Dastarkhwan-e-Awadh: The Cuisine of Awadh
About this ebook
Timeless recipes from the stately kitchens of the Awadh regionDastarkhwan (noun): A meticulously laid out ceremonial spread of food. The nawabs of Awadh were renowned for their extravagance and their patronage of the best craftsmen. Of all the arts that flourished then, cooking was considered one of the finest, and its practitioners were among the most sought after. Famous for its nafaasat (refinement) and nazaakat (delicateness), Awadhi cuisine blends spices over a slow fire to achieve seasonal harmony with nature. Retelling anecdotes and secrets long held by the descendants of the nawabs, talukdars, bawarchis and rakabdars of the region, Sangeeta Bhatnagar and R.K. Saxena recreate the culture and cuisine of a culturally and imaginatively rich era.
Ratings and reviews
About the author
Dr Sangeeta Bhatnagar received her education in Lucknow, the seat of Awadh culture. She has a PhD in economics from Lucknow University, where she has also taught. She discovered Awadhi cuisine in Barabanki. A complete dearth of books on the cuisine and the desire to document and preserve the culinary heritage of the region inspired Sangeeta to write Dastarkhwan-e-Awadh. Sangeeta has also hosted cooking shows on television and been on the editorial team of Food magazine. She currently lives in Agra. R.K. Saxena has more than four decades of experience in the hospitality industry. A graduate of Bombay University, he also studied hotel management at Dadar Catering College. He has lived in Lucknow, Mumbai, Goa and Washington DC, managing catering outlets and hotels. He was head of the catering department at the Institute of Hotel Management (IHM) in Bangalore, and director of IHM Lucknow and Mumbai. He is currently an independent hospitality consultant in Lucknow.
