'Jashn-E-Lucknow': Biting into Awadhi food in capital

The foodies of Delhi are in for a royal treat after the city of nawabs made a grand entry into the capital with its choicest delicacies at the ongoing 'Jashn-E-Lucknow' food festival. Organised here at the Crowne Plaza, Okhla, the 15-day-long buffet spread, in an ode to the last Nawab of Awadh, Wajid Ali Shah, is a peep into the palatial living and toothsome dining of the rulers of bygone era.

Melt-in-mouth "Galauti Kebabs" with "ulte tawa ki roti", tender and flavoursome "Murg Lucknawi Korma" with "Taftan" or the piping hot "Paya Yakhni Shorba", a plethora of signature Awadhi dishes are on offer at the festival, curated by the hotel's director of Food and Beverage, Sumit Sinha. "People may forget what you said, but they would never forget how you

made them feel. The hospitality industry thrives on innovation, novelty and unique experiences.

"At 'Jashn-E-Lucknow', our endeavour is to make a guest feel like a Nawab in true sense right from dining experience to palatial set up," said Ranjan Banerjee, General Manager, Crowne Plaza. From bringing to life the mighty Qaisar Bagh palace, with a fully made up and functional 'Pari Khana' (the place where queens used to live), Madhushala (the bar), 'Bawarchi Khana' (kitchen) to recreating the culinary bylanes of Hazratganj, Chowk and Aminabad right here in the capital, the festival has put their money where their mouth is in giving its visitors the authentic royal experience.

The extensive buffet spread, which includes a good mix of veg and non-veg dishes, encompasses a variety of decadent Awadhi-era delights like "Gosht Khade Masale ka korma", "Navratan Korma", "Paneer Pasanda", "Murgh Malai Kebab", "Lucknawi Subz Biryani" and "Kache Ghost ki Biryani" with "Burani Raita"; to top it off with sinful desserts like "Seviyan Ka Muzzaffar", "Shahi Tukda" and the much devoured sweet paan. "This festival beside serving the best dishes of India's food capital Lucknow, also bust the many myths associated with Awadhi food. Like, it is considered as spicy cuisine by many, when in reality it is not at all spice-heavy.

"Also, many think that this royal cuisine is all about non-vegetarian dishes. But if one really knows Awadhi food they would know that many of the much-relished and talked about dishes in the cuisine are vegetarian," said Sumit Sinha, director Food and Beverage at Crowne's Plaza, who has spend a considerable time of his life in Lucknow learning the nuances of the exotic royal cuisine. Adding to the festival's attraction are also Meena Bazaar, marketplace selling the land's famed Lucknawi Chikankari kurtas and other regional handicrafts, and an exclusively published weekly called 'Times of Awadh' filled with the juicy and less-known tales of the yesteryear kingdom.

The royal feast goes off the table on November 30.

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