Dum Pukht

Dum Pukht at ITC Maurya in New Delhi’s Diplomatic Enclave stands as one of the most significant fine dining institutions in Asia, a restaurant that has single-handedly elevated Awadhi cuisine to global prominence. The name describes the cooking technique at the restaurant’s core, in which ingredients are sealed into traditional clay handis with dough and slow-cooked over gentle heat, allowing the meats and spices to mature in their own juices, developing an intensity of flavour and aroma that is rarely achieved through any other method. The restaurant has been guided for decades by chef Ghulam Qureshi, who learned the regal art of dum cooking from his father before the handis of the Nawabs, and his culinary lineage remains one of the most distinguished in India. The dining room is a theatre of sensuality, with lilting piano music, rich hues woven into a tapestry of gold, fine silverware, and a service pace that is deliberately languid, allowing each dish to reveal itself in its own time. The menu spans the royal kitchens of Awadh, Bengal, and Hyderabad, featuring aromatic biryanis finished with silver and gold varq, melt-in-the-mouth Kakori Kebabs crafted from finely minced lamb, and the legendary Dum Pukht Gosht, a preparation of infinite patience and precision. The restaurant appeared on two editions of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants and is consistently ranked among India’s top three fine dining experiences.