Chef Mohammed Imtiaz Qureshi

Born over 70 years ago in Bawarchi Tola of Lucknow into family of ‘Khandani’ Bawarchi’s for Chef Imtiaz it was a foregone conclusion that he would eventually become a chef. His ancestors were noted chefs of the nawabs and when Imtiaz’s father died young, his mother apprenticed her seven-year-old son to her brother who was considered among the best in Lucknow. Career : Joining a reputed restaurant in Lucknow, Imtiaz soon became the best known chef in the city. The restaurant also developed an enviable reputation for catering at all the major feast and wedding in the city. Imtiaz remembers catering for a banquet of 1000 covers hosted by the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Pandit Nehru, the chief guest, had insisted on congratulating the young chef himself. Soon after this, ITC offered Imtiaz a contract, to head the operation of their Indian kitchens. Imtiaz was encouraged to research the forgotten cuisine of he nawab of Awadh. He spent years in perfecting the receipts, naming it Dum Pukht after the process of cooking. The cuisine was launched at a restaurant by the same name at the ITC Maurya Sheraton in 1989. Imtiaz has been responsible for popularising the Awadh cuisine (specially Dum -Pukht preparations) through Welcomgroup Hotel Maurya Sheraton at New Delhi. He is the Executive Chef of Dum Pukht chain of Awadh cuisine speciality restaurants under the Welcomgroup hotels at New Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai (before Mumbai blasts after which the hotel was declared unsafe and closed). His son continues the tradition in other hotel at Mumbai. His sons, chefs Mohammed Ashfaque Qureshi, 33, and Mohammed Irfan Qureshi, 32, are the heirs to his recipes. To say that the Qureshi brothers hail from a family passionate about food is an understatement; of the seven siblings, all five brothers are chefs while one sister is married to a chef. Grand Master Imtiaz Qureshi Chef Irfan Qureshi