“Kakori Kebab, considered the softest kebab in the world and included in Unesco as a heritage kebab, is one of the most sought after delicacy at our restaurant,” said chef Ishtiaque Qureshi who runs several Kakori outlets in Mumbai and Lucknow.
According to Qureshi, food is in the genes of his family.
“My father is the first one to be honoured with Padma Shri in the field of culinary skills. My paternal and maternal grandfathers were chefs," he said.
Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award conferred by the government of India for excellence in various fields.
"The passion for cooking runs in the family and I have pursued the same and my sons are also in the field. We have a number of recipes secretly guarded over several decades,” he said.
“Our specialites are Kakori kebab, Galawti kebab, Dum Gosht and Lucknow Biriyani. We are known for Awadhi cuisine and north Indian dishes such as ‘Dum Pukht’ and ‘Bukhara’ cuisines. We serve the best of kebabs, curries and biryanis along with special bread and desserts,” he said.
Neeraj Verma, general manager, Kakori House Doha, said the outlet had a soft opening about a month back.
“The response we are getting is fantastic. We have not got into any marketing but many are visiting us by word of mouth,” he said.
“We have plans for expansion. Soon we will start catering services. We will also set up other outlets in Qatar and we might also expand to other cities in the Gulf,” he said.
Chef Qureshi: secret recipes PICTURE: Noushad Thekkayil
Kakori House, the makers of 'world’s softest kebab,' has opened their first outlet in the Middle East at Doha's Quality Mall, Hilal.
