Royal Nizami Cuisine Pop's Up in The Midlands

HEREFORD, U.K. - March 3, 2014 - PRLog -- Press release

Royal Nizami Cuisine Pops Up in the Midlands

Chef Rayeesa of Rayeesa’s Indian Kitchen introduces the Midlands and South West to the food of the Nizam’s with her Nizami Banquet Supper Clubs launching in Herefordshire.

Rayeesa’s monthly supper clubs are devoted to sharing the rich flavours of the royal cuisine of Hyderabad, where Rayeesa grew up and recently visited to gain inspiration for her cookery school.

“I want to introduce the Midlands to these timeless recipes and tastes I rediscovered in Hyderabad earlier this year. I had the privilege of learning from palace chefs, famous restaurant owners and well-known local caterers. Many of these dishes I learnt took me back to the flavours of my early childhood in India, where my nana would orchestrate the entire kitchen staff to create magnificent banquets.”

The state of Hyderabad was ruled by the Nizams and was the largest, most prosperous of all the princely states in India. Rayeesa visited the Falaknuma Taj Hotel, one of the Nizam’s 10 palaces. The banquets held in these palaces were extravagant as the Falaknuma boasts the world’s only 100-seater table; Rayeesa hopes to reproduce this extravagance of food in Herefordshire. The Nizam’s Turkish and Moghul empire heritage influenced the food served at this table, Rayeesa will be serving up traditional Hyderabadi dishes of biryani, shammi kebabs and dum ki murgh, from her farmhouse kitchen.

Rayeesa met Obaid Ul-Rehman, an aristocratic descendant of the Paigah family whose ancestors built Falaknuma Palace and married into the Nizam family. Obaid showed Rayeesa around the city of Hyderabad and Paigah Palace.

“Obaid kindly showed us around these buildings in the city as well as his family Palace, where he grew up with his cousins and talked us through the numerous portraits of his ancestors. I got to cook with Obaid’s personal chefs, Naieem and Zehra, who have cooked for the family since Obaid’s childhood. I was comforted to know that the techniques Naieem uses are the same as those my mum taught me.”

Nizami dishes display the wealth of the rulers, as they are rich in flavor, intricacy and colour. Rayeesa wants to incorporate this with her love for Midlands produce by hosting many Herefordshire drinks producers in her Nizami Banquets, working with the very best of Herefordshire ciders, beers, wines and juices.

Rayeesa is currently taking bookings for the first Nizami Banquet Supper club, bookings are available online or over the phone for all dates starting 27/03, then 25/04 and 22/05. Hungry supper clubbers will enjoy 4 courses of mouthwatering dishes in Rayeesa’s Herefordshire farmhouse kitchen with tastings from local drinks producers.

www.rayeesasindiankitchen.com