Awadhi cuisine
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Goan – Gujarati – Marathi – |
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| Ingredients and types of food |
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Main dishes – Desserts – Bread |
| Preparation and cooking |
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History – Etiquette |
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Awadhi Cuisine (Hindi: अवधी खाना, Urdu: اودھی کھانا) is from the city of Lucknow which is the capital of the state of Uttar Pradesh located in Central-South Asia and Northern India), and the cooking patterns of the city are similar to those of Central Asia, the Middle East, and Northern India as well. The cuisine consists of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Awadh has been greatly influenced by Mughal cooking techniques, and the cuisine of Lucknow bears similarities to those of Kashmir, Punjab and Hyderabad; and the city is famous for its Nawabi foods.
The bawarchis and rakabdars of Awadh gave birth to the dum style of cooking or the art of cooking over a slow fire, which has become synonymous with Lucknow today.[1] Their spread would consist of elaborate dishes like kebabs, kormas, biryani, kaliya, nahari-kulchas, zarda, sheermal, roomali rotis and warqi parathas. The richness of Awadh cuisine lies not only in the variety of cuisine but also in the ingredients used like mutton, paneer, and rich spices including cardamom and saffron.
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[edit] Awadhi dastarkhwan
Dastarkhwan, a Persian term, literally means a meticulously laid-out ceremonial dining spread. It is customary in Awadh to sit around and share the Dastarkhwan. Laden with the finest and the most varied repertoire of the khansamas (chefs), the Dastarkhwan of the raeis (the rich) were called Khasa (special).
[edit] Kebab
Lucknow is proud of its Kebabs. The Kakori Kebabs, Galawat ke Kebabs, Shami Kebabs, Boti Kebabs, Patili-ke-Kebabs, Ghutwa Kebabs and Seekh Kebabs are among the known varieties.
The Seekh Kebab has long been considered a piece de resistance in the Awadhi dastarkhwan. Introduced by the Mughals it was originally prepared from beef mince on skewers and cooked on charcoal fire. Now lamb mince is preferred for its soft texture.
The 100-year old Tunde ke Kebab in Chowk is the most famous outlet for choicest Kebabs even today. Tunda Kebab is so named because it was a specialty of a one-armed chef. This restaurant's signature dish is its masala which is a zealously guarded family secret and prepared by women in the family. It is said to incorporate 160 spices.
Kakori kebab is considered blessed since it was originally made in the place by the same name in the dargah of Hazrat Shah Abi Ahder Sahib with divine blessings. Kakori Kebab is as far as perfection could go. The mince for the kabab is to be obtained from no other part but the raan ki machhli (tendon of the leg of mutton) other ingredients include khoya, white pepper and a mix of powdered spices which remains a closely guarded secret adds to the perfect blend.
The Shami Kebab is the most important of them all. Made from mince meat, with chopped onion and coriander and green chillies usually added to the mixture, the kebabs are round patties filled with spicy surprises and the tangy raw green mango. The best time to have them is May when the fruit of the mango tree is in its infancy. When mangoes are not in season, kamrakh or karonda may be substituted for kairi, as both having a tart flavour reminiscent of the raw mango.
A variant made without any admixture or binding agents and comprising just the minced meat and the spices is the Galawat kebab.
An unusual offering is the Pasanda Kebab, piccata of lamb marinated and then sautéed on a griddle.
Boti kebab is lamb marinated in yoghurt and skewered, then well cooked. Traditionally, Boti Kebab (Lamb) is cooked in a clay oven called a tandoor. You can achieve an authentic tandoor flavor using your own barbecue grill.
Vegetarian kebabs include Dalcha Kebab, Kathal ke Kebab, Arbi ke Kebab, Rajma Galoti Kebab (kidney bean kebab cooked with aromatic herbs), Zamikand ke Kebab (Lucknowi yam kebabs), etc.
[edit] Rice preparations
Biryani derived from the Persian word 'Birian',which means 'roasted before cooking', biryani is a mixture of rice(basmati), meat/vegetables, yogurt and spices.[2]
Lucknow Biryani or Awadh Biryani is a form of Pukki Biryani. Pukki means 'cooked'. Both the meat and rice are cooked separately and then layered and baked. The process also lives up to the name Biryani in Farsi(Persian) meaning 'fry before cooking'.[3]
It basically has three steps. First, the meat is seared in ghee and cooked in water with warm aromatic spices till meat is tender. The meat broth is drained out. Second, the rice is lightly fried in Ghee, and cooked in the meat broth from the previous step. Third, cooked meat and cooked rice are layered in a Handi. Sweet flavors are added. The Handi is sealed and cooked over low heat. The result is a perfectly cooked meat, rice, and a homogenous flavor of aromatic meat broth, aromatic spices and sweet flavors.[4]
If you want to eat the best biryani in the world you’ll need to travel to Lucknow. Haji Wahid Qurash’s 'Wahid ki biryani' of Aminabad and Idris Biryaniwala's 'Idrisi biryani'of Patanala, Chowk are most famous for delicious biryani in Lucknow.
Among various Biryani the Lucknow and Hyderabad style are dominant with a friendly rivalry. Chitrita Banerji a Bengali writer in her book Eating India: exploring a nation’s cuisine in an inevitable comparison between Awadhi and Hyderabadi biriyani , picked the Awadhi version as the winner.[5]
The vegetarian version of biryani might have some Textured vegetable protein based protein balls to present the impression of a meat-based dish for vegetarians.
The difference between biryani and pullao is that while biryani may be made by cooking the items together, pullao, is used to denote a dish where the rice is cooked separately from the other ingredients.
Tehri is the name given to the vegetarian version of the dish and is very popular in Indian homes.
[edit] Bread preparations
As wheat is the staple food of the state, breads are very significant. Breads are generally flat breads; only a few varieties are raised breads. Tawa roti is bread made on crude iron pans. Improvisations of the roti (or bread) are of different types and made in various ways and include the rumaali roti, tandoori roti, naan (baked in a tandoor), kulcha, lachha paratha, sheermaal and baqarkhani.
Breads made of other grains have descriptive names only, thus we have Makai ki roti, Jowar ki roti (barley flour roti), Bajre ki roti (bajra is a grain only grown in India), chawal-ki-Roti (roti of rice flour).
Chapati: It is the most popular roti in India which is eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Puri: It is small and are deep fried so they puff like balloons.
Paraatha: A very common variant of roti is the celebrated and immensely popular, cooked in the same way as a regular roti, stuffed with fillings of vegetables, pulses, cottage cheese, and even mince meat and fried in ghee or clarified butter. This obviously heavy and scrumptious round bread finds its way to the breakfast tables of millions.
Rumaali Roti: An elaborately and dexterously prepared ultra thin bread made on a huge and hot convex metal pan from finely ground wheat flour. It is a treat to watch one of these being prepared with great flourish by skilled cooks. The Urdu word rumaali literally means a kerchief.
Tandoori Roti: A relatively thick bread ranging from an elastic to a crispy consistency, baked in a cylindrical earthen oven at a sometimes amazing speed by aggressively fast cooks at roadside restaurants and eateries. The Urdu word tandoor means an oven.
Naan: This is a thick bread, softer and richer in texture and consistency than the tandoori roti. It is made from finely ground wheat flour kneaded into a very elastic mass. The roghni is a special treat for lovers of awadhi cuisine. This extra-ordinary bread is prepared with a rich mixture of cream, sugar, wheat flour, butter, and essence. The taste is rich and elegant— just perfect for the curries of the awadhi cuisine.
Sheermaal: It is sweet bread that accompany the rich and filling aromatic quorma (gravied chicken or mutton). Sheermal is a sweetened Naan made out of Maida (All-purpose flour), leavened with yeast, baked in Tandoor or oven. In the olden days, it was made just like Roti . The warm water in the recipe for Roti was replaced with warm milk sweetened with sugar and flavored with saffron. Nowadays, the restaurants make it like a Naan and the final product resembles Danish pastry.
Baqarkhani: It is a naan which is an elaborate variation of the sheer-maal except that it is fried on a griddle rather than baked in a tandoor.
[edit] Desserts
Winters are dedicated to halwas of all kinds which came from Arabia and Persia to stay in India. There are several varieties of these, prepared from different cereals, such as gram flour, sooji, wheat, nuts and eggs. The special halwa or halwa sohan which has four varieties, viz Papadi, Jauzi, Habshi and Dudhiya is prepared especially well in Lucknow.
The Jauzi Halwa Sohan is a hot favorite even today, but the art of preparing it is confined to only a few households. Prepared for the most part from germinated wheat, milk, sugar, saffron, nuts etc., it has love and patience as its vital ingredients.
[edit] Difference between Awadhi and Mughlai Cuisine
Awadhi cuisine has drawn a considerable amount of influence from Mughal cooking style and bears resemblance to those of Hyderabad and Kashmir. The cuisine consists of both vegetarian and meat dishes which employs the dum style of cooking or cooking over slow fire which has become synonymous with Lucknow.
Mughlai food is known for its richness. It is famous for the exotic use of spices, dried fruit and nuts. The Mughals did everything in style and splendor. Since they ate very rich food they reduced the number of intake during the day. Mughlai dishes as they are called have lots of milk and cream with spices to make rich and spicy meal that is the reason why Mughlai recipes are rich in fat, carbohydrates and proteins.
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. This process allows the juices to be absorbed well into the solid parts. All nutrients are retained in the food through this process. In addition to the major process of cooking food in Awadhi style, there are also other important processes such as marinating meats in order to produce a delightful taste. This is especially the case with barbecued food that might be cooked in a clay oven of over an open fire.
Fish, red meats, vegetables and cottage cheese may be marinated in curd and spices. This helps to soften the taste and texture of them as well as remove any undesired odors from the fleshy materials. They were often cooked on tawa, the flat iron griddle, as opposed to Mughlai influence and bear a testimony to the local influence and convenience. Some of the tawa preparations are, in fact, equally, if not more, famous like tandoori kebabs and tikkas.
Difference between Awadhi and Mughlai kebabs is that, while the former is usually cooked on the tawa, the latter is grilled in a tandoor. This is gives the difference in flavour.
[edit] Recepies
Following is list of few Awadhi recipes[6] :
- Adraki Murg
- Almond Kulfi
- Almond Seera
- Badam Halwa
- Boondi Raita
- Carrot Halwa
- Chicken Korma
- Dahi Gosht
- Dahi Vada
- Duck Pancakes
- Fish Kebab
- Frozen Paneer Masala
- Galouti Kebab
- Green Peas Paratha
- Gujia
- Gulab Jamun
- Gulkand Peda
- Imarti
- Indian Keema
- Jalebi
- Kachori
- Kaddu Ki Kheer
- Kanji Ke Vade
- Kathi Kebab
- Kele Ki
- Sabzi Khaja
- Kofta Curry
- Kurmura Ladoo
- Kuttu Paratha
- Lachcha Paratha
- Lamb kebab
- Malai Kofta
- Mango Burfi
- Methi Parathas
- Moong Dal Halwa
- Motichoor Ladoo
- Murgh Musallam
- Mushroom Biryani
- Mutton Kabab
- Naan
- Nargisi Kofta
- Navratan Korma
- Navratan Pulao
- Nawabi Curry
- Palak Paneer
- Paneer Korma
- Paneer Stuffed Tomatoes
- Paneer Tikka
- Papri
- Peas Pulao
- Phirni
- Rabdi
- Samosa
- Shahi Paneer
- Shami Kabab
- Tahari
- Thandai
- Til Papdi
- Vegetable Biryani
- Vegetable Pulav
- Yakhni Pulav
- Zafrani Kheer
- Zamin Doz Machhli
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20030713/spectrum/main2.htm
- ^ http://www.indiamarks.com/guide/Biryani:-Their-Kings-and-Kinds/113
- ^ http://www.indiacurry.com/rice/r002backdropbiryani.htm
- ^ http://www.indiacurry.com/rice/chickenbiryani.htm
- ^ http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080208/jsp/opinion/story_8869836.jsp
- ^ http://www.indobase.com/recipes/category/awadhi-recipes.php
