Classic melodies add ‘lutf’ to Awadhi food platter

Lucknow: Bringing together music and food, the event Lutf-e-Lucknow Khana aur Gaana' (joy of Lucknow, music and cuisine) reflected the cultural traditions of the city. It was hosted by Lucknow Bioscope, Sanatkada Heritage and Naimatkhana on Saturday.

The evening featured ‘Akhtari se Begum Akhtar’, a storytelling performance by Askari Naqvi and Zeeshan Abbas. Based on writings by Saleem Kidwai and S M Mehdi, the performance focused on the life and music of Begum Akhtar.

Ghazals 'Wo jo hum mein tum mein qaraar tha' and 'Mere Humnafas' were rendered and stories from her life were narrated by Naqvi, while Abbas accompanied him on sarangi.

Askari Naqvi, from Lucknow, is a performer trained under Pandit Amit Mukerjee and Pandit Gangadhar Rao Telang and has performed at national and international venues. Zeeshan Abbas comes from a long musical lineage and has worked with several known artists.

The event included Awadhi Home Cooked Festival, curated by Sheeba Iqbal, bringing together traditional recipes prepared by home chefs. “It was a very good chance to bring those recipes that were forgotten in this rush of contemporary life,” she said

Dishes included Kundan Kaliya, Achraj, Dhungare Baigan and Bharwan Aloo. “Kundan means golden and kaliya is meat, which gets its colour from spices used in the preparation. The dish gets depth in flavour through slow cooking and careful marination. It is not made in haste but prepared with patience and time. Nearly 24 hours of marination is what gives it its true taste and character,” said Iqbal.