Imtiaz Qureshi, The Man who gave the World ‘Dumpukht’ Style of Cooking Expires at 93

"One day may be there will be a book where I will let you in on many a kitchen secret, and all my experiences, both sweet & savoury”
Legendary Indian chef Imtiaz Qureshi, the man behind the famous ‘Dumpukht’ style of cooking, left for heavenly abode this morning; i.e February 16, 2024.

Chef Qureshi is the man behind the culinary excellence of ITC Hotels, hailed from the famed Qureshi clan of cooks, Master Chef Imtiaz Qureshi. 

Born in the year 1939 in Lucknow, he learnt on the job and jumped into catering for a gathering of 1000 people as well as cooking for political big-wigs including Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. Chef Qureshi is a jovial figure in the kitchen who commands respect as well as quiet reverence.

Sharing the news and giving an ode to his culinary excellence, celebrity chef Ranveer Brar took to Instagram and wrote, “Lucknow has lost its biggest ambassador. It’s an extremely sad moment for me, for everybody in Lucknow…am currently in a state of shock,” he continued…

In a similar post, Chef Manu Chandra remembered the culinary gem. In a post shared on Instagram, he remembers his early days in the kitchen with him, “Lacche to haath ke hi acche hote hain bacche, dheere dheere seekh jaoge”- what a presence and what a legacy, he further mentioned.

Innovation has been part of chef Qureshi’s way of cooking since a very early age and he was the first chef to receive Padma Shri in 2016. His cooking is not restricted to non-vegetarian food rather he could make delicious vegetarian fare at a lunch party hosted by UP Chief Minister CB Gupta in the early 60’s in which Prime Minister Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Shastri and Zakir Husain were invited for a private lunch, but since the host was vegetarian the dishes has to follow the same. 

Remembering him, Padma Shri Sanjeev Kapoor shared, “Your culinary creations inspired many people and will forever be a source of comfort. Rest in eternal peace, chef. Your legacy will never be forgotten,” he concluded.

Chef Qureshi started his career at age of nine and has worked with brands like ITC Hotels- Welcom Group, Mughal Sheraton-Agra, Maurya Sheraton- New Delhi amongst other. His signature dishes include, Gosht ke Pasande (Succulent piccata of baby lamb marinated with raw papaya and selected spices), Gundum ke Tikke (Gluten cakes soaked in pomegranate juice arinated with Kashmiri chilli masala and finished on clay oven), Gosht Nahari (Tender lamb chunks skewed with spices) and the Mughlai Paratha to go with the kebabs.