Awadhi food is not Mughlai! Here’s what makes it different

There are not many people who actually know the difference between Awadhi and Mughlai cuisine and we should blame it on restaurants who pass off a jumble of foods as Awadhi or Mughlai, not knowing that the two are fairly distinct cuisines. Awadh was the region in Central India that covered parts of Uttar Pradesh and a little portion of Nepal. It was a fertile Gangetic region that produced some of the finest grains in the country. The cuisine was native to Lucknow and was influenced by Bhojpuri, Mughlai and even Hyderabadi and Kashmiri culinary traditions. The Nawabs of Awadh had in their kitchens Khansamas from all these regions and hence the influence was quite pertinent, but still Awadhi food has its own distinct character and is quite different from Mughlai.

Long before the invention of pressure cooker, the culinary geniuses of Awadh invented the Dum-Style of cooking which was unique because it not just retained the flavours and aroma of the food, but also much unlike the modern pressure-cooker, the nutrients as well! It is different from pressure cooking as no steam is let out. Yes, cooking food on slow fire, by sealing the steam exit points of the vessel, which is mostly the traditional deg, is the typical Awadhi style which makes it different from Mughlai, Kashmiri or Hyderabadi food.

“Most people don’t know what Awadhi Biryani is”, says Ishita Yashvi, who runs Namak Mandi, a boutique Awadhi restaurant in DLF Prominade, Vasant Kunj in Delhi. “The Awadhi Biryani does not have a spice overload and when you taste it, you can actually feel the aroma and will not be bitten by the pungency of spices only. The Biryani is cooked with a minimum of spices and the main ingredients are meat and rice. It still has an unforgettable aroma and is cooked on Dum by sealing either the Deg or cauldron with dough or for individual portions the biryani is steamed inside a dough ball which rises as the steam builds up inside. It is finally cut open to enjoy the final dish.”Namak Mandi which strives to revive authentic Awadhi recipes and dishes is owned by son of chef Imtiaz Quresh (of Dum Pukht fame) Mohammed Ahsan Ali Qureshi and Ishita Yashvi. According to Ishita, “The problem with most restaurants is that in the name of Awadhi or Mughlai food, they simply load the dishes with oil and cream due to which the original flavour of the meats and vegetables is lost.”