Lucknowi Zaiqa brings Awadhi grace to Delhi

Holiday Inn New Delhi Aerocity is currently hosting Lucknowi Zaiqa, a 10-day celebration of Awadhi cuisine and culture. Amid the rhythmic beats of cultural music, waiters dressed in traditional angarkhas and turbans greet guests with a courteous “Pehle aap”.

Awadh meets Aerocity

The food festival (July 18–27) aims to bring the richness of Lucknow’s culinary legacy to Delhi. The restaurant wears the look of a Nawabi mehfil.  “It’s not just a food festival,” says Shuvendu Banerjee, General Manager at Holiday Inn New Delhi Aerocity. “We wanted our guests to feel as if they’d stepped into the heart of Awadh.”

Stories on a plate

The menu has been curated by Chef Mohammad Hassan, a Lucknow native. “These recipes are in my blood,” he says. “Every dish here comes from memory — from the kitchens of my grandmother, the street stalls of Aminabad, and the royal cookbooks of Lucknow.” “This food was made during the time of Mirza Asaf-ud-Daula,” Hassan says.

Guests are served delicate starters such as Tunday Kebabs — melt-in-the-mouth discs of finely minced meat flavoured with saffron and garam masala — and Murgh ke Parche, thin slices of spiced chicken grilled to perfection.

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Vegetarian offerings like Paneer Teh Pe Teh— soft paneer cooked with fragrant herbs — and Dum Ki Khumb, a slow-cooked mushroom delicacy, are also served.

Dishes like Murgh Mussalam and Gosht Nalli Nihari (lamb shanks) are served with delicate sheermal and roomali rotis. A lesser-known but stunning vegetarian dish, Pithi wale Kathal, features spiced jackfruit stuffed with lentils and slow-cooked until tender.

A dessert spread fit for Nawabs

The dessert spread offers Shirin-e-Puktan, Sheer Korma, Seviyan Muzaffar, and the show-stealing Nazakat ke Shahi Tukda, rounding off the meal with royal flourish.

Music, mehfil and memory

A trio of classical musicians performs each evening, accompanying the meal with soulful live music — ghazals, thumris, and instrumental ragas.

A taste of history

The festival is open to all — both in-house and external guests — with dinner buffets served daily from 7 PM to 11 PM, and special brunches scheduled on July 20 and 27 from 12.30 PM to 3.30 PM.

Shuvendu Banerjee said that Lucknowi Zaiqa is part of Holiday Inn‘s broader effort to deliver curated cultural experiences to guests