Culinary legend Imtiaz Qureshi, who was credit with making the dum pukht style of cooking popular, died in Mumbai on Friday at the age of 93.
His eldest son and chef Ishtiaque Qureshi said the 93-year-old had issues with his vital organs and was hospitalised for some weeks due to old-age issues.
Who was Imtiaz Qureshi?
Born in a family of chefs in Lucknow on February 2, 1931, he traces his lineage to chefs who served Awadh rulers more than 200 years ago. His culinary journey started at the age of nine when his uncle was tasked with cooking for a British regiment. He later joined Krishna Caterers, a catering company that served the Indian Army during the 1962 war with China. He had even cooked for a state banquet hosted by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Along with this, he cooked for state banquets for visting foreign leaders including Queen Elizabeth II, Bill Clinton and Tony Blair on different occasions.
The Padma Shri awardee was also known for giving a fillip to the culinary excellence of ITC Hotels after he joined there in 1979. He established restaurants like Bukhara and Dum Pukht. Dum Pukht is a traditional slow-cooking technique.
He won the Padma Shri award in 2016. He is survived by two daughters and five sons. All seven of them are working in the culinary field.
'Lucknow lost its biggest ambassador'
Chef Kunal Kapur posted on X, "His culinary legacy and contributions will forever be remembered and cherished. May his soul find eternal peace and may his memory continue to inspire us all."
Singer Adnan Sami said, "Sad to learn that Padma Shri Master Chef Imtiaz Qureshi has passed away. He was a culinary genius & a man full of zeal for life!! He was also the modern day father of Awadhi Cuisine & his Biryani was legendary amongst everything else he fed the world. My deepest heartfelt condolences to his family."
Chef Ranveer Brar paid tribute to the legend, saying, "Lucknow has lost its biggest ambassador. As a Lucknow boy with dreams of becoming a chef, the folklore of Imtiaz Qureshi is something I grew up with. It was around 1999 when I was working as a trainee chef at the Taj in Delhi. I remember once taking the Rs 612/- I had earned to ITC Maurya next door and trying out the Galouti Kebab. It's an extremely sad moment for me, for everybody in Lucknow. (I) am currently in a state of shock."
"Every interaction of mine with the maestro, was about Lucknow, his growing up years in Lucknow, his time at the Raj Bhavan, his time when he opened the beautiful Clarks restaurant.. And so much more," he wrote on Instagram, "Sometimes you just can't accept that someone's no more. This is one of those moments...
"The fact that I was eating Imtiaz Qureshi’s food in an ITC hotel was life changing for me. Not only had he pulled the dum pukht technique out of Lucknow, he had given it a personality, an unmistakable refinement," Brar added. "RIP chef, your legacy lives on forever..."
