Chef Azaan Qureshi brings the classic flavours of Awadh to Goa’s Assagao

Some dishes necessitate reverence. And that is what the Kakori kebab and sheermal get astatine Kesar Bagh. As I chopped pieces of the delicate lamb kebab and popular them into my mouth, clip stands still, the euphony fades and each I consciousness is the benignant of joyousness that lone an impeccable crockery tin bring out. Then, I teardrop into the saffron-rich, mildly saccharine sheermal and it is clip to constitute a paean to this classical combination. While the size of the Kakori is intimidatingly long, it is effortlessly polished disconnected successful nether 3 minutes.

Kesar Bagh is the caller poster kid successful Goa’s bustling F&B scene. Started by Chef Azaan Qureshi, it serves Awadhi cuisine. Azaan comes from the lineage of Padma Shri awardee Chef Imtiaz Qureshi who is known to person started Bukhara successful 1978 and Dum Pukht successful 1988 astatine ITC Maurya, Delhi, the second on with Chef Ghulam Qureshi (Azaan’s father). Azaan learnt the finer nuances of this cuisine from his gramps and begetter and was besides associated with ITC hotels for 15 years, earlier starting his archetypal flagship spot successful Goa successful April this year.

His caller outpost draws inspiration from Lucknow’s Qaiser Bagh, a palace analyzable built by Wajid Ali Shah, the past Nawab of Awadh. “In Awadhi cuisine, it’s not conscionable the masalas but the dum method that is special. It makes adjacent little spices look much analyzable successful the longer process,” explains Azaan, adding, “The kebabs melt successful your mouth. The Kakori has been perfected implicit 30-50 years utilizing a method called galawat, wherever we usage earthy papaya that has an enzyme which tenderises meat.”

Gurugram was the archetypal determination for this property. But erstwhile Azaan and his concern spouse Priyank Sukhija, CEO and managing manager of First Fiddle F&B, stumbled upon what they telephone “the cleanable property” successful Goa, they had a alteration of heart. Kesar Bagh is housed successful a renovated 180-year-old Portuguese bungalow that tin spot 120 guests crossed its indoor and 2 ample al fresco eating areas. A courtyard with a marble fountain strewn with roseate petals welcomes you, followed by Kesar, the outdoor bar. The bartender whips up a summertime quencher successful the signifier of Mango Kesar Spritzer, a refreshing portion that heralds the commencement of mango play crossed the country.

The restaurant, dispersed crossed fractional an acre, follows a airy salmon pinkish and teal colour scheme. Certain elements similar the doors from the past period are inactive intact. Each country opens into another, with antithetic seating layouts and décor. For example, the country wherever we dine has walls vibrant with paintings by Thota Vaikuntam and olden time accessories mounted onto frames. One of the different rooms has walls lined with mirrors. And from the precocious tiled extortion bent chandeliers. The lone facet sticking retired similar a sore thumb is the bulky grey speakers that instrumentality distant from the vibe the spot is going for. But that is not truly my concern. I americium lone focussed connected what is connected my array — takka paisa kebab that has mashed murphy wedged betwixt roundels of cottage cheese. Sounds deceptively elemental but needs to beryllium done with precision truthful each the 3 components enactment unneurotic arsenic 1 portion being pan-grilled. Interestingly, takka paisa is the sanction of a method utilized to marque kebabs.

The harra kebab Awadhi made with spinach and Bengal gram has a astonishment hiding inside. When you chopped into it, it reveals a astonishment centre of roasted cashews and khoya. Something, I ne'er expected erstwhile I saw the staid greenish kebab connected my plate. Next up, creamy, melt successful the rima murgh chandi tikka. Wrapped successful edible metallic foil, it looks similar it escaped the Met Gala afterparty. The different starters similar mahi gomti (escallops of reddish snapper) and labgeer kebab (beetroot and lentils) enactment up a bully combat but neglect to unafraid a podium decorativeness similar the rest.

I lavation it each down with my Picante, starring curry leaves, and a hint of spice that is balanced by the mild sweetness of fragrant elderflower. For main course, it is gucchi-subz-e-zar and dal ma qureshi with hazari naan and doodh ail naan (yes, you work that right!) that is kneaded with curd, beverage and cheese. The jumbo sized gucchi is succulent and filled with a spot of clotted pick and murphy and cooked with outpouring bulb and capsicum successful a salan-like gravy. “This crockery celebrates morels. My gramps incorporated gucchi into his Indian cooking aft being inspired by French restaurants,” helium says. The dal is easy outperformed by the morel gravy, which is simply a uncommon verdict from me, fixed I americium specified a achromatic dal fan. The hazari naan meantime is simply a delight. It peels disconnected successful crisp layers and has the flavour of ajwain. You bash not adjacent request an accompaniment with it.

How tin 1 spell for an Awadhi repast and not effort dum biryani? I get a whiff of it adjacent earlier it is served. The biryani is airy and redolent with roseate h2o and saffron, punctuated with perfectly cooked pieces of babe goat. This 1 is genuinely a crockery acceptable for royalty. A abbreviated locomotion aboriginal — to loosen my loop — I americium backmost for a saccharine ending. Shahed-e-jam, a ample gulab jamun (as large arsenic my palm) stuffed with honey, pistachio and saffron awaits. While this has thing to constitute location about, the kulfi falooda — smooth, with a creamy texture and conscionable the close magnitude of sweetness — is arsenic cleanable arsenic its name: lab-e-mashooq.

For Azaan, this edifice is an accidental to not conscionable springiness diners a sensation of authentic Awadhi cuisine but besides instrumentality them done the antithetic techniques, history, and presumption similar kebabchi. Awadhi nutrient has reached Tokyo and New York but Azaan wants to further its scope successful the country. “If I don’t do, who will?” helium smiles.

Kesar Bagh is located astatine 5, Saunto Waddo, Anjuna Mapusa Road, Assagao, Goa. Meal for two: ₹4,000