Hansal Mehta's royal dinner

Hansal Mehta with Sonal Saxena and Shantanu Mahanta. Pics/Nimesh Dave

The rich aroma of minced meat being grilled in ghee greets our senses as we step into Hansal Mehta's plush home opposite Prithvi Theatre. The scent leads us to the kitchen. Manning the stove is seasoned chef Osama Jalali, his mother Nazish and wife Nazia. They prepare Yakhni kebabs and add finishing touches to a multi-course dinner of Rampuri cuisine to be served for the 48-year-old filmmaker's set of friends, including actors Rajkummar Rao and Ayushmann Khurrana. The dinner heralds the culinary platform, Eat With India's foray into the city.

Chef Osama Jalali in the kitchen

Chef at your service
Launched in Delhi last year by foodies Sonal Saxena and Shantanu Mahanta, Eat With India curates culinary experiences like Social Dining and Culinary Travel, with the aim of reviving lesser-known Indian cuisines. "We will bring down expert chefs from across India to your home to prepare a multi-course dinner. We are also collaborating with royal families of Gwalior and Jaipur to host dinners at their homes. It gives guests a chance to peek into royal kitchens and learn about the cooking process," informs Saxena. The team plans to hold four pop-ups every month. Upcoming experiences include a South Indian temple feast and one on Kashmiri cuisine with celebrity chef Sanjay Raina.

Maash Ki Daal

The concept piqued Mehta, who discovered Sanjeev Kapoor with Khana Khazana, enough to hop on as the creative director and board member. "I like the idea of eating in rather than eating out. I was given an option to pick from regional cuisines and I chose Rampuri food because I like Awadhi flavours," says Mehta.

Moong Gosht

Flavours from Rampur
We dig into Kathal Ki Shammi, a tasty vegetarian rendition of the kebab, featuring jackfruit, something that even Rao can eat considering he's a vegetarian. Chef Jalali says, "Rampuri cuisine features many vegetarian options, and vegetable-meat combinations such as Bhindi Gosht. Since Rampur (originally a princely estate in Uttar Pradesh) is located between Awadh and Delhi, its cuisine features Mughlai, Awadhi and Pathani influences, but the flavours are not as robust as Delhi's cuisine. You'll find a lot of shorba and salan." The lavish spread includes Arbi Ka Salan, Hari Mirch Qeema, Moong Gosht and white-hued Maash Ki Daal, a must-have at Nawabi feasts.

As a food writer and researcher bro-ught up in old Delhi and with roots in Rampur, Jalali has worked extensively on dying recipes. He is currently penning a book on Rampuri cuisine with the Nawab of Rampur.

"I have found recipes written in Farsi. Even today, not many chefs, including my mother (who learnt the techniques from royal Khansamas) is ready to reveal them," he laughs. Now, who knew that a social dinner would turn into an enriching session on the cuisine of a city that's better known for its chakus.

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