While Rampuri food can be a true foodie’s delight, most of us are unaware of the history and heritage of this cuisine. “The story goes that after losing Bareilly, Nawab Faizullah Khan established Rampur (erstwhile Mustafabad) in 1774 under the British protection as the Rohilla kingdom. Though the treaty ensured that the Nawab, and his successors, would never find a place in the history books of glory, it did make Rampur a safe haven to migrate for artists and patrons alike.” – (Source: http://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/food-wine/the-rise-and-revival-of-the-ancient-rampuri-cuisine/#sthash.Idte3xQ5.dpuf)
Post 1858, many of the royal chefs/cooks, along with many notable poets, artists and noble court men, migrated from Lucknow, Kashmir, Delhi moved to Rampur, in search of a safe shelter, freedom of expression of their talent and creativity. Hence, the Rampuri cuisine is a confluence of Mughlai, Afghani, Awadhi and Kashmiri cuisines. It is indeed a culinary treasure trove in its own.
Chef Rehman did make a spectacular showcase of the Rampuri food at the VITS Luxury Hotel, Mumbai, by the poolside, between 11th – 20th December, 2015. Chef Rehman has traveled across India as well as overseas, with his culinary expertise in Kashmiri, Awadhi, Mughlai, and especially Rampuri cuisine – learning, training, researching and then showcasing. At the Mumbai festival, he put together a delectable buffet including several courses, each one of the course worth a lifetime. Special mention goes out to several, including starters of urad dal ki kabab, mutton chapli kabab, machchi (fish) kabab, the vegetable main course matching almost better than the non vegetarian fare, including a seasonal vegetables mix, mughlai dal, haldi paneer, subz biriyani, to name a few. In non vegetarian there was fish, chicken and mutton, along with mutton biriyani, which had the meat perfectly spiced and tender. There were 3-4 different kinds of breads and steamed rice as well. Desserts had Eid ki sevaiyaan, paneer ka meetha, kheer and other sweets. The Eid ki sevaiyaan would fill you with this amazing sense of comfort, and the paneer ka meetha can make you want more and more.
Master Chef Rehman Mujeebur is one of the chief proponents of Rampuri food, and has built an amazing team who have hosted Rampuri food festivals in Delhi/Gurgaon, other cities of India and now in Mumbai. The flavors of Rampuri cuisine is beyond explanation and one must try the food to know the development of this particular cuisine. A true foodie would be able to understand the influence yet know the differently developed cuisine.
