Dawaat-e-Nizaam:- Chef Mohsin style!

My love for food makes chefs the real heroes for me. Yes! I feel they have to shoulder this huge responsibility of pleasing everyone’s tastebuds and that is not easy at all! Especially with Lucknowites who are conservative in nature when it comes to taste.

Now having said that, I think someone who has done justice to the ongoing Hyderabadi Food Festival at Sepia; is Chef Moshin Qureshi because it needs guts to have Dawaat-e-Nizaam at the City of Nawaabs.

It is just like creating a tale between the two cities; and trying to bring them together in terms of the taste and flavour. However; Chef Moshin has created heaven in terms of food in this Festival !

So talking about great kitchens and cooks; Chef Mohsin has certainly had some magic in him to head this kitchen at Renaissance, Lucknow!

Starting of with Hyderabadi Mutton Shorba.

A clear mutton soup which tasted like paya. Less on spice but high on aroma and taste! Now people who are non vegetarians would know the sticky texture the paya gravy has. This shorba was exactly like that.

Then came the starters; Boti Kebab and Gosht Sikampuri.
Boti Kebabs were so earthy in flavour that you could actually feel the saundha-pan (the earthly flavour)

Gosht Sikampuri was minced lamb kebabs with a bit of dahi and cheese oozing out- a signature Hyderabadi dish. Since the Hyderabadi cuisine is a little on the tangier side; these kebabs were a perfect example of the cuisine.

Among the main course; it was Hyderabadi Dum Murg, Baghare Baigan, Mirch ka Salan, Haleem, Khatti Dal and the great Hyderabadi Kache Gosht ki Biryani.
The Hyderabadi Dum Murg was spicy , dominated by the Hyderabadi local spice called “Pathar ka phool”. Served with a bread called Rogni Naan; it was a perfect balance of flavours. The naan was little sweet in flavour as it was knead using milk. A little crispiness came using semolina

Next was the Haleem which was a mix of mutton shreads, lentils and rice to be cooked in an extremely thick gravy!

Then came the Khatti Dal which was dal with a tangy taste to it. Again dominated by imli flavour!.

Among the vegeterian dishes, I ate the Bhagre Baigan which was something I relished with the Warqi Paratha. Flavourful, aromatic and tasty!

So after being treated with this Dawaat; it was time to close the treat and what better closure other than desserts!

The Double ka Meetha was a perfect way to close this Dawaat-e-Nizaam. Crispy, deep fried bread soaked with sugar syrup and topped with Rabri was literally “heaven on earth”.