The Great Awadhi Biriyani Festival at Oudh 1590

The Great Awadhi Biriyani Festival at Oudh 1590

Kolkata's love affair with Biriyani is extremely difficult to explain. Calcuttans are very particular about their biriyanis. If they don't see an aloo in their plate of biriyani, they confidently proclaim the biriyani not up to the mark :P well, that's the identity of Kolkata biriyani.

Every Calcuttan has his/her list of favourite joints and very few new joints in the city have been able to make inroads into that list. One of such restaurants, which enjoy a place of honour in that list is, Oudh 1590. 

Founded by brothers, Shiladitya and Debaditya, Oudh has been a favourite for their galauti kebabs. The biriyanis along with soft juicy portions of meat come a close second. Not only does Oudh bring the best of Awadhi cuisine to Kolkata, it also focusses on the period dining experience. The moment you enter the place, the dimmed red lights and wall graffiti showcasing the rich culture and heritage of Lucknow take you to a different era altogether.

Oudh 1590

The period dining experience at Oudh1590

When I was invited to sample the Great Awadhi Biriyani festival, which is an annual affair at Oudh 1590, I knew this will be a superb experience. They had an array of biriyanis on offer - incorporating vegetables, meat and fish to make this a wholesome affair. 

We sampled the following: The classic Yakhni Gosht Biriyani cooked to perfection with the meat super juicy and soft, the Keema Biriyani, the Awadhi Nargisi biriyani which had egg wrapped in a layer to minced meat, The Gomti Mahi Pulao which is traditionally prepared from fishes of the Gomti river and had a hint of gondhoraaj lemon to add that bengali touch to it. Frankly, I am not very fond of fish biriyanis and this time also, the mahi biriyani did not appeal to me so much! 

Gosht Bhuna Khichdi

The winner among all the dishes was the Gosht Bhuna Khichdi - a rice and lentil dish cooked with boneless mutton pieces. Oh, this was pure pleasure ! With oodles of ghee, this was sinful yet we couldn't resist having second and third servings because of the pure pleasure that this dish was :)

Then there is Aawadhi Palak Biriyani and the Subz Kofta Biriyani to keep the vegetarians happy. Though I am not someone to sample a vegetarian biriyani, I have to admit the Subz Kofta Biriyani was good !

It was a great evening with all fellow bloggers and yummy food :)

Oudh 1590 outlets in Kolkata - Deshapriya Park and Salt Lake Sector 1.