If the rich and royal Awadhi cuisine is your jam, one of the first names that comes to mind is, of course, Oudh 1590, the period dining experience, with outlets spread across Kolkata. With the restaurant completing a decade of serving the best of Awadhi food to food lovers; it is also holding the 10th edition of The Great Awadhi Kabab Festival. The food festival, which started on February 3, is expected to run till mid March.
My Kolkata caught up with co-founders Shiladitya Chaudhury and Debaditya Chaudhury to know more about the curation of this edition of the festival.
“Every year, we try to make the menu for the festival a little different from the previous years. We research for a year and make several trips to Lucknow to know more about the new food we can bring to the plate. We have a range of seafood and vegetarian kebabs this year. Lobsters or seafood is usually seen as part of Continental food. But, it can be a part of Awadhi cuisine too, which we first introduced. Our objective is to bring seafood lovers and vegetarians [to Oudh] as well,” Debaditya said.
Oudh 1590 co-founders Shiladitya Chaudhury and Debaditya Chaudhury
Talking about a decade of Oudh 1590 in Kolkata, Shiladitya said, “Ten years ago, when we came to the market, Awadhi cuisine was still not available widely in an upscale restaurant format. From the very first year, people started liking it and a huge fan base was created. For example, by offering Nalli Nihari on a regular basis and not just as a seasonal item, we had a first-mover advantage.”
Speaking about the preparation of the dishes, David Mondal, chef-in-charge, Oudh 1590, said, “In normal kebabs, we use curd or Indian spices. But the dishes curated for the festival have some special masalas and ingredients which are only used in Awadhi cuisine. So far, visitors are loving the Nalli Kabab and Paneer Begum Bahar.”
'The dishes curated for the festival have special masalas and ingredients, which are only used in Awadhi cuisine,' said David Mondal, chef-in-charge
Oudh 1590 today has expanded to eight outlets in and around Kolkata, along with a newly opened space in Noida. Here are our picks from the food festival menu:
What’s on the plate?
Paneer Begum Bahar
For vegetarians, this is a signature dish. Soft succulent paneer, smoky flavours and the sheer softness of malai, make it a must-try. It comes in a plate of four pieces.
Price: Rs 320
Smoked Tandoori Lobster
While fish kebabs are not unheard of, Lobster Kabab truly comes from the lost recipes of the Awadh. A plate consists of a whole smoked lobster served with pickled salad. It can be shared by two to three people.
Price: Rs 1,200
Tandoori Pomfret
Pomfret is an easy-to-work-with fish, which is smoked in a tandoor to get the right flavour. Add a dash of lemon juice if you want to zest it up and eat it with the salad. Each plate comes with one whole pomfret, and can serve two people.
Price: Rs 550
Nalli Kabab
If mutton is your favourite meat, then you cannot give the Nalli Kabab a miss. Rich and flavourful, each plate serves two pieces of the succulent on-the-bone meat.
Price: Rs 950
Gosht Adrak Ke Panje
Presented in the shape of a claw, this ginger-mutton kebab is one of a kind. The smokiness, when combined with the flavour of ginger, gives a unique taste to the dish.
Price: Rs 500
Chandni Malai Tengri
True to its name, the chicken leg kebab is wrapped in silver foil to give it a luxurious ‘Chandni’ look. The malai only makes the meat softer and juicier to bite into.
Price: Rs 375
Works best with…
(L-R) Badam Sharbat, Aam Khash and Gulab Sharbat
The rich flavourful kebabs work best with paratha, achaar or pickled salad. You can check out the several biryani options including the Awadhi Handi Biryani as well. Moreover, you can pair them up with sherbets like Badam Sharbat, Gulab Sharbat, Aam Khash and more.
Festival details
- Where: The festival is on at all outlets of Oudh 1590 in and around the city — Deshapriya Park, Southern Avenue, Naktala, Behala, Salt Lake, Jessore Road, Madhyamgram and Sodepur
- Time: Noon – 10.30pm
- On till: Mid March
- Price for two: Rs 1,200 (approx)