Waarsa

Helmed by chefs Rahul Akerkar and Mukhtar Qureshi, Waarsa brings a lighter, fresher rendition of Awadhi khana, with plenty of vegetables, no oil slick in sight. Etymologically, Waarsa is tied to viraasat, the Urdu word for heritage. The thought behind the name is that food is a form of waarsa, or inheritance, acquired not only via regal kitchens, but also through the quotidien delicious things cooked at home for families. In Waarsa’s pale blush room overlooking the oasis-like lawns of the NCPA compound, chaap, battak ke kebab, and lagaan ka murgh sit comfortably alongside kasondi baingan tikka, and tendli sukka aloo. There is also a shakarkand tikka that will make anyone look at sweet potato with a newfound appreciation. To follow the evolution of Awadhi food through its contact with other states, Waarsa’s team took research trips. They visited Lucknow and Benares, and ventured beyond the cuisine’s homeland in northeastern Uttar Pradesh, to Kolkata and Hyderabad. Another more personal journey informs the menu at Waarsa. It is the one Qureshi takes to his family table. “Main apni begum se poochta hoon, tum bina masale ke kaise kar deti ho?”, Qureshi tells us. “Woh boli, ‘Wah agdam-tagdam tumhari kahani hai. Ghar me jab aap kha rahe hain, toh sukoon ka khaana chahiye.’” [I ask my wife, how do you make such good food without spicing it up? To which, she says, these restaurant kitchen flourishes are your things to do, part of your story. When you eat at home, it should be comforting, homely.] During one tasting, for a break, Qureshi made aloo-methi as his begum does. “We kept eating it,” said Akerkar, who asked Qureshi why they were not doing similar dishes. “He said that it's not Awadhi. I asked: is the tradition of this dish in your family? He said, ‘yeah’. That is exactly what we want to explore. How did this food go from its rich, royal expression, to what is eaten at home? The khansamas cooked for the nobility, but came home to eat. We are very keen to span this.”