Ghulam 'Awadhi' Rasool, 70

The boy who came up from the bottom of the spice grinder to become a chef who has cooked for kings and nawabs, bringing to his Awadhi cuisine a modern Lucknowi andaaz by steaming biryani and then floating it out to guests on pineapple boats. He speaks of Rajiv Gandhi who loved good food though he was a vegetarian and always looked for ‘Chef Ghulam’ to personally compliment him.

Last meal?
Awadhi khana

Signature Recipe

Ingredients
1 kg kabab mince
100 gms grated raw papaya
Red chilli powder
Salt to taste
Kala masala (to taste)
-Pepper, Black Cardamom, Clove, Nutmeg, Cardamom, Javitri-Powder It
Potla Spice (spices to be tied into a muslin bag. Grind a little of each ingredient to make 10 grams of masala for one kilo of mince.)
Aniseed, Clove, Cardamom, Cinnamon Sticks, Cumin Seeds, Javitri, Coriander Seeds, A Piece Of Dry Coconut, Poppy Seeds, Powdered Sandalwood (edible variety available at any grocery store)..

Method
Combine all ingredients, masalas and meat. Set mixture aside for at least two hours. Remove the potla before shaping the mixture into sheekh kababs or small tikkis. Shallow fry on a tawa.