Go back in gastronimic history with Kakori Food Festival season 2 at Sepia at Renaissance

Food Fiesta, Food Festival, Awadhi cuisine, Kakori Food Festival, Sepia, Renaissance, Marriott, Lucknow, Lucknow food, Good Food, Indian Food Blog

By Tarry

Hola lovelies… Kaise hain janaab...

What comes to your mind when you think about Kakori? Well, this quaint little town, situated on the outskirts of Lucknow, the state capital of Uttar Pradesh, has one of the most significant chapters of Indian freedom struggle. Remember the famous Kakori train dacoity? Google if you want to know more...

Anyways, foodies across India would be delighted to know that this little town is also famous for its cuisine... the kakori cuisine. The cuisine, a part of the Awadhi cuisine, has much more beyond the famous kakori kebabs, even vegetarian... :-)

After it's first successful Kakori food festival last year, Sepia at Renaissance Marriott in Lucknow is back with season 2. Chef Mohsin Qureshi, the Awadhi specialist of Marriott and one of the best chefs of the city, has brought some amazing culinary delights out from the lanes of Kakori to the tables of this beautiful restaurant. Your's truly got a chance to enjoy some savoury delights and here's what I would narrate about it.

Presenting my  deets on

Kakori Food Festival season 2 at Sepia at Renaissance

Before you think that the fest is only for non vegetarians, lemme just tell you that this one has an array of vegetarian delights too. So whether you love veg or non-veg, you can enjoy this fest for sure. Chef Mohsin makes it a point to ensure that the multi layered cuisine gets well featured in the fest.

One of the most interesting feature of the dishes presented in this fest is that most of them have kachchha aam (raw mango) as one of the key ingredients. Kakori is also a part of UP's mango belt, hence this royal fruit had to find a mention, Chef Mohsin tells us.

Now over to the food.

Murgh Gola Kebab - An amazing variety of minced meat rolls. This one has raw mango and mint leaves mixed in minced chicken and is made on coal fire. A must try for chicken lovers.

Magahi Paan Jheenga - Something for the prawn lovers. This one, dedicated to the magahi paan (beetel leaf) has a smoked paan flavour to the prawns.

Moradabadi Paneer Tikka - This one is an ode to Indian railways too. The dish has been named after the direct train between Kakori and Moradabad and is a must have for vegetarians.

Saharanpur 8 down Chicken - Another ode to the railways, this one is a tribute to the train of the same name. The chicken has some Saharanpuri touch to it in flavours too.

Magahi Paan Aloo - A vegetarians delight, the humble potato with a paan wala twist.

Bharwaan Gud ka Karela -  Bitter Gourd filled with a gravy made from jaggery (gud). Veggie lovers, do try this one for sure.

Palak Murgh - A chicken dish with a spinach dominant gravy, super high on proteins, iron and ofcourse, flavour.

Chukandar Gosht - Mutton in beetroot gravy, in an amazing marsala red colour. This one is surely iron overdose  :-)

Khatti Daal - Chane ki daal cooked with raw mango for a tangy flavour, in true Kakori style.

Apart from this, desserts include Aam ka tukda, which is a mango flavoured variant of Shahi tukda, Zarda and Khoye ki Kheer. In drinks, Aam ka Panna (raw mango cooked with spices and boiled in water for a tangy drink) is a perfect accompaniment. We however tried the Virgin Mohito for some twist.

Here are some clicks of a happy me with Chef Mohsin and the master craftsman himself... all smiles.

Mark the dates : 21^th April to 30^th April, dinner time.

Venue : Sepia at Renaissance Lucknow

Text : Tarannum Manjul 

Photos : Mohammad Naeem Chishti 

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