Lucknow in the Big Apple

LAVINA MELWANI
New York-based journalist

Who would have thought that the princely state of Awadh exists in Manhattan? The flag of Dum Pukht has been unfurled by Gaurav Anand, a passionate culinary crusader, and the crest of the royal house is embedded right on the door of Awadh on the Upper West Side. This is an outpost of old Lucknow with its famous galouti kebabs, lagan ki raan and kakori kebabs. The Village Voice, the New York chronicle of everything cool, declared Awadh the best new Indian restaurant in New York just a few months ago. Gaurav Anand is unlikely culinary royalty; the suave young entrepreneur is not descended from nawabs nor from great chefs but from a successful Delhi business family. The son of a wellknown lawyer, SK Anand, food was a big part of his growing years in the capital.

He arrived in America in 2007 and there was no looking back. Making it in New York was no easy task. An incredibly hard worker, Anand has done it all, from mopping the floor to cooking up the marinades to creating the restaurants. By the age of 33 he had set up Kebab Factory, Bhatti Indian Grill and the iconic Moti Mahal Delux. Still on a roll, this year, he opened his flagship restaurant Awadh. Why Awadh? Says Anand, "Growing up, I used to eat at Kareem's and at Nizam's and also at the fine dining spots Dum Pukht and Kandahar in Delhi. I had been in the US for eight years and had never seen this cuisine so we decided to introduce it. Americans now realise that Indian food is not just about that dish called butter chicken.

Indian food sometimes uses a loudspeaker to announce its spices but at Awadh everything is subtle, simmered over a slow fire and marinated in its own juices. The galouti kebabs, for instance, have very sophisticated blending and this lends them a unique texture and flavour. Awadh is the only restaurant in New York serving galouti kebabs and the unique ulta tawa parantha. Anand's mentor and inspiration is India's food maestro Jiggs Kalra with whom he's worked closely in creating the menu at Awadh. In India owners don't have to be chefs but for Anand the two roles are interwoven. He says, "In the US you have to be a chef yourself if you want to take it to the next level. There is a huge turnover of staff in the US, so in order to keep the quality consistent, it's important to be a chef. I don't let anyone dominate my cooking."

I pop into Awadh on a Saturday and the place is buzzing and packed. The intimate space has understated elegance, enhanced by antique gold wallpaper and a dramatic 8-foot bubble chandelier. Here, it's about the past and the present and while the dum pukht technique may be hundreds of years old, the presentation and accoutrements add to the wow factor. Indeed, being a chefrestaurateur necessitates being a juggler and a magician and the dishes are plated in contemporary style, often with modern chutneys of celery, blueberries, figs or beetroot.

Some of the wonderful dishes include nali ki nihari lamb shanks simmered overnight in an aromatic broth; mahi musallam whole fish crusted with turmeric and a masala spice mix; lagan ki raan, leg of lamb cooked with a spice blend and onion tomato masala; and three types of biryani cooked in a pot sealed by naan bread. For vegetarians who are usually fed deep fried samosas and pakoras, it's a gourmet feast. Bharwaan khumb (stuffed mushrooms), mawe ki kakori, khaas paneer tikka, and karari bhindi are just some of the appetisers on the menu. If sharab was a big thing with Lucknowi nawabs, so is it in this Awadh, with consulting sommelier John Slover, who has worked with some of the top restaurants in New York city, offering mostly European wines, including the Mirza Ghalib which is a French red.

The Cassis Domaine Du Bagnol 2012 (white) which has notes of citrus and is really fresh on the palate, pairs well with the chicken curries and fish dishes on the menu. The Nero D'Avola Firriato 2011 (red from Sicily) which is aromatic, fruity and has floral aromas pairs best with dishes like the dalcha palak kebab (spinach kebabs) which are very popular.

Anand plans to open a 40-cover boutique restaurant where he would do only 40 dinners a night, The restaurant would be open for eight months, giving him time to travel and draw inspiration for the nest season. "It has been done in Spain so why can't we do it?" he says. "If I have the chance and money, I will do it. In fact, I'm sure I'll do it. Again it's a risk, but I've already taken three good risks and they have paid off!" In a city where new restaurants opens almost every day, Gaurav Anand is poised to savour new adventures, simmered slowly.

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