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Dum Pukht Jolly Nabobs: ITC Windsor, Bangalore: Revisited
If sepia prints in frames, slowly whirring fans and buttoned leather chairs appeal to you, then Dum Pukht Jolly Nabobs at ITC Windsor encompasses all that. This restaurant, which is several decades old, is much awarded and well-respected. In a time when F&B outlets are massive and constantly seeking to embrace the hottest new trend, Dum Pukht Jolly Nabobs allows you to slow down and step back into the past, specifically the Colonial era.
Located off the lobby of the ITC Windsor, this restaurant is decorated in a style that evokes that time. Instrumental versions of old Bollywood tunes play in the background while waiters, some of who have the same vintage air of the restaurant, bring you the menus and make recommendations. It’s not entirely accurate to call this a North Indian restaurant; it’s a showcase for carefully researched Anglo-Lucknowi cuisine, reflecting the elegance and richness of Awadhi cooking as it came to be influenced by the ways of the British Raj.
It’s a small menu studded with gems such as the Kakori Kebab, shaped from lamb mince that must have the perfect ratio of meat to fat and a complexity of spices. It is worth going to Dum Pukht Jolly Nabobs just to indulge in this superb kebab.
The gravies are listed as qorma, qaliya, salad and nehari, pointing to their nuanced refinement. The Shahi Nehari is one of my favourites. Meaty lamb shanks are simmered in a silken gravy that acquires its richness from a spice blend and browned onions. It is to be eaten with layered Warqi Paratha or Naun-e Bah Khummach. Then, there’s the Dum Pukht Biryani, which is a classic with tender mutton and fragrant rice. The Dum Pukht Jolly Nabobs meal is a rich indulgence and I rarely manage to order dessert. But if you like a sweet ending then the Begum’s Pudding, a baked confection of reduced milk and nuts is a popular order here, as is the rose-scented Gulabi Kheer.
This restaurant has a list of fine wines and quality spirits.
Service is assured with an old world charm to it. Dum Pukht Jolly Nabobs is a place to rediscover the pleasures of leisurely dining.
