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The regional cuisines of India hold a special in the heart of every foodie. We have plenty of delicious delicacies that steal your taste buds. Talking particularly about the Nawabi cuisine of our country, this is a gift from the Mughal empire. Recognised with rich flavours and elaborate feasts, it gives you an experience of the royal kitchen which kings and queens used to enjoy.
Chef Mujeeb-ur-Rehman, a renowned chef and restauranter with his team of Khansamas and Nazaara are trying to bring back the essence of Nawabi cuisine. The great-grandfather of Chef Rehman had a connection to the Awadh Royal Kitchen, and this is the source of his enormous passion for cooking. He is an expert of various royal cuisines including Kashmiri, Mughlai, Awadhi and Hyderabadi.
If you also want to go through a culinary journey of royal cuisines of India, here are two recipes shared by Chef Rajeev Kumar, Executive Chef, Courtyard by Marriott Bengaluru Hebbal:
Paneer Hazrat Mahal
Ingredients
- 300 g curd
- 100 g chironjee paste
- 100 g brown cashew nut paste
- 100 g brown onion paste
- 20 g potli masala
- 200 g desiccated coconut
- 7 g mace powder
- 5 g green cardamom powder
- 4 drops ittar
- 10 g yellow chili powder
- 50 ml refined oil
- 50 ml ghee
- 5 g garam masala
- 20 ml kewra
- 10 ml lemon juice
- 1 g saffron water
- 200 g diced paneer
- 300 g assorted bell peppers and tomato
Method
- Take curd in a bowl, add chironjee paste, cashew pasteand refined oil.
- Start cooking in a saucepan or deep fry pan on medium flame. Stir vigorously from time to time and after 15 mins add the rest of the spices except bell peppers and paneer.
- Cook the gravy for 30 minutes in a medium to cook properly. Then add paneer and peppers and cook for 5 mins, stir time to time to mix well in curry.
- Serve hot with butter naan or laccha paratha.
Nasheela Jheenga
Ingredients
- 30 pieces tiger prawns
- 300 g hung curd
- 35 ml white vinegar
- 30 g ginger garlic paste
- Salt
- 20 g potli masala
- 10 g sandle dust
- 15 g red chilli powder
- 5 drops ittar
- 10 ml kewra
- 10 ml garam masala
- 20 ml cream
Method
- Take the prawn peel it properly, cut and remove the thread, and just leave a small tail.
- Marinate prawns with vinegar and finally wrap them with ginger garlic paste.
- In another bowl take hung curd, add the rest spices, and mix them well with the hands only.
- Once it is done, take the marinated prawns, and put them in the refrigerator for 3 hours.
- Remove and roll it on fine skivers and char grill or cook in a tandoor.
- Serve hot with mint chutney and laccha onion rings.
