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ABOUT AWADH AND ITS CUISINE | ||
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"Shab-Deg" literally a mutton preparation slow cooked through the night in a vessel |
Dastarkhwan-e-Awadh The only book, available on the cuisine of this region, "Dastarkhwan-e-Awadh" describes the history and cultural roots of the Awadh cuisine of a bygone era of gracious living. The Nawabs of Awadh were renowned for their extravagance and patronage of the best courtesans, craftsmen and cooks. |
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Like the internationally acclaimed dance form of Kathak, the exquisite ‘chikan’ embroidery, the cuisine of Awadh is famous for its "nafaasat" and "nazaakat" (delicateness), achieved through a magical blending of spices, slow fire cooking, and its harmony with the seasons of nature. | |||
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"Dastarkhwan" literally means a meticulously laid-out ceremonial dining spread. It is customary in the Awadh region for three generations to sit around and share the Dastarkhwan. Laden with the finest and the most varied repertoire of the ‘Bawarchis’ (cooks), the Dastarkhwan of the ‘Roessa’ (the rich) were called ‘Khasa’ (special). This book presents the cornucopia of recipes from the ‘Khasa’ category. | |||
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS Sangeeta Bhatnagar received her college and university education in the capital city of Lucknow, the seat of Awadh culture. She also obtained her Ph.D. in Economics from Lucknow University and also lectured there for a few years. Complete dearth of books on Lucknawi cuisine fuelled the inspiration and the generous backing of U. P. Tourism Department and Hotel Management Institute , Lucknow made it a feasible proposition. Contact: sangeetabhatnagar@hotmail.com. R. K.
Saxena has two decades of
rich experience in the hotel and catering industry. After graduating from
Bombay University he got his Post Graduate Diploma in Specialised Hotel
Management from Bombay Catering Institute. Thereafter , he spent ten years
in the hotels of Lucknow, Bombay, Goa and Washington D.C. mostly operating
and managing the catering outlets and hotels spending a lot of time in the
kitchens. After heading the catering department of the Bangalore Hotel
School for six years , he presently heads the Hotel Management Institute
at Lucknow. Having been associated with Awadh cuisine for long the author
was motivated to write a book on the subject because he felt that one of
the finest cuisines in the world was heading towards an end due to
under-research, under-documentation, lack of knowledge and
publicity.
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'The
Cook' - A sketch by an
invalid English lady, 1838 Using anecdotes and information from the descendants and scions of the Nawabs and Taluqdars; Bawarchis and ‘Rakabdars’ (specialist cooks) ; both Sangeeta Bhatnagar and R.K.Saxena have endeavoured to provide a glimpse of the fastidious culture and cuisine of Awadh in its true ambience. It is the first book to present timeless classic recipes from the stately kitchens of the Awadh region renowned for the finest food. RECIPES
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The colour pictures in the book are not only illustrative but provide in themselves a glimpse of past and present day Awadh. AVAILABILITY OF THE BOOK Book can be obtained directly through publisher : Harper Collins
(INDIA) Private Limited, And also through, http://www.rupaandco.com/cookery.htm http://www.gobookshopping.com/allbooks/3124.htm Price Indian Rs. 395/- in India, Pakistan and Sri
Lanka For more recipes, visit following : http://www.nettlinx.com/travel/indian_states_foodcuisUP.htm http://www.up-tourism.com/cuisine.htm http://www.upportal.com/culture/cuisine_non.shtml | ||
