And I've had more meals with Mohammed Imtiaz Qureshi, the legendary chef who passed away this month at 93, than I can count. Our daily luncheons at Dum Pukht at Delhi's ITC Maurya (the restaurant was closed for lunch) weren't just about an F&B manager and a master chef talking business. They were lessons in gastronomy and life.
Imtiaz started out as a raqabdaar, or royal chef, in Lucknow. But his talent and ambitions were global in scale. This is the man who gave regional recipes an international platform, and who built the vocabulary by which we understand so many north Indian cooking traditions today.
When I joined the Maurya in the 1980s, Imtiaz was already a force in the kitchens. He was obsessed with ingredients and the quality of the in-house butchery. He had no intention of being polite or politically correct. He barked out orders, sought complete submission, but valued execution.
This story is from the February 24, 2024 edition of Brunch.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February 24, 2024 edition of Brunch.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Hitting the wrong note
Even hitmakers can have epic fails. Here are 10 bands that named themselves in haste, only to repent at leisure
A walk to remember
As India celebrates 25 years of Fashion Week, here's your front-row seat to the first edition, in 2000. The models, the designs, the gossip, the backstage drama, and those after-parties!
Before the tea gets cold
Sudhir Patwardhan's paintings show a Mumbai that viewers may find familiar. But look closer. The details tell new tales, trigger universal questions
Who's the third world now?
There was a time when Egypt or Lagos were considered lawless lands. Now one has to be on guard in London and Paris
Spice routes and detours
More and more countries are discovering that packaged Indian spices are contaminated. Back home, they're so convenient and trusted, we didn't think to look closer. It's time to rework this recipe
Murder, she rewrote
What's better than a woman detective? A team of two. New shows and films are making the most of the partnership, giving crime drama and comedy an edge
What broth this on?
Hopeless ramentic? Slurp up this guide and order the best bowl, every time
Unconventional habits
There's so much more to nuns and convent education than what shows up on screen. Why do the cliches persist?
Photos or pulp fictions?
Gauri Gill's portraits showcase ordinary folks, doing ordinary things, but wearing extraordinary masks. See why the quirky series offers more than what meets the eye
Hear it from a reliable sauce
Kikkoman launched a dark soya sauce for the Indian market after realising that Indians expect Chinese and pan-Asian dishes to have a rich, dark colour. It mimics the taste profile of the flagship Kikkoman soya but has a different colour.
