Rediscovering the Silk Route: A culinary journey through time and tradition at Silq

The historical Silk Route facilitated the trade of various goods including silk, precious metals, spices and more, but when all this was happening, how could stories, cultures, and rituals be left behind? They too, mingled with the tapestry of time, leaving behind an impact - whether it is in our customs or our food. Silq, the new dining destination in the diplomatic enclave of Chanakyapuri in Delhi, is delving right into it, bringing together Persian, Mughal, Levantine, and Mediterranean traditions in an immersive journey of heritage. Sagar Kumar, founder of Silq and a well-travelled man, shares that he has been fascinated with India’s culinary journey and the influences that have shaped them. “It is derived from different parts of the world and modified to suit the Indian palate. That is where the Silk Route comes in,” he shares. A fragrant tree-shaded avenue leads right up to the steps of the restaurant. A dab of oud on the wrists sets the mood for the evening, the first of the rituals at Silq. The seating is on two levels and the colour palette draws from deep saffrons, muted roses and dull copper. There’s also lilting music performed live on the sarangi. A server comes for the Tajalli - lighting the candles on our table and offers us Mehraan sharbat - an aromatic welcome drink with saffron, cardamom, cinnamon and sandalwood. It works as a palate cleanser, preparing us for the feast coming our way. Before that, a crunchy masala papad acts as an amuse bouche. Cuisine consultant Azaan Qureshi, from the legendary Qureshi family known for mastering Mughali and Awadhi cuisine, has created a menu which celebrates the soul of Hindustani food, while delving into stories of how it interacted with West Asia. . “During our R&D, we realised the best way to incorporate the Silk Route in our cuisine would be to imagine how the food would have actually interacted first when it came to this subcontinent,” he says. Take for instance, the Laham Adana Kebab, tender pieces of spiced minced lamb skewered and hand-wrapped on sheesh, served with Turkish bread. The seekh kebab, which comes from the Turkish sheesh kebab, might be popular in its current format, but the chef wanted to capture the essence of the first interaction the Adana kebab (Adana being one of Turkey’s major cities) might have had with India. “We travelled to parts of Nizamuddin where a more rustic form of the seekh kebab can be found with no added colour, just the flavour of the spices visible on the kebabs. The idea was to catch that taste and imagine how it would have been when Indian chefs had first made this kebab,” he says. The melt-in-the mouth kebabs are unlike any others we have tasted at other fine-dine restaurants - the rustic texture adding a bite to them. The Jhinga Kunafe has mustard spiced prawns wrapped in kataifi. Served with a velvety toum, they hark back to Turkey’s solid dip game, while the Kathal...

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