Kahani Kebab ki

From rajputs to nawabas and nizams ……kabab became everyone’s palate!

Although there are hundreds of kebabs served and cherished throughout India but………. 

Shikampuri, Patthar ka gosht, Kakori, Gilavat, shami, Tabak maaz are a few ever remembered ones.  

To associate kebabs with the advent of the Moghuls into India is not strictly true but cuisine development and its refinement is attributed to this period. Although the word kebab is derived from the Persian (kum means less aab means water - it is a dish cooked with less water), the kebab in many forms was already a well-established tradition in India.

 Over the centuries, each new wave of settlers from Turkey, Persia and Afghanistan brought with them their own culinary practice which with time blended into the Indian cuisine as it is known today. The Moghuls brought with them their culture and their cuisine. Ingredients hitherto not generally used formed a fusion with the local foods. They were the first to use dried fruit, fragrances such as rose, kewra and nuts. These ingredients were brought from Turkey, Persia and Afghanistan and soon adapted to the local cuisine. As the various conquests continued and alliances formed, whether due to marriage or war, these influences slowly found their way around the country. Here they mingled with the local ingredients and formed a kind of fusion cuisine particular to that part of the country.  Beside settlers from out side, Indian cuisine has been influenced by environmental, social, religious and political factors from within. 

Since time immemorial, royalty has been the patron of art, culture and cuisine. Royal kitchens have nurtured the talents of great cooks. Creativity was not just encouraged but demanded. It was a never-ending competition to create the ultimate dish for the jaded palate. Cooks in royal kitchens were a pampered lot and innovation and creativity were handsomely rewarded. The stately kitchens of India abound with legends of exotic foods including a dish that had live birds flying out of it when uncovered. Any wonder then that these kitchens spawned a range of dishes that are today so closely identified with their place of origin.

Nawabs and Nizams passed away but Kebabs flourished everywhere!  

Lucknow being famous for its kebabs one finds the great great grandsons of bawarchis (Cooks) to the Nawabs (Kings) carry on the culinary tradition of their forefathers in their dhabas till today. The richly flavored Avadhi cuisine is specially known for the quality and quantity of spices used in cooking meat dishes.

Murg Balai Kabab, Jalpari Kabab, Dudhiya kebab, Rampuri Kebab, Kalmi Kebab and Tangri Kebab to name a few are the famous Lucknowi mouthwatering array of specialties

Perhaps the most famous cuisine was that of the Nawabs of Avadh. The very word conjures up images of affluence and opulence. Images of a time of gracious living where the culinary arts were at their most evolved. The highest recommendation a cook could have was that he belonged to Avadh or Lucknow. This was the birthplace of some of the finest food in the land.

The Nawabs of Avadh were an indulgent lot and had always craved the best foods even when old and toothless. This led to the innovation of one of the most celebrated kebabs of the day, the Shahi Gilawat ka Kebab, reputed to be so tender that even a toothless person could eat it without difficulty. It is also said to contain over a hundred aromatic and digestive spices that were supposed to ensure one's continued health and well being.   Hyderabad and Lucknow are the two cities in India where the “kebab and it’s refinement” evolved.  

One of the best examples of this is the cuisine of the Nizams of Hyderabad. Here the Moghul love for meat was blended with the fiery spices of Andhra Pradesh to create what is truly one of the greatest cuisines of India.

The Hyderabadi likes his meat in large chunks and heavily spiced, unlike the delicate kebabs of Lucknow, where the meat is ground so fine that a child can eat it. Also the subtle fragrances and flavors used in Avadhi cuisine are not to be found here. Meats are spiced with fiery chilies and tempering this fire is the sourness of raw mangoes, tamarind, lemon and yoghurt.

Hyderabadi Patthar Gosht, a tongue searing kebab so named because it is cooked on a heated stone, can today be found in the galis around the Charminar. It is said that the heated stone releases minerals that mix with the spices on the meat and give the kebab its special flavour.

Still another kebab is cooked and then smoked with a live coal to give it an unusual smoky flavour called Dungar kabab.

Hyderabad the home of  Nizams is famous for it’s  Kachi Gosht ki  Biryani, Irresistible Grilled Kebabs, Kormas and the famous Shikampur Kebab which means ‘belly-full’ referring to the stuffing in the centre of the kebab

Moving back to the North, we have the princely states of Kashmir and Patiala, both of which have contributed greatly to the popularity of the kebab.

The robust cuisine of the Punjab has spawned a tandoori revolution that is still going strong all over the world and has given to universe the famous Tandoori Kukad.

Kashmiri Muslim cuisine on the other hand though almost entirely based on lamb is characterized by its use of delicate flavors such as saffron, cardamom and yoghurt. Kashmiri Tabak Maaz, a kebab made of the tender ribs of lamb is a gourmet delight.