Media and Press
The cultural legacies of Mahmudabad have been featured in innumerable magazines and newspapers as well as being showcased in coffee-table books like Dining with the Maharajas and T.V. shows like Epic channel’s Raja Rasoi Aur Anya Kahania.
The court of Mahmudabad is long gone but its royal cuisine lives on. Saveur Magazine, Sept. 2014.
Dining with The Maharajas
The highly educated Raja of Mahmudabad, whose food sounds like poetry and whose hookahs are said to be addictive. Review in India Today, 23 Nov. 2012.
Located 60 kilometers away from Lucknow, the people of Mahmudabad breathe life into the Mahmudabad Estate by keeping alive its history in the present. They pray, cook, weave and tend to the wisdom of the library. The Estate has now also started a residency that encourages artists spanning across different fields to complete their projects. Platform speaks to Ali Khan Mahmudabad about all that the Estate stands for. Platform Mag 2019.
It was a memorable evening in so many ways — the servants, bawarchis (cooks), and rakabdars (mastercooks), stood around in a semi-circle silently watching while we enjoyed the delicious food they had cooked for us. Irish Examiner, 23rd Mar. 2014.
If the chamberlain was still around I would have thumped him on the back, the food I ate at the Qila was so exquisite. Upper Crust Magazine, April-June 2009.
There were innovations not only of the palate but also of the imagination, evidenced by winter desserts given names like lab-e mashooq, the lips of the beloved. Conde Nast Traveller, June-July 2017.
Manuscripts from the private collection of the Mahmudabad Estate are currently being digitised with support of the British Library and the Hill Museum. Ranging from 200-500 years old, the collection spans across genres such as history to Unani medicine, and the Quran to poetry, mathematics and astronomy.
Lucknow mein jitney kisse, utne kebabs. In the first episode, we are serving kebabs of Lucknow where we savour the many types of kebabs the city has to offer. Chef Kunal will also meet Raja Mohammed Amir, the head of Royal Family of Mahmudabad, where he’ll enlighten you on the history of kebabs in Lucknow.
The third episode of Behrouz Biryani & TVFPlay presents #TheRoyalPalate is a very special one. We’re on a biryani trail where we will discover the story of biryani with Chef Kunal Kapur and Chef Sarah Todd.
Mahmudabad was know for its lavish spreads and the erstwhile rulers maintained one of the best kitchens in Awadh. Amir, while putting the finishing touches to the sinful raan the brothers have prepared, adds 'Awadhi cuisine is an offshoot of Mughal traditions with a lot of Persian influences. Hello India, Oct. 2015.