The Awadhi Food Festival at Durbari, Swissotel Kolkata was very special for me in many ways. It was more than food blogging, more than being a food enthusiast or an opportunity as a Kolkata Food Bloggers to cover the event. It was literally a call to bring back memories of my childhood spent in Lucknow. It was nostalgic.
Although I had spent relatively a very short part of my formative years in Lucknow between grade 3 and 5, they were however very impacting. It was there that I first fell in love; fell in love with Kebabs. Little I knew that this influence would shape a lot of what I am right now. Much of my current food related learning are still based in around the world of kebab and the Awadhi Food Festival made me fall in love with it all over again.
Ofcourse Awadhi Food is not just about kebabs and that was represented so well at Durbari where the menu covered a lot of other aspects of the cuisine from soups to starters, main course and dessert.
The galavat kebab is one of the signature dishes of Awadhi cuisine. Its a minced lamb kebab with flavourful spices. It has for generations been a favourite dish of a lot of people and have attracted people from far and wide to relish it. The galavat kebab served at the Durbari was not only as soft, flavourful and consistent as they looked but there was a vegetarian version of it which, if I was not told, I would have definitely mistaken it for a lamb one (which was served later).
Paneer Mumtaz was a cottage cheese in mildly spiced tomato gravy. Very beautifully presented and having a beautiful gravy consistency.
The Aloo Karare (Or Crispy Potato) had a very interesting crackle with coriander seeds along with other spices. Definitely a new potato dish I had tried.
The bread segments had Keema naan, warqi paratha, rumali roti, tandoori roti etc to go along with the main course dishes. The biryanis and other rice options are also there for the taking.
The nawabi gosht korma or spring lamb cooked in homemade spices was surely one of my pick for the evening. A very tender lamb with an amazing gravy.
The dessert section had the Kesarya Nawabi Phirni (saffron flavoured sweetened milk and rice) and Sahi Tukda (awadhi dessert with bread and sweetened reduced milk, dry fruits and milk.)
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| Current GM Marco Saxer in a jovial mood, as always) |
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| As dubbed by the current GM Marco Saxer,"The correct way to handover to the new incoming GM Subhrajit Bardhan" |
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| Having a great time talking to the amazing chefs behind the Awadhi Food Festival |
The Awadhi Food Festival will be held only at at Durbari, Swissotel Kolkata Neotia Vista from 17th to 27th March 2016. The timings are Monday to Sunday from 1900 Hrs to 2300 Hrs for Dinner and lunch exclusively form Friday to Sunday at 1230 Hrs to 1500 Hrs.
Happy Nawab-ing
Vishal Tupper
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