Journalism of Courage
The ongoing Awadhi festival at Smokies Bar and Diner is a good choice for platters of delicious kebabs
Bottomline first: For non-veggies in general,and kebab fans in particular,Smokies Bar and Diner at the Corinthians Boutique Hotel is a great choice for a Nawabi experience as it has an ongoing Awadhi Food Festival till November 17. Called ‘Darbaare-Awadh,we sampled the delicacies served up by Chef Shafiq Qureshi who belongs to one of the stand-out chef families of the Royal Lucknowi Gharana.
One can start the meal with Murg Mahkmali. As the name suggests,this kebab is deliciously soft,tender and buttery. Even with minimal spices,it tastes heavenly. If hot,spicy and tangy suits your palate better,then Chicken Lajawab is an apt choice. With its blaring red appearance and similar spicy taste,it will leave you asking for more. Vegetarians needn’t feel left out. The Shabnam ke moti,which is mushrooms stuffed with Indian herbs,a little bit of cheese and dipped in masala yoghurt,is enough to stuff you in the first course.
For main course,we gorged on Murgh Lazeez Korma,Kareli ki Nihari and Murgh Begum Bahar. Their taste matches their interesting names. Each one has distinct spices and masalas. However,the Korma was a bit bland for those inclined towards a spicy fare.
Chef Qureshi has been especially roped in for this festival and Kookie Singh,partner,Smokies,says,We decided to take advantage of his expertise in Awadhi food and acquaint people with delectable Luknowi food. One cant miss the passion with which the chef cooks. He says,Kebabs are supposed to be soft and juicy,and not everybody can do justice to them. Generally,people use the same pieces for all types of dishes but we use separate pieces for all,depending on the dish.
Though we were stuffed with the delicious platter of kebabs and gravys,we couldn’t resist the Awadhi sweets. The Shahi Tukda was rich in dry fruits and served with vanilla ice-cream a perfect way of ending the meal. Other offerings for those with a sweet tooth are Awadhi Kheer,Sheer Korma,Matke- Wali Kulfi and Lucknowi Paan.
