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Pushpesh Pant
The erstwhile riyasat of Rampur is renowned for many things. Raza Library boasts a priceless collection of manuscripts and miniature paintings and the Rampur gharana of music claims many a legendary ustad and their talented disciples. Then there is food, much more robust than Awadh and more refined than Delhi past its prime. Though the state came into existence quite late in comparison with many other princely states of India, its proximity to Delhi and Lucknow made it easy for its rulers to ingratiate themselves to the British overlords. Their patronage of arts, including culinary crafts, has long been appreciated.
Run of the mill food festivals showcasing delicacies from Rampur focus largely on rich resplendent recipes like taar korma, piste ka saalan, etc. For us, lost gems in the repertoire of home cooking in Rohilkhand have always been far more alluring. A recent pop up curated by Osama Jalali provided a wonderful opportunity to renew our acquaintance with some long lost flavours. Chef Ritesh Negi had organised the event and we spent the afternoon savouring ‘vegetarian’ meat dishes like arbi gosht, bhindi gosht. Osama bhai’s ammi told us of the many other seasonal veggies playing a duet with meat in this extraordinary menu including aloo gosht, shalgam gosht and shabdeg. However, it’s the combo of cauliflower and meat in gobhi gosht that intrigues us. It is said that the British brought this vegetable to the sub-continent in the 19th century and Indians initially found it smelly and bland. But all that is history. From paratha to pakora, bhaji and pickles, it has spread its realm. The Brits are gone but the ‘flower’ is ours forever.
Gobhi Gosht
Ingredients
Garnish
Method
Wash and pat dry the meat. Heat 50 ml oil in a pan and stir fry cauliflower on high flame till light golden brown. Remove and place on kitchen towel. Heat the rest of the oil and add onions and ginger-garlic paste to it. Stir fry briskly for 30 seconds. Add grated tomato with powdered spices and salt. Reduce the heat to medium and cook till the oil separates. Now add meat and fry for 5-7 minutes. Add 2 cups of water and cook covered for about 20 minutes. Keep checking to ensure it doen’t stick to the base. Alternatively, you could pressure cook till one whistle and let the pressure reduce itself. Uncover and add cauliflower. Cook on low-medium flame for 5-7 minutes, stirring delicately once or twice. Allow the cauliflower to absorb the flavours from the gravy. When moisture evaporates, sprinkle lemon juice. Garnish and serve. In Rampur, it is paired with urad dal khichdi but we love it equally with steamed rice or phulka.
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