Summer and Rooh Afza are a thing. But if you cannot see yourself drinking Rooh Afza, then try Mohabbat ka sherbet, says Chef Abdul Quddus who is serving the drink at the Lucknowi Food Fest at Bidri in Marriott Hyderabad. He insists, , “Summer heat cannot be fought without drinking Rooh Afza, and Mohabbat ka sherbet is a beautiful combination of milk, watermelon juice, sabza (basil) seeds and Rooh Afza. In Lucknow, this is a popular drink.”
veg Soya sheekh | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
The Lucknowi food festival, which begins on April 6, celebrates the rich culinary treasure of city. While there is a long list of non-vegetarian kebabs, the menu has an equal number of tantalising vegetarian kebabs. The a la carte menu has an option of set vegetarian and non-vegetarian menus as well.
The only concern I had while sitting to dine for the tasting session was the overpowering aroma of a mixture of khus (vetiver) gulab jal (rosewater) etc, usually associated with Lucknowi food. Chef Abdul assured me that his food is traditional and not influenced by the ‘more is good’ motto.
Tunday kebab is a must-have at the Lucknowi food fest at Bidri, Marriott Hyderabad | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Abdul, who is currently chef de cuisine at JW Marriott Kolkata, says, “I learnt to cook from my grandfather and father who used to run a Lucknowi dhaba in Lucknow. So, our food motto has always been to stick to the original and not to give in to the trends of food colour, fragrance etc. After finishing my studies from a culinary school in Lucknow I worked in Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi and Hyderabad among other places.”
We started with a Shimla mirch panna and khasta roti with anari mewa khas (tangy capsicum shot with bite-sized flaky bread stuffed with flavoured hung yogurt). Since my dining partners were vegetarians I got to taste scrumptious vegetarian dishes that were served. The Subz ashrafiyon ki shoran (vegetable soup made with vegetable pearls) was the vegetarian counterpart to the nalli shorba. Both soups were delectable, but look-wise, the vegetable soup would win any day.
Lamb Sheekh kebab by Abdul Quddus | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
If you are a fan of dahi ke kebab which is not so common in Hyderabad, have it here to your heart’s content. The melt-in-your-mouth delight with bits of dry nuts has the occasional bite of roughly crushed coriander seeds. Other vegetarian kebabs served were paneer dum roll, sarson malai broccoli and soya matar kaju seekh.
Tunday kebabs, lamb seekh and shahi malai chicken were lined up for non-vegetarians.
The spices did not overpower the meats. The bite-sized Tunday kebabs and lamb sheekh were my favourites. Although I was tempted to just feast on Tunday kebabs, dal-e-awadh was irresistible, so went for a portion of that with the warqi paratha.
The vast bread selection has taftan, sheermal, khameeri roti, bakarkhani, roomali, roti and naan. You can have them with Shahi nalli nihari, Rampuri aloo and Subz nazakath.
All said and done, the most recommended dish would be the kathal biryani. It was a winner for its simplicity, flavour, aroma and above all, one gets to taste the real flavour of cooked raw jackfruit that has soaked all the goodness of biryani marination.
Shahi tukda
Among the desserts, shahi tukda with its honeycomb look keep you guessing whether you had an Indian dessert or something exotic. The baked gajar ka halwa was another surprise as how an Indian dessert can be less sweet and not be oozing of ghee.
The festival will be on till April 14 and is for dinner only. Table for two costs ₹4,000 approximately (plus taxes)
