Lucknow's Home Chefs Serve a Dinner

Mamta Varma: She is a well- established, self - employed social entrepreneur and has been engaged with textiles and embroidery for over three decades. She is passionate about chikan embroidery and her interaction with the craft community has led her to concerns about organizing workshops for them to upgrade their embroidery skills with a focus on learning chikan stitches which are rapidly disappearing.

She grew up in the heart of Chowk, Lucknow, in a family where the meals were always lavish and the menus well planned. This has made Mamta particular about what she serves in her own home even on a daily basis. She feels that good food is also a part of Lucknow’s culture. Mamta is a vegetarian and recalls her father’s food-thali with its rich array of seasonal vegetables, achars, chutneys, papads and sweets. He was a small eater but would not have it any other way!

Whenever she can take time out from her busy schedule, she loves cooking for the family. She has shared two of her special recipes Charre Wale Aloo and Matar ki Tehri in Lucknowi Bawarchi Khane: Food From Lucknow Homes. Both these are winter dishes when the baby potatoes and fresh green peas are available. She also enjoys making Dahi Badas and her favourite dessert is sweet rice garnished with pine nuts.

The test of a girl’s cooking skills often begins in her marital home. For Zehra, the test started when the joint family home of her parents- in- law was no longer there and she had to look after her nuclear family in a home of her own. Her mother and her sister- in- law helped to smoothen the initial hiccups which gave her confidence to learn new dishes. The appreciation of friends and family encouraged her to start a cloud kitchen of her own and there has been no looking back since then.

Food memories from her parent- in- law’s home remain with her. And she often tries to recreate the traditional Lucknow dishes she remembers from that time. A favourite dish is her mother- in- law’s Zafrani Machli, the fragrance of the saffron would waft down the driveway, she recalls.

Another favourite , which she cooks quite often is Dumpukth, which is the name of a dish and a cooking technique as well. In the past , the Koftas , meat balls, would be fist sized, Shahura Bua, the old family retainer would have it no other way! However, Zehra has downsized them, and they remain a family favourite.

Her signature dish remains Haleem, and she has contributed her recipe Methi Machli ka Saalan, a traditional Awadhi style of fish cooked in a gravy, for the cookbook Lucknowi Bawarchi Khane: Food From Lucknow Homes. She is also a home chef with the Awadhi Home Cooked Festival at the annual Mahindra Sanatkada Lucknow Festival.

It is but natural to be coloured by influences from one’s own community. Jyoti is a member of the prominent Kayastha community who are known to be connoisseurs of good food, the arts, poetry and literature. 

She is a well-known Hindi/Urdu poet and writer herself, with two published books to her credit. She promotes Indian artforms like dance, music and theatre through workshops and cultural events. Through her NGO, Helping Hearts Foundation she promotes a healthy lifestyle through mindful food habits.

She is one of Sanatkada’s home chefs and has participated in the annual Awadhi Home Cooked Festival for which her dish Kathal Do Pyaza has been greatly appreciated. Jyoti grew up in a home where good food was always served and she takes a lot of interest in the running of her kitchen. 

Some of the non- vegetarian dishes that she enjoys cooking are Mutton do Pyaza, Mutton Kofte, Saag Wala Murgh, and Biryani. Her vegetarian favourites are Kachodi Kaddu, Nimona with green chana/peas and Moong ki Goli. Atta, Sooji and Gajar halwas are her favourite sweet dishes.

Zarine is proud to belong to the first Parsi family that settled in Lucknow in the mid- 19th century. She is a well- known educationist, teacher of English, President of the Awadh Educational Society, founder of the Loreto Alumnae Association, Lucknow, and President of the Lucknow Parsi Anjuman. Her autobiography , My Way, is a collection of memoirs that gives an insight into her extraordinary life.

Zarine has been a home chef at Sanatkada’s Awadhi Home Cooked Festival where the traditional Dhan Sak from her kitchen does very well. The recipe is also included in the Sanatkada cookbook. Some of the family favourites are Sali Marghi (chicken served with deep fried potato juliennes) and Sali Par Eda (eggs and potato fries). Fish is considered very auspicious in Parsi homes, and Dhan Dal Machchi, a type of fried fish that has been marinated in a simple spice mixture is often cooked on popular demand.

Zarine says that she uses her mother’s meticulously written recipes as a guide to her own cooking, and to teach and guide the cooks in the kitchen. She ensures that the right spices are used for every dish and the correct order of adding the spices is maintained. Food is cooked in special copper utensils for family functions. Zarine keeps an open house and treats her Lucknow friends to her Parsi delicacies.

Within a month and a half of her marriage, Rashida’s cook needed to take leave, throwing the new bride into a panic and making her understand the need to learn basic cooking, which she did, from her mother. So, what started as learning simple home recipes, led her, as her girls grew older, to start her own cloud kitchen, perhaps, the first in Lucknow .

Rashida is a foodie by nature, appreciates good food and enjoys a hearty meal. She does not have a flair for cooking, but has learnt it the hard and practiced way. She says gharelu cooking has influenced her most, tried and tested recipes from homes, her mother’s and other family members.

The Shami Kababs she serves are Gore Khansama’s recipe ( her mother’s cook ), her Achar Gosht is from an aunt’s kitchen and her popular Boti Kabab was shared with her by her own cook Roshan. She also enjoys cooking Aloo Gosht, Tamatar Gosht, Achari Aloo. Her Daliya Gosht is a simplified version of the more complicated Khichda. The secret to her delicious cooking lies in a well- balanced use of masalas especially the garam masala combinations.

Rashida has contributed her recipes of Achar Gosht and Murgh Biryani to the cookbook Lucknowi Bawarchi Khane: Food From Lucknow Homes. She has also been a home chef and one of the organizers of the Awadhi Home Cooked Festival at the annual Mahindra Sanatkada Lucknow Festival. Now, she has relocated to Bangalore, but is a frequent visitor to Lucknow especially to attend the MSLF in February each year.

Shamim’s spiritual belief is that food should be cooked with the purity of heart and body and that happiness spreads when food is shared at the table. She loves music, paints with water colours, and is a devout student of the Sufi way of life. She has studied English literature but has a flair for languages, Urdu, Arabic, Persian and of course, Hindi.

She supervises her khansamas on the food cooked in her home and hosts some of the best dinners in Lucknow. The elegance and delicacy of her personality reflects in her cooking. She cooks with a light hand and her food is delicious, yet lightly flavoured. 

Shamim is one of the senior home chefs at the Awadhi Home Cooked Festival where she serves Galawat Kababs with Warqi Parathas and has contributed her recipe for Gosht ka Achar in the Sanatkada cookbook. She cooks delicious mutton chops, enjoys making puddings and turns out a light and yet delicious Kheer. Shamim lives in an art deco house on the banks of the River Gomati, appropriately named Nadia Kinare.

Cooking is truly a passion for Iram. She grew up in the close company of both her grandmothers, saw them supervise the workings of their kitchens, learnt the correct proportion of masalas to be used for different dishes, and understood the nuances of fine cooking. 

Indulgent family retainers would let her practice cooking little chapattis over a wood fire and an equally indulgent grandmother taught her how to steam a caramel custard when she was barely eight years old. When Iram entered her teens, she could cook with confidence, dishes such as Matar Pulao, Khichdi and Yakhni Pulao. At a young age, she had already developed a sense of “achcha gharelu khana”, as she likes to put it.

Iram cooks excellent Qimami Sewian and delicious Raan Kabab. She shares her recipe for Aloo Ande Ka Saalan in the Sanatkada cookbook and is one of the home chefs at Sanatkada’s annual Awadhi Home Cooked Festival. A periodontist by profession, Iram has a busy day. Her keen interest in cooking acts as a stress buster.

Tahira’s food journey grew very organically. She had barely entered her teens when she and her elder sister would cook in their mother’s kitchen as a recreational activity. Before she knew it, Tahira had mastered the art of home cooking. However, she gives credit to her father- in- law who made her understand the finer nuances of food combinations that are so typical to Lucknowi culture.

For instance, Arhar Dal- Chawal combines well with Shami/Galawati kababs. Similarly, Besan ki Roti pairs well with Karela, Kaddu or the leafy vegetable Chaulai. Tahira enjoys cooking Mutton Chops, her Bakreed special, and turns out a delicious Mutton Stew.

Rooted in Firangi Mahal, with educators, clerics, journalists, writers and foodies in her family, Tahira too, has a taste for tradition. She immerses herself completely in whatever she does, so, she can stitch a traditional gharara and also cook Chawal ki Kheer to perfection. She is a home chef at the Awadhi Home Cooked Festival and her recipe for Shahi Tukdas features in the Sanatkada cookbook.

As a child Farzana watched her mother in the kitchen and this where she picked up her cooking skills and a passion for cooking. Later she married into a purdah observing traditional family that employed male cooks with kitchens far away from the living area. Even today , food is cooked over coal fired chulahs in the home of her parents- in- law in Kannauj and does not involve the ladies of the house.

When Farzana moved to Lucknow with her nuclear family, her passion for cooking surfaced. She was able to recall many of her mother’s recipes and started cooking herself and also employing helpers who she trained to cook for her. Farzana is an instinctive cook who never writes her recipes, nor does she use measures for her masalas. Somehow, the dishes turn out well, she adds.

When she was asked to contribute her recipe for Murgh Musallam and Muzaafar in the Sanatkada cookbook, she asked for some additional time to enable her to do a dry run of both the dishes so that she could measure out the ingredients! When mangoes are in season she turns out a delicious Kate Masale ka Keema Kairi ke saath. She is a senior home chef at the annual Awadhi Home Cooked Festival where she has served a variety of mutton and chicken dishes.

Saba grew up in a joint family, the eldest daughter, to a mother who herself was a keen learner and who innovated upon what she learnt from the family khansamas. Saba became her mother’s helper whenever she was free, and over a period of time, she could cook with confidence. The other family members helped her with cooking tips. Her paternal aunt advised her to add salt to a meat dish while roasting it, this would result in quick and even roasting.

Another favourite dish that Saba enjoys cooking is Bheja Masala. Her family also enjoys her special Rikhoche which are urad dal dumplings in a light gravy. Saba is a home chef at Sanatkada’s annual Awadhi Home Cooked Festival and her recipe for Pasande is included in the Sanatkada cookbook.

One is drawn to Madhu because of her large hearted and warm personality, coupled with a mission to feed and look after her family and friends and those who work with her. Her husband is fond of good food, so Madhu has mastered many cuisines, but, being from the Punjabi community, its cuisine is closest to her heart.

Married at a young age, she learnt cooking from her mother-in-law, and cooks to perfection Mah Chane Ki Daal, Paneer Dopyaza, Sarson ka Saag, Chole Bhature and Baigan Bharta among other things. She also enjoys making achars and chutneys.

Madhu’s innate curiosity has led her to cook new dishes. Whenever she eats out and enjoys a particular dish, she is sure to ask for the recipe and try it out at home. She feels that deep appreciation of her cooking skills from her family is her biggest reward. Her recipe for Sarson ka Saag is included in the Sanatkada cookbook and she is one of the home chefs at the Awadhi Home cooked Festival.

Naaz belongs to Fatehpur and comes from a feudal background where women were not encouraged to cook. Her mother was naturally gifted with a flair for good cooking and she became Naaz’s ideal. Naaz moved to Lucknow after her marriage where her husband and father-in-law both enjoyed good food. Using her mother’s recipes as a base, Naaz set upon improving her cooking skills. Whenever she ate in another home and liked something in particular, she would ask for the recipe and try it out at home and then add her own innovations to it.

Whenever there are weddings and other functions in her family, Naaz is given the responsibility for curating the menu and directing the helpers in the kitchen. Naaz is a hand’s on cook herself, and runs a successful cloud kitchen. Naaz enjoys cooking both vegetarian and non- vegetarian dishes, and is comfortable cooking any quantity of food, from half a kilo, up to twenty kilos. 

Her favourite dishes include Mutton Stew and Kadahi Chicken and an array of achars and chutneys. Among her vegetarian favourites is Hari Mirch ka Saalan and Dum Aloo. The recipe for the former has been included in the Sanatkada cookbook. She is also a home chef at the Awadhi Home Cooked Festival.

Supriya grew up in Calcutta and shifted to Lucknow twenty years ago when her husband took up a job in this city. She grew up watching her mother cook and so she learnt the Bengali cuisine in her own home. Some of her Bengali specialities are Shukto, Aam Machli, and Imli Machli.

After moving to Lucknow, Supriya learnt some dishes from her husband, a keen cook himself. So now she cooks his Chura Pula and Mustard Fish. She outsources her requirement for fresh fish from the Indira Nagar Machli Mandi. Supriya is fond of cooking Bengali sweets, and her made- from- scratch Rossogullas, Ras Malai, Puli Pithe and Sondesh are light and pleasing to the palate.

Supriya caters Bengali food on order. Her schooling has been up to the primary level only , yet she manages her finances with ease . She records her daily expenses in Bangla . Her son, who is equally proficient in Bangla and Hindi, then, does the final accounting.

Tulika was brought up by her paternal aunt and uncle, whose familiarity with food was limited to Keema-Matar, (cooked in desi ghee) and Aloo Tikki ; which was what they ate day in and day out.

Her aunt was an amazing story teller, so, while food was not a part of Tulika’s ethos, stories definitely were. Her own mother, on the other hand, was a phenomenal cook, as is her sister and most of her cousins, also her mother’s language of love was food. Nothing was so terrible that some simple or complicated dish could not cure!

Tulika has been a home chef with the Awadhi Home Cooked festival and her recipe for Adraki Gosht finds a place in the Sanatkada cookbook. She also turns out a delicious Hare Tamatar ki Sabzi, Dahi Baigan ka Bharta, Gajar Raita and Piththi ki Roti.

Rishad cooks delicious Qorma and Tehri. He also enjoys cooking Tale Aloo ka Saalan, Kundan Qaliya, and among sweets his favourites are Chane ki Daal ka Halwa and Malai ka Halwa Born and brought up in Lucknow, Rishad is a non-practicing doctor with wide interests such as theatre, making documentaries, writing film scripts and is extremely passionate about cooking.

While studying abroad, he was forced to learn to cook because he did not like bland European food and craved for the flavours from home. Rishad claims that he inherited this passion for cooking from his family and his mother has been a strong influence in this endeavour. Being the youngest child, he watched her supervise the bawarchis in the family kitchen. 

Even today he measures the proportion of spices and and applies the same cooking techniques as he had observed his mother doing in his childhood. He even recollects the khurpi(a flat spade-like spoon) that she had used to flip over the Galawati Kababs. The khurpi is a must- have utensil in many Lucknow kitchens, even today.

He enjoys baking muffins and biscuits and recalls his first attempt at cooking as a little boy, when he made aloo tikkis, shallow fried potato rounds, for a doll’s wedding that was organized by his older sisters. He prepared his school-going daughter’s daily tiffin much appreciated by her teachers. Rishad is a home chef at Sanatkada’s Awadhi Home Cooked Food Festival.