Imtiaz Qureshi facts for kids
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Qureshi receiving Padma Shri from President Pranab Mukherjee in 2016
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| Born | 2 February 1931 Lucknow, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, British India |
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| Died | 16 February 2024 (aged 93) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Cooking style | Awadhi cuisine; Mughlai cuisine |
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Award(s) won
Padma Shri (2016)
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Imtiaz Qureshi (born February 2, 1931 – died February 16, 2024) was a very famous Indian chef. He was known for bringing back an old way of cooking called Dum Pukht. This is a special method of slow cooking food. He also helped create well-known restaurant brands like Bukhara and Dum Pukht.
Chef Qureshi was a master chef at ITC Hotels, which is a fancy hotel chain in India. He made Awadhi cuisine very popular. Some of his most famous dishes include Dal Bukhara, Dum Pukht Biryani, Kakori Kebab, Warqi Paratha, and Garlic Kheer.
In 2016, Imtiaz Qureshi received the Padma Shri award. This is India's fourth highest award for citizens. He was the first chef ever to get this special award for his cooking skills.
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Early Life and Family History
Imtiaz Qureshi was born on February 2, 1931, in Lucknow, which was part of British India at the time. His family had been chefs for over 200 years! They used to cook for the rulers of a place called Awadh. So, cooking was truly in his blood.
A Chef's Journey
Qureshi started learning to cook very young, at just nine years old. He worked with his uncle, who was cooking for a large British army group of over 10,000 soldiers.
Later, he joined a company called Krishna Caterers. They cooked for the Indian Army during the Sino-Indian War in 1962. During this time, he even cooked for India's Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. It was a special dinner where Nehru was surprised to see dishes that looked like meat, but were actually made from vegetables! Qureshi had cleverly made jackfruit, lotus stem, and other vegetables look and taste like meat dishes.
Prime Minister Nehru was so impressed that he asked Qureshi to cook for the opening of the Ashok Hotel in Delhi. This is where a famous dish called Dal Bukhara is said to have been created by him. It's a delicious lentil dish, similar to a one-pot meal called Khichdi.
Joining ITC Hotels
After working in a few local restaurants, Imtiaz Qureshi was hired by Ajit Haksar, the founder of ITC Hotels, in 1979. Haksar wanted to bring back the old flavors of Awadhi cuisine. He asked Qureshi to create a menu inspired by traditional Islamic wedding feasts called Walima.
Qureshi became the master chef for the entire ITC Hotels group. He helped make cooking in copper pots popular in their restaurants. He is famous for bringing back the Dum Pukht cooking style. This is a slow cooking method where food is sealed in pots and cooked in its own steam. He also created the well-known restaurant brands Bukhara (opened in 1977) and Dum Pukht (opened in 1989).
What is Dum Pukht Cooking?
The words Dum Pukht mean "choking off the steam." Dum means steam. In this method, food is cooked slowly in sealed pots, often double-walled clay ovens called Bukharis. Spices and herbs are added.
In modern Dum Pukht cooking, meat and vegetables are partly cooked. Then, they are placed in a large pot and sealed tightly with a ring of atta (flour dough). The food then cooks in its own juices and steam. This keeps all the flavors locked inside. Hot coals are often placed on top of the lid and under the pot. This heats the food from both the top and bottom at the same time. One of the most popular Dum Pukht dishes is the Dum Pukht Biryani.
His Cooking Philosophy
In an interview, Qureshi once said that he created the menu for the Bukhara restaurant in just one night, even when he had a high fever! He also believed in cooking by Andaz (instinct) rather than exact measurements. He would measure ingredients using his palm.
He also had a strong opinion on the debate between Biryani and Pulao. He believed that all dishes commonly called biryani are actually a type of pulao. He explained that in these dishes, rice is partly cooked before being added to meat, which technically makes them a pulao.
Famous Dishes and Awards
Besides Dal Bukhara and Dum Pukht Biryani, another famous dish by Qureshi was the Kakori Kebab. This kebab is known for being very smooth and glossy. He helped make this dish famous outside of Lucknow.
He also worked with food writer Jiggs Kalra to spread the word about Awadhi cuisine. This partnership made Qureshi the public face of ITC hotels' restaurants.
Some of his other special dishes included Grand Trunk Road Tandoori Fruit Chaat, Warqi Paratha, and Garlic Kheer. The Garlic Kheer even earned him praise from former Indian presidents and prime ministers.
Imtiaz Qureshi cooked for many important events hosted by Indian prime ministers and presidents. He prepared meals for visiting leaders like Queen Elizabeth II, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and Tony Blair.
In 2016, the Government of India gave him the Padma Shri award for his amazing contributions to cooking. He was the first chef to receive this award in this category.
Qureshi retired from ITC Hotels in 2017.
Personal Life
Imtiaz Qureshi was married and had seven children: five sons and two daughters. Many of his children, including Aisha, Ishtiyaque, Ashfaque, Irfan, Yasmin, Imran, and Muhammad Ahsan Ali, have also become chefs and own restaurants in India and other countries.
When he was younger, Qureshi was also a local wrestler in Lucknow. People even called him Imtiaz Pehlwan (wrestler).
He passed away on February 16, 2024, in Mumbai, at the age of 93.
See also
