Culinary art of Rampur Nawabs

I have often seen people making a beeline at the 'dhabas '(roadside eateries) for their authentic food, but I have always abhorred these eateries, scared of their poor quality of inputs and, of course, the unhygienic conditions have often made my stomach make rumbling noises even at the very sight of one of these local joints. This one is, however, different. The Dhaba at The Claridges in New Delhi. Though my taste buds have enjoyed Indian cuisine on earlier occasions there, this was a different reason – they were running a 'Rampuri Food Festival'. Though a little early for my kind of a night bird, I opted to be there at eight in the evening. The Dhaba was not packed till then. Guests were gradually coming in. The stewards moved around in shiny sequin-embroidered jackets and v-shape 'topis'(caps) similar to those adorned by the attendants in the courts of the Nawabs of Rampur. Chef Rehman was in command in the kitchen with his band of freelance 'Khansamas' from Rampur. I preferred to go by the advise of the Chef. “I will recommend something Rampuri which has a mix of Awadhi and Mughlai,” said Chef Rehman before disappearing into the kitchen. A kebab platter was served as a starter. A chicken kebab with pieces of the boiled white of an egg, tender as it was, melted in the mouth. Chicken kebabs are usually softer than mutton, but this one had a distinct flavour. I could not wait to take a bite of the mutton kebab. This was equally tender with balanced aromatic spices. The shami kebab turned out to be a proper mix of tender mutton ground well with traditional spices. For the vegetarian it were the 'Dahi Kebab, Kaju-Pyaz kebabs.' For my main course the Chef served 'Tar Korma' – a specialty of Rampur. It was just a few days back when I had tried some Tar Korma at a high profile party, but was hardly impressed by its curry and selection of mutton pieces . “Nali (lamb shank) meat of a one-year male goat is preferred for the preparation,” said Chef Rehman. I have yet to taste such soft flesh on a shank bone dipped in curry prepared with butter and handpicked aromatic herbs including sandalwood powder. And the choice of bread with the Tar Korma was a typical 'Shirmaal roti'—a pancake-shaped bread baked brown with sweetness overcoming the taste of yeast. Some combination beyond my imagination, but an authentic combination used in the 'dhabas' of Rampur till date. While Chef Rehman served some vegetarian dishes, I could not refrain from having serving after serving from the Tar Korma. When the steward asked me for my choice of dessert, I simply told him that it was all up to Chef Rehman to decide. By this time my tummy had rounded off like a ball, but I was still waiting for another wonder from Rampur. It indeed was – Mirchi ka Halwa for the vegetarian and Halwa-e-gosht for the others. Excuse my ignorance and poor knowledge, but I had never heard of either of the two preparations. A sweet dish prepared from mutton? Another one from Capsicum? True ! They really have to be tasted to be believed. The Halwa-e-gosht resembled the looks of 'Moong Dal Halwa' and would mislead anyone into believing that it actually was. Soft, melting in the mouth, moderately sweet and topped with grated almonds. Even the Mirchi ka Halwa was an out of this world experience. Never in my life had I ever imagined making 'halwa' out of capsicum. The exquisite taste of Rampuri cuisine comes from several factors – using fresh ingredients instead of frozen, low fire cooking, right selection of meat and of course the expertise. Time to forget the details, reach out to the 'Dhaba' at The Claridges if you wish to have a taste of Rampur.

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