Why you need to explore the Awadhi menu, Ruhaniyat, at this restaurant in Kolkata before the month ends!

Eid al-Fitr, along with being a festival of fasting, prayer, reflection and community, is also about delicious feast. We went to Dum Pukht at ITC Sonar, to enjoy the special ala carte menu, Ruhaniyat, curated by the ace chef Zubair Qureshi, as an ode to the holy month of Ramzan.

Meet the man behind the Ruhaniyat menu?

Dum Pukht brings the intense flavours and leisurely luxury of slow cooked food made from authentic recipes garnered from the royal kitchens of Awadh. The cuisine, the origin of which dates back to the 1780’s, was popular at the time of Nawab Asaf-ud-Daulah, the erstwhile ruler of the State of Awadh. When the Nawab found his Kingdom in the grip of famine, he initiated a food for work programme, employing thousands in the construction of the exquisite Bada Imambara. Large cauldrons were filled with rice, meat, vegetables and spices and sealed to make a simple, one- dish meal that was available to workers day and night.

Then, one day, the Nawab caught a whiff of the aromas emanating from the cauldron and the royal kitchen was ordered to serve the dish. Gradually refined to please the royal palate, ‘dum’ cooking soon spread to other Indian courts of Hyderabad, Kashmir and Bhopal. In each, the maestros that supervised the kitchen added their own distinctive magic. Apart from this, Dum Pukht also has the distinction of ushering in the art of Indian fine dining in the Indian cuisine scenario.

Chef Zubair Qureshi Hailing from a lineage of royal khansamas, has learnt many recipes from an early age from the royal kitchens. His grandfather was khansama (chef) to the Raja of Mahmudabad in Uttar Pradesh. Born in Agra, Qureshi grew up in a home where his father, uncles and cousins were chefs. His life centered on recipes and ingredients as far as he could recall. Qureshi specialises in Indian curries and kebabs but korma and biryanis are his favourites. Interestingly, the chef has a special skill of mixing spices which he uses in his korma and other heirloom recipes.

Here's why you need to try the fare

Our gustatory trail started off with a glass of cold Mohabbat ka sharbat. A classic drink for Iftari, this drink is a perfect summer pick, made with rooh afza, milk and little pieces of watermelon.

The Seekh Gilafi dum Pukht was the first starter to arrive at our table. The minced chicken kebab, laced with crispy juicy tomatoes and capsicum, with mild in taste, but so juicy and flavourful. With that, we also chose to taste test the quintessential, galaoti kebab.

We next moved on to taste the Haleem and Shahi nehari, with the latter being our personal favourite. While the Haleem was rich and creamy, the nehari ticked all the right boxes. The mutton pieces were cooked to perfection with a fall off the bone texture, and were dunked in a flavourful thick broth. Flavoured with mace and cardamom, the nehari is cooked overnight in a sealed vessel to make sure each bite of the nehari tastes the same, and you cannot not like it. Also, if you are under, then both of these are must tries.

While people end up talking about biryani always when it comes it Awadhi food, the cuisine is a lot more than that. Just like this Murgh Yakhni Pulao. Succulent pieces of chicken with long-cooked basmati rice, happened to be the perfect main course. The specialty of yakhni is the bone broth and a lot of slow-cooked onions, along with other spices, in which the meat and rice are cooked, leading to a dish equivalent to sukoon.

An Eid special menu wouldn't have been complete without a bite of Seviyan. We had a bowl of Seviyon ka Muzaffar. This lightly sweet vermicelli dessert, doused with saffron and topped with dry fruits was the best way to end our meal.

Where: Dum Pukht, ITC Sonar

When: Dinner, till March 31