The Daffodils
It was in 1802 when the great poet William Wordsworth, distraught by the death of his brother John, penned down ‘ Daffodils ‘ one of his best known poems. In this extraordinary rendition the lonely poet wandering as a cloud ( as he has mentioned about himself ) comes across an array of Daffodils shining brightly under the sun. The beauty of the flower under his gaze transforms his melancholy mood into that of joy and cheerfulness. ‘ Daffodils ‘ is a timeless classic for its exceptional portrayal of the sublime relationship between a brilliant poet and a beautiful flower.
Culinary Poetry
A likely question is, ‘ what has William Wordsworth’s Daffodils to do with Nargisi Kofta ‘, the Title of my post today. As ‘ Daffodils ‘ is a wordly visualisation of a poet, the Nargisi Kofta symbolises culinary poetry at its best. The Daffodil also known as the Narcissus flower or ‘ Nargis ‘ in India, having a bright yellow centre and white petals, is a flower with dazzling beauty, and the ‘ The Nargisi Kofta ‘ is named after it.
The Nargis Flower
Spicy & Saucy
This Mughlai dish which merged seamlessly with the Awadhi cuisine, was introduced to me a couple of decades ago during my visit to Rampur City ( formerly a princely state in the west of Uttar Pradesh ). Hard boiled eggs, coated with finely ground minced meat and cooked in a saucy curry encapsulating an ensemble of spices, was nothing short of an ethereal delight.
The Nargisi Kofta In All Its Splendour
When cut in two from the centre the minced meat coated eggs appeared similar to the ‘Nargis Flower ‘. The firmly held egg yolk resembling the bright yellow centre of the flower and the egg white depicting the white petals. The presentation was visually exquisite, the aroma ascending from it absolutely sublime and the taste simply delectable. The dish had the power to change sombre moods into that of real bliss and surely this is not an exaggeration. Very similar to the feelings of William Wordsworth on his encounter with the Daffodils, where his solitude turned into sheer joy.
Transcending Borders to Scotch Eggs
The Nargisi Kofta has its exclusivity and is not a common dish in Restaurants, but has transcended borders. The English Scotch Eggs have been inspired by the Nargisi Kofta, though Fortnum & Mason, a store in London, claim to have made scotch eggs in the early 18th century, there is a huge possibility that the recipe had travelled under the British Raj from our shores only. Nevertheless the Scotch Eggs enjoy a terrific following in the UK too.
A Timeless Classic
I have always been enamoured by The Nargisi Kofta and when I recently encountered it ( in Rampur of course ) I thought it best to put my thoughts on this Timeless Classic in a post today.
Nargisi Kofta- Taste and Beauty intertwined.
Read Quick, Read Better @ rizkhan.in
Featured Image : The Nargisi Kofta
A short and beautiful tribute to the culinary delight — the fabled ‘ Nargisi Kofta ‘. That the dish still has a crowning place on the dining table in Rampur is a testimony to the innate taste buds of its patrons who continue to relish and enjoy this wonderfully palatable
dish. It is indeed a proud legacy/ tradition of the nawabi era evolving and descending from the illustrious royal nawabi kitchens of Rampur, Lucknow , Delhi and Hyderabad.
So Riz you have again chosen a beautiful subject to highlight your admiration for it.
Some fine inputs, beautifully scripted. Much appreciated.
Must say very mughlai 😊
That’s true. Thank you