of the Mughal kings' curveballs, and the merits of candour known as bawarchis or rakabdars, were noblemen, not of the kings themselves. versus politeness. I almost forget why employed, and received royal patronage Although Mughal influences do I'm here. “Food!” I exclaim, suddenly. from the nawabs. In the true nawabi permeate the Avadhi culinary tradition, “We're supposed to be talking about spirit of largesse, culinary talent and Avadhi food!” skill were handsomely rewarded. This Bada Imambara Avadh, a region in the centre of drove the chefs to raise their craft to art In 1784, a famine swept across Uttar Pradesh, was once known as the – they drew inspiration from poetry, Avadh. Nawab Asaf-ud-Daulah United Provinces of Oudh and Agra. music, seasons, festivals, flora and commissioned the construction of The British appointed a governor, or fauna, and people and were unafraid to the Bada Imambara as part of a lose your eyes and imagine overstuffed cushions, a rich repast is laid reading his articles in the Illustrated nawab, to oversee this province. experiment with new techniques and food-for-work famine relief program yourself transported back to out before you. Intriguing aromas waft Weekly, and can't wait to meet him. At Eventually, Avadh effectively became ingredients. Their painstakingly created designed to provide large-scale Lucknow in the 17 t h your way, and you think to yourself, “I'm Jamavar, I'm seated at an outdoor table an independent, princely state. Its recipes were jealously guarded secrets, employment. Large handis or century. Picture yourself as in heaven!” to wait for my host. He arrives on the capital city, Lucknow, still remains UP's passed down through generations by vessels of spice-infused rice were C the guest of a nawab, On my way to meet culinary maestro dot of one, sporting a baseball cap with capital city. word of mouth alone. placed on hot coals and sealed to surrounded by opulent décor, pleasing Jiggs Kalra at the Leela Palace, his name on it - “In case there was any “The nawabs wanted to keep the I ask Jiggs about the influence of the ensure that hot food was available music, the rustle of silk and the Bangalore, I'm daydreaming my way doubt,” he jests. British happy, but they would never Mughlai culinary tradition on Avadhi to workers around the clock. This intoxicating scent of hand-mixed through city traffic. He's here to Brushing aside my attempts to deign to eat with them because they cuisine - and am promptly corrected. was thought to be the birth of dum fragrances. As you recline against promote Avadhi cuisine; I grew up address him more formally, Jiggs begins [the British] were pork-eaters,” Jiggs “It's Moghaliyaa, not Mughlai,” Jiggs cuisine in India. 01 3rd Quarter 2007 3rd Quarter 2007 02 Cuisine watch Suman Bolar experiences the hospitality of a bygone era as she's introduced to to chat about earlier visits to Bangalore, Dummy Copy Dummy Copy Dummy Copy Dummy Copy Dummy Copy Dummy Copy Dummy Copy his admiration for his 'guru' Khushwant Dummy Copy Dummy Copy Dummy Copy Dummy Copy Dummy Copy Dummy Copy Dummy Copy Avadhi cuisine by Jiggs Singh, and his long career as a Kalra, the granddaddy of journalist. Before I know it, we are t e l l s m e . “ T h e y a p p o i n t e d states firmly. Contrary to popular discussing our respective families, the representatives to perform the task of perception, the nawabs of Avadh were Indian foodies. unpredictability of life's sudden entertaining them.” The finest cooks, descendants of the Mughal kings' curveballs, and the merits of candour known as bawarchis or rakabdars, were noblemen, not of the kings themselves. versus politeness. I almost forget why employed, and received royal patronage Although Mughal influences do I'm here. “Food!” I exclaim, suddenly. from the nawabs. In the true nawabi permeate the Avadhi culinary tradition, “We're supposed to be talking about spirit of largesse, culinary talent and Avadhi food!” skill were handsomely rewarded. This Bada Imambara Avadh, a region in the centre of drove the chefs to raise their craft to art In 1784, a famine swept across Uttar Pradesh, was once known as the – they drew inspiration from poetry, Avadh. Nawab Asaf-ud-Daulah United Provinces of Oudh and Agra. music, seasons, festivals, flora and commissioned the construction of The British appointed a governor, or fauna, and people and were unafraid to the Bada Imambara as part of a lose your eyes and imagine overstuffed cushions, a rich repast is laid reading his articles in the Illustrated nawab, to oversee this province. experiment with new techniques and food-for-work famine relief program yourself transported back to out before you. Intriguing aromas waft Weekly, and can't wait to meet him. At Eventually, Avadh effectively became ingredients. Their painstakingly created designed to provide large-scale Lucknow in the 17 t h your way, and you think to yourself, “I'm Jamavar, I'm seated at an outdoor table an independent, princely state. Its recipes were jealously guarded secrets, employment. Large handis or century. Picture yourself as in heaven!” to wait for my host. He arrives on the capital city, Lucknow, still remains UP's passed down through generations by vessels of spice-infused rice were C the guest of a nawab, On my way to meet culinary maestro dot of one, sporting a baseball cap with capital city. word of mouth alone. placed on hot coals and sealed to surrounded by opulent décor, pleasing Jiggs Kalra at the Leela Palace, his name on it - “In case there was any “The nawabs wanted to keep the I ask Jiggs about the influence of the ensure that hot food was available music, the rustle of silk and the Bangalore, I'm daydreaming my way doubt,” he jests. British happy, but they would never Mughlai culinary tradition on Avadhi to workers around the clock. This intoxicating scent of hand-mixed through city traffic. He's here to Brushing aside my attempts to deign to eat with them because they cuisine - and am promptly corrected. was thought to be the birth of dum fragrances. As you recline against promote Avadhi cuisine; I grew up address him more formally, Jiggs begins [the British] were pork-eaters,” Jiggs “It's Moghaliyaa, not Mughlai,” Jiggs cuisine in India. 01 3rd Quarter 2007 3rd Quarter 2007 02 Cuisine watch the two cuisines are, at best, distant that a fresh serving be brought out. By cousins. the time it arrives, he's talking about his By now, Jiggs has ordered a kebab kids. I place the first morsel in my platter. Although many believe that mouth, cutting him short mid- kebabs were 'discovered' by Turk sentence. “Stop talking and give me a soldiers, who skewered meat with their moment to savour this raan in peace,” I swords and grilled it over open fires, blurt out. Photographer Sharmila Shah historical evidence belies the notion. freezes at my temerity – but Jiggs is The twelfth-century Chalukyan ruler delighted. “This is how food should be Somadeva (1127-1138 A.D.) wrote a enjoyed,” he tells her, much to my relief. treatise called Manasollasa, in which he The recipe for this particular raan, he describes a dish called bhaditraka. tells me, was gifted to the kitchens of Involving meat stuffed with spices and Avadh by Changez Khan's descendant roasted on spits, bhaditraka sounds Timur the Lame. suspiciously like a kebab! In the case of While we're waiting for our entrées, Avadh, however, it is most likely that Jiggs tells us about the bread basket he's the kebab did filter down through the ordered. “Rural women had to rise early, centuries and the generations of Turkish so they'd keep the dough beside the and central Asian soldiers who served in warm angeethi at night to ferment and the armies of the Delhi Sultanate and rise. In the morning all they needed to the Mughal empire. While the Mughals do was roll out the roti. It's the best originally used minced beef in their sourdough bread I've ever tasted kebabs, the nawabs substituted lamb so anywhere in the world.” The khameeri - as not to offend their Hindu guests. which means 'leavened' - roti is indeed Back to the present, and before me is very good. Fluffy, with a hint of a plate containing an assortment of sourness, it effortlessly mops up the kebabs. Intrigued by the idea of a dahi ghosht ki nihari that Jiggs recommends kebab, I begin by cutting into its crisp with it. “Soak it, soak it,” he urges, “The crust. The inside consists of delectably bread needs to absorb the nihari, not kiss creamy, tangy, spiced yoghurt cheese.