Think of Awadh and you start imagining succulent kebabs, rich gravies, fluffy breads and flavours galore. Sheraton Hyderabad Hotel brings all this to our city through their new food festival “The Regal Kitchens of Oudh”. And to make sure that it’s all authentic, they have Chef Rehman Mujeebur.
Chef Rehman Mujeebur owns Kitchenette-E-Awadh which excels in food ranging from Kashmiri to Awadhi to Rampuri to Pakistani food. Having travelled across regions and having a first hand knowledge of all these cuisines, Chef Rehman Mujeebur is a perfect choice to run this by Sheraton Hyderabad Hotel. Along with some delicious food, we also got to hear a lot of food stories and Awadhi folklore.
The level of authenticity is too damn high here, even the tandoor has been brought in from Lucknow. The Chef did discuss about how authentic food might not always please the locals, hence the recipes come with a local twist.
Sheraton Hyderabad Hotel – The Regal Kitchens of Oudh
Starters –
Nothing announces Awadhi better than Galauti Kebab and that’s what we got right up. Galauti or Galawati means ‘melt in the mouth’ and these ones surely did! The smoothest and lightest ever, it was mind boggling as to how did it even come out in one piece. But it was super spicy to hit the Hyderabadi palate and not like the ones we have in Lucknow.
One thing that really made me love the festival was the Murgh Hazrat Mahal. Presented beautifully on skewers with a burning charcoal places on the place. The flavours were very balanced and meat was cooked well too.
We also had some vegetarian starters like the Dal Shammi, which was more like the Galauti for the vegetarians. Also the super thin Paneer Kutimirch Tikka was a nice change from the trend of huge panner tikka pieces.
Having seen BBQ Pineapple at multiple places, we don’t usually feel it’s new anymore. But the Annanas Ke Boti here was actually like boti kebab, tough and spicy.
Main Course at Sheraton Hyderabad Hotel – The Regal Kitchens of Oudh
Vegetarian
For once I felt like starting with the Vegetarian food because it looked so good. Aloo Dum Awadhi is not to be missed on any Awadhi spread and the one here was good too. The surprise dish here was the Gobhi Mussallam, with huge chunks of cauliflower cooked in a dry paste form.
Then it was time for the most awaited leg of the night. Awadhi curries are known to be rich and soothing. We dug in with the Badami Gosht which had some super soft mutton in a very rich almond gravy. Please note that this is not your usual curry with spices overload, this is more of a smooth, flavourful and rich curry.
We also had some Martaban Machhli on the menu. This was again very different from the fish curries that we are so used to. The Awadhi factor lingered on here too. Also the Methi Chicken was loved by all of us.
On the rice front we got to try the Methi Pulao, which went really well with some mint chutney and curd. I was looking forward to some Awadhi Biryani but the menu for that day had Murgh Pulao. One bite and I loved the flavours on this one. With the salan it was almost as good as any other biryani.
Also the assorted variety of bread on display was a sight right out from the streets of Lucknow.
Desserts at Sheraton Hyderabad Hotel – The Regal Kitchens of Oudh
In continuation of the royal feel, we had the Anjeer Halwa which was the winner for the evening. Not too sweet and perfect consistency.
Slow cooking and churning is a legacy of Awadh and that was showcased here in the Sheer Korma and Beetroot Kheer. The kheer was heavy as it is meant to be and the sheer korma was a little hot and loaded with richness through dry fruits.
This whole routine was more like a learning experience for me. Got to taste Awadhi cuisine for the first time and understood how it’s very different from what we are used to. Every dish has a tale of its own and that’s what makes it more famous all over the world. Now it that is all true or just an effort to lure people, is another topic for discussion.
But for now, get your share of Awadhi food at Sheraton Hyderabad Hotel till the 23rd of April at Feast.
Where – Sheraton Hyderabad Hotel, ISB Road
When – Till 23rd April
Price – 1300 ++