Naan Qalia
Encyclopedia
Naan Qalia is a dish that originates from Aurangabad in India. It is a concoction of mutton and a variety of spices. Naan
is the bread made in tandoor
(Hot furnace) while Qalia is a mixture of mutton and various spices.
to Daulatabad, there was a mass exodus of people from Delhi to Daulatabad. On the way to Daulatabad, the huge army of Tughlaq was exhausted. It was an uphill task to provide such a big army with food. But the smart Bawarchis (cooks) came up with a dish that could suffice the imposing army. They conceived the dish we call today as Naan Qalia. They dug a hot furnace and rolled out thousands of golden colored naan. Meanwhile Qalia was prepared by cooking mutton and adding number of spices in the huge cauldron
.
These days Naan Qalia is popular as the primary food served in marriage banquets in Aurangabad and neighboring towns, specially Khuldabad
and Jalna
. There are a number of very unique features to the way Naan Qalia is prepared and served by people.
The Naan
are prepared in an open clay oven, which is mounted in a hole in the ground. The fire is from a side hole. The baker (generally called as "Bhatyara") sits next to the oven and places the naan in the oven for baking, these naan are picked out with specially designed rods. These Naan are quite fluffy, almost close to an artisan rustic bread. Quite different from the rustic naan
flat bread available in indian restaurants. Each of these naan also get a brush of turmeric water, as soon as they are baked. This gives the naan golden colour and also makes it last longer. It is believed that Tughlaq's army used to bake naan every few days to avoid longer stop overs during their journey.
The Qalia is a soupy curry, ideal for dipping and soaking naan. The curry itself is made with a number of ingredients and with a long process. There are a number of variations in spices and the ingradients across the towns close to Aurangabad. The Qalia from Aurangabad is yogurt based, whereas the one from Khuldabad
is lemon based. The Qalia is prepared in a big cauldron called "degh", it has a top layer of oil. This spicy oil on top called "tari" is relished by people, it goes quite well as the first stage dip for the pieces of hot naan. Generally qalia is brough out in a big pot called "badiya", it is served in small bowls called "katora".
Naan
Naan is a leavened, oven-baked flatbread. It is typical of and popular in South and Central Asia, in Iran, and in South Asian restaurants abroad. Influenced by the large influx of South Asian labour, naan has also become popular in Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf states.Originally, naan is a...
is the bread made in tandoor
Tandoor
A tandoor is a cylindrical clay oven used in cooking and baking. The tandoor is used for cooking in Azerbaijan, India, Turkey, Iran, Armenia, Georgia, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, the Balkans, the Middle East, and Central Asia, as well as Burma and Bangladesh.The heat for a tandoor was...
(Hot furnace) while Qalia is a mixture of mutton and various spices.
History
When Mohammad Tughlaq shifted his capital from DelhiDelhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
to Daulatabad, there was a mass exodus of people from Delhi to Daulatabad. On the way to Daulatabad, the huge army of Tughlaq was exhausted. It was an uphill task to provide such a big army with food. But the smart Bawarchis (cooks) came up with a dish that could suffice the imposing army. They conceived the dish we call today as Naan Qalia. They dug a hot furnace and rolled out thousands of golden colored naan. Meanwhile Qalia was prepared by cooking mutton and adding number of spices in the huge cauldron
Cauldron
A cauldron or caldron is a large metal pot for cooking and/or boiling over an open fire, with a large mouth and frequently with an arc-shaped hanger.- Etymology :...
.
These days Naan Qalia is popular as the primary food served in marriage banquets in Aurangabad and neighboring towns, specially Khuldabad
Khuldabad
Khuldabad Urdu: خلد آباد is a city and a Taluka of Aurangabad district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Initially it was known as Rauza meaning garden of paradise...
and Jalna
Jalna (city)
Jalna is a city and a municipal council in Jalna district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Jalna was formerly a part of Nizam State as a tahsil of Aurangabad district....
. There are a number of very unique features to the way Naan Qalia is prepared and served by people.
Naan
The Naan
Naan
Naan is a leavened, oven-baked flatbread. It is typical of and popular in South and Central Asia, in Iran, and in South Asian restaurants abroad. Influenced by the large influx of South Asian labour, naan has also become popular in Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf states.Originally, naan is a...
are prepared in an open clay oven, which is mounted in a hole in the ground. The fire is from a side hole. The baker (generally called as "Bhatyara") sits next to the oven and places the naan in the oven for baking, these naan are picked out with specially designed rods. These Naan are quite fluffy, almost close to an artisan rustic bread. Quite different from the rustic naan
Naan
Naan is a leavened, oven-baked flatbread. It is typical of and popular in South and Central Asia, in Iran, and in South Asian restaurants abroad. Influenced by the large influx of South Asian labour, naan has also become popular in Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf states.Originally, naan is a...
flat bread available in indian restaurants. Each of these naan also get a brush of turmeric water, as soon as they are baked. This gives the naan golden colour and also makes it last longer. It is believed that Tughlaq's army used to bake naan every few days to avoid longer stop overs during their journey.
Qalia
The Qalia is a soupy curry, ideal for dipping and soaking naan. The curry itself is made with a number of ingredients and with a long process. There are a number of variations in spices and the ingradients across the towns close to Aurangabad. The Qalia from Aurangabad is yogurt based, whereas the one from Khuldabad
Khuldabad
Khuldabad Urdu: خلد آباد is a city and a Taluka of Aurangabad district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Initially it was known as Rauza meaning garden of paradise...
is lemon based. The Qalia is prepared in a big cauldron called "degh", it has a top layer of oil. This spicy oil on top called "tari" is relished by people, it goes quite well as the first stage dip for the pieces of hot naan. Generally qalia is brough out in a big pot called "badiya", it is served in small bowls called "katora".