Story Behind Kakori Kebab
KAKORI KEBAB HISTORY
Kakori Kababs: World’s softest kebabs for toothless old Nawabs
There are very few articles which are written based on what authors have last night for dinner and perhaps this is one of those rare articles. But the Kakori kebabs which I had last night were so delicious, so soft and so succulent that I had to write an ode to these kebabs. I could hardly believe that meat could be made so soft. The Kakori kebabs are considered to be the world’s softest kebabs and they are said to “melt in your mouth”. That’s how the Kakori kebabs are, to be tasted to be believed!
The Kakori Kebabs: Softest kekabs in the world which just melt in your mouth
A village called Kakori and the Indian Freedom Movement
Kakori is a quaint little village around 15 kms from the city of Lucknow. It is a dirty and dusty north Indian village with no special distinguishable features. However, its name has been etched in annals of Indian history for an event which took place on August 9, 1925. It would be called as the “Kakori conspiracy”.
On this day, like any other normal day, the Number 8 down train from Shahjahanpur to Lucknow chugged along the village of Kakori. But then, someone pulled the chain and brought the train to an halt. The train guard got down to investigate as to in which compartment the chain had been pulled and why. Suddenly, a group of burly Indian men overpowered the guard and the engine driver. They broke into the safe in the guard’s cabin, stuffed all the money into their rugsacks and escaped. It looked like a plain train robbery, like those in wild wild west, done by Indian versions of Jesse James and Billy the Kid.
On this day, like any other normal day, the Number 8 down train from Shahjahanpur to Lucknow chugged along the village of Kakori. But then, someone pulled the chain and brought the train to an halt. The train guard got down to investigate as to in which compartment the chain had been pulled and why. Suddenly, a group of burly Indian men overpowered the guard and the engine driver. They broke into the safe in the guard’s cabin, stuffed all the money into their rugsacks and escaped. It looked like a plain train robbery, like those in wild wild west, done by Indian versions of Jesse James and Billy the Kid.
Revolutionary Ashfaqulla Khan, the main conspiratory of the famous "Kakori conspiracy" who was hanged in December, 1927 despite widespread protests.
However, these men were no ordinary train robbers. They were members of the Hindustan Republican Association, that was created to carry out revolutionary activities against the British empire. The money formed part of the government revenue which was being taken to Lucknow to deposit in the local treasury. The main architects of this daring plan were ten revolutionaries Ramaprasad Bismil, Rajendra Lahiri, Thakur Roshan Singh, Sachindra Bakshi, Chandrasekhar Azad, Keshab Chakravarthy, Banwari Lal, Mukundi Lal, Manmathnath Gupta and Ashfaqulla Khan.
Chandrashekhar Azad, another great Indian revolutionary involved in the "Kakori conspiracy"
The government, shaken up by the daring robbery, swung into action. Arrest warrants were issued against the ten and rewards for their capture were announced. Other arrest warrants were issued for the leaders of Hindustan Republican Association. With the exception of Chandrashekhar Azad all were caught, most of them betrayed by their friends. Azad was trapped later by the police on February 27, 1931. He killed himself, rather than be captured, with revolvers in both hands, after he had exhausted his ammunition in the gun fight with the police. In December 1927, most of the conspirators were hanged despite strong public protests and clemency petitions. But there heroes became immortal in Indian history.
Enough of revolution and conspiracies, and back to the topic of the succulent kebabs. There are several stories behind the origins of the Kakori kebabs. But none of these stories can be confirmed for their accuracy. It is said that these kebabs were invented by the chefs of Kakori for an old and toothless Nawab of Awadh, who had difficulty in eating meat. Nawab asked chefs all over his kingdom to prepare special meat for him and this is how these kebabs came into existence. Another story is that the kebabs are of more recent origins. Kakori is famous for the “Malihabadi” brand of mangoes. Each mango season, “mango dinners” are very famous in mango orchards of Awadh. A mango dinner is a dinner in a mango orchard, was followed by a variety of chilled mangoes served in great style.
Nawabs of Awadh were great patrons of Mango banquets which were held in Mango orchards of Awadh during the Mango season.
The story goes that some time in late 1800s, at a mango party thrown by a local aristocrat Nawab Syed Mohammad Haider Kazmi, a british official made a snide remark about the coarse texture of the seekh kebabs. Incensed by this insult, Nawab sahib summoned his summoned his rakabdars, hakims and attars the very next day and asked them to evolve a more refined variety of the Seekh Kabab. Ten days of extensive research and experimentation resulted in the now famous `Kakori Kababs', the softest and finest version of seekh kebabs.
Nawabs of Awadh were famed for their love of architecture and cusine.
The mince for the kabab was to be obtained from the `Raan ki Machhli' (tendon of the leg of mutton) and rawaz or animal fat was replaced by khoya, black pepper by white pepper and a brand new mix of powdered spices to the perfect blend. Nawab sahib, then invited the same British official for a banquet and presented this new version of the kebab was met with a great applause. Since then, the popularity of these kebabs has grown far and wide. Thanks to the popularity of Awadhi cuisine, these kebabs, once an exclusive preserve of
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