Rivaayat, this Persian word means the revival of tradition. As the name suggests, this is about the revival of traditional recipes which have been mastered by the “Khaansamas” {the master chefs } of India. The Oberoi, New Delhi has taken up this initiative to bring that family owned preserved knowledge and expertise onto their menu through the recipes of the legendary Khaansamas of rustic bylanes of Old Delhi. And they have very beautifully and aptly named it as Rivaayat. It’s a celebration of food which brings back the nostalgia of flavors from the regions of Awadh, Amritsar, Hyderabad and New Delhi. The seasoned chefs Rohit Gambhir and Arun Mathur got trained themselves and honed their skills with these Khaansamas over several months and curated a royal experience for their patrons at The Oberoi. As part of this unique culinary initiative of The Oberoi group, I had the pleasure of experiencing it at the The Oberoi New Delhi. I set my evening at with the ever so gracious Deepica {Manager Comm, The Oberoi, New Delhi}, Sangeeta {Banaras Ka Khana} and Ruchira {The Great Cookaroo} .
We were served Amritsari Macchli {Punjab}, Talli Murghi {Old Delhi} and Chonk Ki Tikki {Old Delhi} in first course. I loved all three, especially the Amritsari Machhli. It was perfectly done, without being excessively oily or floury and sure reminded me of my trip to Amritsar few years ago.
In the main course we were served Maa Cholley ki daal, Rarha Meat, Nihari Gosht and Saag Kofta and Sheer Maal and Khamiri Roti in breads. Maa Cholley ki daal, a traditional lentil preparation tempered with onion, garlic and tomatoes was just right the way my mother cooks at home. I really felt nostalgic as soon as I dunked my bread into the humble daal and went for the second helping. Next dish which caught my attention was Saag Kofta, a chicken mince dumpling preparation with mustard greens and spinach base. The koftas were to die for. They were amazingly huge yet so delicate, both in flavors and texture. To get those big sized koftas in shape can only be mastered over years and that was clearly shining through them. Rarha Meat and Nihari Gosht were finger-licking good and I wiped them clean off my plate with the Khamiri roti and sheer maal. The dessert was quite unique and delightful to the tastebuds. Gullathi, a milk based preparation which is a cross between Kheer and Phirni {the camera was off by this time as the food had done it’s magic, so I couldn’t capture the dessert}. I just loved it to the last bits, slightly over sweet but I loved it and it summed up this royal affair with traditional flavors so luxuriously. Thank you Deepica for having us over for this royal experience!
This food festival is on till 28th of January, 2015 at The Oberoi, New Delhi.
