Flavours of Avadh
Journey from the Royal Banquet to the Corner Kitchen
Paper Type: Art Paper (Matt) | Size: 216 x 178mm
All colour; 129 photographs
ISBN-10: 9381523169 | ISBN-13: 978-93-83098-62-0
795 | 25 | 15
Flavours of Avadh: Journey from the Royal Banquet to the Corner Kitchen is the story of food and cooking from the palaces to the pavement.
The book charts out a unique socio-cultural route down the decades, sketching out an exclusive regional food history, richly coloured with family anecdotes, local festivities, regional culture and dining traditions. There are more than sixty recipes collected from the elite homes and kitchens where this unique and traditional cuisine has been nurtured over centuries.
The food court of the Avadh region of north India, with its capital Lucknow and the city’s unique culture nestling amidst the emerald green Gangetic plains, is a sprawling and a diverse one. High sophistication, a rare tradition of etiquette and well-defined social customs outline the flourishing regional cuisine—enriched and nurtured by the Sharqi Sultanate of Jaunpur and then the early Mughals between the mid-14th and the early 18th centuries. Aromatic spices, exotic herbs, a rare creative energy and a romantic ideology coupled with a mix of racial traits and customs have produced this exclusive line of food and hospitality—the Avadh cult of cuisine.
As proverb goes, even the drinking water of Lucknow tastes different. Traditionally stored in clay vessels in the summer heat and often sipped after adding fresh mint leaves, it changes hue and flavour with the seasons. Offered in tall silver embossed tumblers in winter with a sprinkling of fresh rose petals, the special tradition of serving water spells out the creative passion surrounding the culinary habits of this region.
Salma Husain
Author
Salma Husain is a passionate cook, food historian and a Persian scholar; she has used the language in exploring the history of food. Salma has worked with the Star Celebrity Chef Gary Rhodes from London for a British television serial and also with South Korean Television for their series on Indian food. She has appeared on Indian television with her feature Journey of Kabab, which has been telecast by Urdu TV as well. At present Salma is working as a consultant of Indian food with ITC Hotels. She writes articles and columns on food for popular journals and newspapers and has award-winning cook books to her credit. Salma received the National Tourism Award 2009 from the Vice-President of India Md. Hamid Ansari. Salma Husain lives in Gurgaon, Haryana. She enjoys cooking for her friends and does it with great love and passion.
सलमा हुसैन एक जानी-मानी पर्शियन स्काॅलर एवं कुक हैं जिन्होंने खाद्य पदार्थों के विषय-क्षेत्र में एेतिहासिक उपलब्धियाँ प्राप्त की हैं। सलमा स्टार सेलिब्रिटी शेफ गैरी रोड्स के साथ ब्रिटिश टीवी सीरियल के लिए लंदन में कार्य कर चुकी हैं, साथ ही भारतीय व्यंजन विषय पर दक्षिण कोरियाई टेलीविजन पर भी अपनी सेवाएँ दी हैं। भारतीय दूरदर्शन के माध्यम से भी वे ‘जर्नी अाॅफ कबाब’ फीचर में आ चुकी हैं, जिसका उर्दू टीवी द्वारा भी प्रसारण किया जा चुका है।
वर्तमान में सलमा आईटीसी होटल समूह के साथ भारतीय व्यंजन के कंसलटेंट के तौर पर अपनी सेवाएँ दे रही हैं। वे प्रायः पत्र-पत्रिकाओं में व्यंजन संबंधी आलेख व स्तम्भ लिखती रहती हैं तथा उनके द्वारा व्यंजन पर लिखी गई पुस्तक को पुरस्कार से नवाजा गया है।
वर्ष 2009 में सलमा को उपराष्ट्रपति मो. हामिद अंसारी द्वारा ने राष्ट्रीय पर्यटन अवार्ड से भी सम्मानित किया जा चुका है। सलमा हुसैन गुड़गाँव, हरियाणा की हैं। इन्हें अपने मित्रों के लिए विविध व्यंजन बनाना रुचिकर लगता है।