The art of cooking flavoursome and aromatic melt-in-mouth meal that satiates your taste buds is the essence of Awadhi cuisine. The uniqueness of the cuisine lies in its deep-rooted traditional way of cooking.
The khansamas in Awadh used to cook in special utensils for a very long duration. How about relishing the similar food cooked over low fire letting the ingredients to cook in their own juices? Yes! You can also relive the era of Nawabs as renowned Chef Sunil Soni has launched his cookbook titled, “Jashn-e-Oudh”, which tries to bring out the actual methods of preparation of Awadhi dishes.
After spelling the magic in food and beverage industry for 27 years, Sunil Soni decided to pen down the recipies from the golden era of the Royal during the early 18th and 19th century in the central northern India. The food prepared for the Nawabs of Lucknow, Central Uttar Pradesh (Awadh) was different from the regular north Indian dishes both in terms of richness, marination, complexity and flexibility of spices.
Since small age, the chef was always fascinated by the idea of good food. He revealed that his biggest inspiration was the lip-smacking meal cooked by his mother. His passion grew over the time and he ended up seeking training in culinary arts from Bombay University.
There was no looking back after that. Soon he had the opportunity to travel abroad and got exposed to international cuisine including Singapore and Kuwait. That experience led him to open new kitchen and restaurant in Seychelles.
The pioneer behind live cooking, also opened a state-of-the-art restaurant in Boston. He has also worked as a consultant in Turkmenistan for establishing restaurants in two Starwood Hotels bringing in Indian Cuisine.
The pursuit to perfection brought him accolades, where ever he worked be it in Kuwait, Seychelles or USA.
Currently, Soni is working as an Executive Chef in Temple Point Resort in Watamu, Kenya.
The cookbook by Sunil Soni is available at all leading book shops and libraries throughout the world and can be directly availed of from Shubhi Publications.
By : Charu Lamba Gairola
