Clash of the Titans at Daniells Tavern, The Imperial

Two Chefs, two cuisines that have signified North Indian food for centuries now. The food of Puraani Dilli and Lucknow have become two of the commonest festivals that happen in Delhi hotels in the present day. At the Daniells Tavern at The Imperial, Masterchefs Ved and Mirza clashed to recreate their forefathers recipes in a festival that had us enthralled.

Let’s start with Puraani Dilli first. One of my first food assignments, the splendor of Chandni Chowk had me spellbound. From these bylanes, Chef Ved’s forefathers used to cook up some Guchchi Mussalam which features the famous mushrooms of the Himalayas cooked in a decadent gravy. There’s also a Mutton Korma that’s creamy to the core while the meat melts in your mouth. His dessert is the quintessential Shahi Tukda that you would find quite prominently in the lane just outside of Jama Masjid. 

Let’s get onto Lucknow now. I went there last year and discovered a trail that combined monuments and some of the masterful Awadhi dishes. But that hasn’t been the only time I tried out Awadhi food. I have attended quite a few of these festivals along with being a big fan of the Lucknawi Biryani that I order quite often. But Chef Mirza’s Galawat and Kakori Kebabs had us reliving the royal flavours once again. Chef Mirza also had us fawning over a delicately spiced Dum Biryani that has been a family secret over generations

The Clash of Titans at Daniells Tavern, the Indian speciality restaurant at The Imperial was definitely a festival that had us fascinated.