Dum Pukht — Restaurant in New Delhi

Dinner at Dumpukht, ITC Maurya Dumpukht is name of the cooking technique said to be invented in Lucknow during the days of Nawabs. It is said that during a decade long drought, the Nawab employed people on daily wages of "food for labour" to construct the Bara Imambard at Lucknow. The meal for them was cooked in huge deghs filled with all ingredients and then sealed with dough and kept on day long slow fire to cook in its own juiced and on Dum (Light Steam Pressure). The Nawab once passing by from there smelled the aromatic fragrance of food and ordered his shah khansama to use this cooking technique in their dastarkhwan. This is how Dumpukht got popularised.

Appetizers Dum Pukht Kakori - Undoubtedly, this is one of the best Kakori Kabab money can buy anywhere in the world. Dumpukht uses top quality ingredients for their food preparation and that smells and tastes in their food. It was pure pinkish mutton with just a light hint of aromatic spices and saffron. Melt in mouth is an understatement for this kabab. Once you have had Kakori at Dumpukht, anything and everything elsewhere seems inappropriate and substandard. This was served with mini sheermal. Beetroot Tikki - This was a combination of beetroot mixed with a daal (most likely soaked, coarsly pureed and sautéed moong daal) with light stuffing in the centre. The texture was very soft but firm to hold its shape. The taste was delicate and creamy. Not a very light appetizer but sort of addictive for a vegetarian. This was served with mini sheermal.

Main Course Dal Dum Pukht - Mix of Arhar & Moong daal with light tempering of whole red chilli, Heeng and jeera in pure ghee, Light and justified to go with an otherwise rich and heavy meal. Murgh Handi Qorma - Boneless legs of chicken simmered in brown onion, garlic and yogurt gravy slow cooked with chicken marrow to self thicken. Finally strained to give that silky texture. Fragrance of saffron, rosewater was oozing out and it was garnished with almond silver. Ghuncha-wa-Qeema Dum Pukht - Chopped pieces of cauliflower tempered with asafetida. Lightly cooked with capsicum, ginger and tomato with hint of mild spices. Dumpukht Signature Breads - We opted for a plain naan and a garlic naan. IT has excelled in making one of the best naans. So it was an obvious choice. Qasar-E-Pukhtan - Soft cubes of paneer simmered in a silky fresh tomato gravy, flavored with cumin seeds and dried fenugreek leaves. The best a vegetarian can get. Subz Biryani - Diced vegetables and basmati rice cooked on Dum in a flavored and fragrant vegetable stock Dum Pukht Biryani - Basmati rice simmered with lamb in mace, perfumes and kewra water, finished in a dough sealed handi on Dum. Another signature dish of Dumpukht and one of the best available anywhere.

Desserts Gulab Ki Kheer - Rice cooked on low heat with milk and rose petals, Garnished with pistachio and silver leaf. Excellent. Service - Top class. They make you feel like a real Nawab and pamper you well. If you an old timer, you get that extra attention. We were on a fixed portion meal package but our requests for extra servings of appetizers was accepted with smile...

Romantic dinner/family celebration at Dum Pukht was definitely interesting, a unique "Awadhi" culinary experience in a beautiful setting. This iconic, award winning restaurant beckons you to partake in a royal experience as it recreates the 200 year old culinary legacy from the kitchens of the majestic Nawabs and serves on beautiful serveware.

Located in the ITC Maurya Hotel in Delhi, Dum Pukht is an interesting place. Forget the luxurious feel of the decor and the outstanding service and let's focus on the history behind this restaurant:

Dum Pukht, a process of slow-cooking in a sealed ‘handi’, allows the ingredients to mature in their own juices to bring out the intense flavours, aromas and leisurely luxury of the food, imbuing it with richness that distinguishes the cuisine. Reviving the artfulness of courtly manner and presentation from across the country, Dum Pukht brings you the grand cuisine of India in a setting that truly befits its regal origins.

Decor: The exquisite décor infused with deep sapphire blues and silver, reminisces a bygone era and evokes a sense of the old-world charm.

SIGNATURE DISHES Dum Pukht presents Dum Pukht Biryani, Kakori Kabab, Dudiya Kabab and Shahi Nehari.

Background and Chef: Coming from a lineage of Royal Chefs, Chef Qureshi joined ITC Maurya in 1977 and was instrumental in the inception of Dum Pukht - a legendary restaurant that presents the finer nuances of Awadhi cuisine with its slow-cooked recipes. Centuries ago, in 1784, the rich and powerful Kingdom of Awadh, known for their love for culture, music, dance and epicurean delights, was struck by famine. Nawab Asaf-ud-Daulah initiated a food for work program employing thousands in the construction of the imposing monument of Bara Imambara. Large cauldrons were filled with rice, meat, vegetables and spices, and sealed to make a simple, one-dish meal that was available to workers day and night. One day, the Nawab caught a whiff of the aromas emanating from a cauldron and the royal kitchen was ordered to serve the dish…thus being the ‘discovery’ of ‘Dum’ or ‘slow’ cooking, which was further refined to please the royal palate. (Source: restaurant's website)

PROS: Dum Pukht is a slow cooking method from the Awadh region of Northern India, Dum meaning breath in and Pukht meaning to cook. What is extraordinary there is that the Chef, Gulam M. Qureshi, is a fifth generation of Chefs, and cooks according to the tradition. The food is a succession of dishes, some of them very surprising, such as the lamb kakori kebab that is literally melting in your mouth. The secret? The lamb is minced seven times, making this so delicate that moving it from the main dish to the plate requires a special move and there is not need for a knife to eat it.

CONS: Long wait time. Can be spicy for some palettes.

Do not forget to taste the beetle leaf that is stuffed with various seeds, similar to what you would find in many Indian...

#Dumpukht #biryani Does it makes any sense to go to such famous places and wait like beggars for 90-120mins for a table and in return what you get such food. For a family dinner I planned to go to #bukhara at ITC #Maurya the waiting on Thursday was approx 3Hrs. But the guest with an approach were seated without any waiting. The lady on desk was carrying a small phone in her hand got a call & she said Kaha say baithau there is no space & the person on the other hand said jaise bhe ho make them sit in the restaurant fast. She repeated the words in anger. Anyways after approx 75mins i got a seat in Dum Pukht restaurant, when I Entered in the restaurant 35% of tables were empty but still there was a waiting for 90mins. Even a gentleman came before me got the table with in 15mins as he gave refrence of some chef or so. Limited option one has in Dum Pukht. I ordered kakori seekh which was nice but little warm was Nt served Hot then I ordered Gilafi chicken seekh which taste good but as it got little cold was really chewy…. The flop show stopper was there mutton biryani…. The line from the Waitor was before eating pls smell the aroma of the biryani…. “Chaley woh bhe kar liya humney” but the quality of mutton was horrible… one can puke after watching it. It’s visible in the picture. It was blood pink in colour. When I call the waiter first guy thought I am a fool he said it’s a saffron colour … LOL I laughed & said I started buying mutton from ₹60/-kg & today’s it’s ₹700/-kg so don’t teach. Then second Waitor came & said there is a problem will change the biryani & get a new one for you. Second biryani was again same with the same quality of mutton. I waited for almost 15-20mins but chef was so so so busy that he didn’t came to my table. As a bribe they offered me a Firni complementary from there side but i left it untouched… I refused & tell them to take firni away… they said sir pls pack kar dete hai n all….I asked for the soft copy of my bill but still it’s not delivered on my mobile…. Do such high end places are worth the hype? I gone with high hopes but it’s all useless. It’s a horrible pathetic hospitality that a chef who is working with such a reputated name doesn’t have a time to come on his guest table. Anyone who is reading this must Check the food over there before eating… for me it’s a BIG FLOP SHOW👎🏻 after getting out from there had a biryani from Alkauser mughlai foods 🤣🤣🤣...