It is one thing to read about a person and admire his creations, quite another to meet him. I was psyched to say the least when I, along with fellow members of Kolkata Food Bloggers, received an invitation from the ITC Sonar to sample the hotel’s specially-crafted Royal Repast Experience that would showcase the incredible culinary wizardry of the legendary master of Awadhi cuisine and the man behind ITC Hotels’ celebrated Dum Pukht chain of restaurants, Chef Mohammed Imtiaz Qureshi. And yes, chef Qureshi would be present amongst us, it said!
Now, this man doesn't simply belong to a family of royal chefs of Awadh, He IS royalty, as far as the Indian food scene is concerned...
More of Priyadarshini's experience HERE
When KFB got an invite from ITC Sonar to a part of their press lunch with the Grand Master Chef Imtiaz Qureshi there was no way I could say no. I had heard a lot about the man solely responsible for bringing the royal cuisine to the masses.Chef Imtiaz Qureshi has an impeccable lineage, his ancestors were cooks in the royal courts of Awadh where Dum Pukht originated some 200 years ago. Now when you get an opportunity to be a part of such history you do jump with joy. Chef Qureshi presents some of his best creations from a culinary journey which spans over 50 years. A burly old man with white hair and moustache, he gives out such positive vibes. You are only charmed as he shares with you anecdotes in pure Urdu. I was awed! And the fact that he has such a modernist approach to traditional cuisine only adds to his persona. I couldn't believe it when he said that he used olive oil for the Biryani - something only a man with so much experience can fathom...
More of Archita's experience HERE
I have always been enamoured by royalty. Blame it on my academic roots. Being a post graduate in history, the Mughals of Delhi, Nizams of Hyderabad, Ranas of Chittor were all that my world was made up of till 5 years back. Even after shifting gears and jumping head-on to journalism, it has been the past that lures me more than the present. Needless to say, when I was invited as a part of the Kolkata Food Bloggers' team to join the royal repast menu launch at Dum Pukht, ITC Sonar, on Saturday, my delight knew no bounds...
Read what Pritha has to say about it HERE
Kolkata Food Bloggers were invited by ITC, Sonar for an oppurtunity of a life time to meet the Grand Chef Imitiaz Qureshi and sample royal masterpieces crafted by him. Chef Imtiaz Qureshi belongs to a remarkable lineage of cooks in the royal court of Awadh where Dum Pukht originated about 200 years ago!
When the chef arrived to our tables, we were collectively in a state of awe with the deep knowledge of the cuisine that he masters in. He explained us the meaning of 'Dum Pukht' where 'Dum' means 'to breathe in' and 'Pukht' means 'to cook'. He emphasizes on the age old importance of maintaining a clean kitchen before cooking. Dum Pukht uses a round heavy-bottomed vessel where food is tightly sealed and cooked over slow fire which intensifies the flavours of the food...
Read more HERE
We were then joined by Mr. Sandeep Arora who created a ‘marriage’ between this royal cuisine with a whiskey – Royal Salute 21YO. His efforts were three months in the making and he talked with a lot of passion about this pairing. The whiskey we were served – the 21 year old Royal Salute was first created to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and had hints of hazelnut, gooseberry and lavender. Now, I am not a whiskey drinker but I found myself appreciating the subtle notes of the drink and I thought that it did indeed complement the meal. So kudos to Mr. Arora for creating a successful combination indeed.
Find more of Anwesha's experience HERE
"Pukht means cooking in a Clean area..." he said in his Chaste Urdu. His voice low yet reached every corner of the room as the guests hanged on to his words in pin drop silence. "and Dum means to cook in its own flavour' he added with a grin. That's master chef Imtiaz Qureshi for you. The 85 year old living legend who weaves magic with taste, flavour and texture when it comes to Awadhi cuisine. Who is also the man behind ITC Hotels’ celebrated Dum Pukht chain of restaurants...
HERE is Sayantani's experience
My impatient soul was feeling like tapping the table to settle down the heart beat and let the rhythm soothe the soul till the exact moment jingles. Being a food addict from my childhood the Chefs are like the Food Gods to me. As much I read about them, I watch them on TV, I get so much inspired to follow their footsteps and to create some magic in my kitchen. And when one gets an opportunity to meet some iconic figure whom you have just thought to meet in your dreams, does life want anything more!!! An invitation to the Kolkata Food Bloggers from ITC Sonar to meet the legendary Chef Imtiaz Qureshi and witness his magical culinary journey with his creations made a dream come true. I have heard so much about him. The iconic grand master who can transform a veg kabab to taste like a meat, who has magic in his hand, the king of Dum Pukht cuisine and a legend that carries all the anecdotes right from the Mughals' Royal darbar to the recent days. He cooks and weaves stories with each of his creations...He creates royal dishes and spiced it up with the royal lore...
Kamalika's Experience HERE
The foods are awesome here. blogger tips.
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