Showing posts with label Saleem's. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Saleem's. Show all posts
Huma Qureshi's restaurant 'Saleem' is all set to open in Chennai
9:18 AM
Huma and actor-brother Saqib to launch an outpost of their Delhi restaurant Saleem’s, famous for its kebabs, in Chennai
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; August 16, 2023)
Her last release, Tarla, tapped into an important part of Huma Qureshi’s life—her love for food. Food holds a special place for the actor whose family runs Saleem's, a Mughlai restaurant chain in Delhi. Now, the eatery, which was started by her father Saleem Qureshi in 1977, will have a new outpost in Chennai.
The restaurant has been a popular haunt in the capital for those seeking varieties of mouth-watering kebabs. Sources say the Chennai menu will be an homage to the favourites, mixing it up with new dishes that reflect the flavour of the south. Huma and actor-brother Saqib Saleem are overseeing the expansion, along with their brother Hasin.
A source says, “It’s a leap of faith. The next generation of Saleem’s—Huma, Hasin and Saqib—are determined to take the legacy forward and branch out in more cities. Besides opening more outlets across the country, the trio are planning to launch a frozen-food line.”
Huma, who is currently shooting the third season of Maharani in Bhopal, is eager to see the confluence of the north and south flavours. “This expansion is more than a new chapter for us; it’s a celebration of flavours and cultures. Chennai’s rich culinary heritage inspires us to present our best,” she says.
Huma used to have a long ‘farmaish’ of kebabs and tangdis that she wanted to share with friends at school-Saleem Quereshi
8:24 AM
Heartwarming meals, and the love for feeding, is the common strains running through all the members of the Qureshi family. In a freewheeling chat, Huma Qureshi, who plays Tarla Dalal in her new film, and her restauranter father Saleem share the secret ingredients of success
Nasrin Modak Siddiqi (MID-DAY; July 9, 2023)
What is it with actress Huma Qureshi and food, we wonder. At an Italian restaurant in the Ashhti Ghat of Varanasi, there was a dish called Huma Qureshi special, named after the actress after she shot there for Gangs Of Wasseypur. Her movie, Double XL, addressed stress-eating as a subject. She acted in the food-centric Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana, and the last time this writer met actress Huma Qureshi, along with her brother Saqib Saleem, it was to chat about iftar. It would then not come as a surprise that her father has been running Delhi’s famous Saleem’s restaurant for almost 50 years ago. Now, she also plays the lead in Tarla, a film about the journey of the legendary Tarla Dalal from a home chef to a cookbook author and culinary star, which released last Friday.
“Food and I are inseparable. In our family, food and feeding is very important. We love to host friends and family and many of them come over, just to have a good meal. My father was passionate about food, and my mother got hooked on it when they got married,” says Huma.
Ask her about her first, favourite food memory and she says, “It’s always been around Eid when people would just come over to eat”.
“No, no, that’s not right,” her father, Saleem Qureshi interrupts. “She has forgotten, but I haven’t, that every day, and mind you, every single day, she used to have a long ‘farmaish’ [wishlist] of kebabs and tangdis that she wanted to share with friends at school. I’d gladly have it made for her according to each of her friend’s spice preferences. Daily ke toh inke nakhre hote the bhai [It was a daily drama],” he laughs.
“Tangdi is still my favourite, though nutritionists insist on having chicken breast, I do prefer the leg piece and treat myself to it occasionally,” she laughs.
Many from Kailash Colony, South Delhi, have seen Saleem’s transform from a butcher’s shop to one of the city’s most successful restaurants. We are told their kebabs and tikkas are to die for. But coming from a family of raw meat traders and butchers, it wasn’t easy for Saleem to convince his family to start a restaurant.
“We were a bunch of friends who loved eating good food. Chicken tandoori and mutton burra were my favourites. We would meet every evening, cook food and have deep discussions on the preparation and methods of different dishes. We had access to the best meat and other ingredients and would test what we could make today with which part of the meat—from kormas to niharis to kebabs—we experimented every day. That’s where the idea for the restaurant was born”.
But, in his family, this was considered blasphemy. “My father was so upset that I would be serving food to people and washing their dishes. For 15 days, no one spoke to me. I had to get my mother to intervene and convince the elders to allow me to follow my passion. Today, almost 80 per cent of our extended family is in the food business. The younger generation is grateful that I paved the way. I am humbled, but honestly, all I did was just follow my heart,” he smiles.
Huma, who isn’t interested in cooking, only eating, says that her father and Tarla Dalal followed their passion around the same time and it took them places. “She was passionate about vegetarian food, he loves non-veg and yet, food is such a unifying factor, bringing people together. At this age too, my father is willing to learn. When he saw the batata mussalam in the Tarla trailer, he looked up the recipe, put his mind to it and came up with a dish. It’s now being served at the restaurant and is gaining popularity among non-veg lovers too. Potato in a creamy, buttery gravy—what’s not to like, right?”
Huma has never needed to promote her father’s restaurant as it already has a loyal following. So, what’s the recipe for Saleem’s success, we ask?
“For a good non-veg dish, bade log yeh kehke gaye hai ki gosht kam se kam badshah hona chaiye, bananae wala kam se kam wazeer hona chaiye and masalae gulam hai [it is said that the meat should be at least the king, the cook should be at least the minister and spices are mere servants, acting on the instructions],” he tells us, adding, “For 25 years, I have survived on just four hours of sleep, ensuring that everything is perfect, always. In our business, we have no days off and to run a successful one, you must have the good intention to feed—niyat mein taqawat honi chaiye—otherwise, even if you use the best ingredients, you’ll not be able to make a memorable dish.”
Huma’s mother couldn’t cook when she got married. “At one time, she added water to bhindi and look at her now, she’s left everyone—including me—behind with her culinary prowess.” Ask the father-daughter about their diets, Huma says she loves nihari, mutton seekh and chicken korma.
Saleem says, “Huma ke ajeeb ajeeb healthy diets hote hai [she follows many weird and healthy diets], I love my non-veg for three meals. Breakfast is nihari and khameeri roti; lunch and dinner is hari mirch ka kheema or kadhai gosht or korma. In veg, (if I ever have it), it is navratan korma, paneer kadhai and dal makhni, which you must try for sure,” he adds, inviting us to his dastarkhwan in Delhi.
And can we expect a branch of Saleem’s in Mumbai? “Inshallah, soon,” he signs off!
I like to make brave fashion choices on the red carpet-Huma Qureshi
8:00 AM
Huma Qureshi talks about everything from style to international projects, Diwali plans and link-up rumours
Ankita Chaurasia (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 28, 2019)
Huma Qureshi has been in Los Angeles since July this year, filming Zack Snyder’s larger-than-life zombie thriller, Army Of The Dead. She returned to the Bay only on Friday to celebrate Diwali with family and friends, catching the flight home as soon as they wrapped up. “Everyone was asking me to stay back and celebrate Halloween, but I wanted to bring them here to show them what I would have missed had I stayed back,” she laughs. And while the jet lag is yet to wear off, Huma couldn’t have been happier, having reunited with her pet, Streak, and brother, Saqib Saleem, after almost four months.
“I was gone so long that I was afraid Streak wouldn’t remember me. But to my surprised delight, he was so excited to see me that he didn’t even let me shoot a proper video. It was also good to finally meet Saqib. We had not seen each other for five months, since he had taken off in May to shoot for ’83,” relays the actress.
She goes on to add that though she has been away from home turf for a while, she has been doing her bit to promote Bollywood in the West. “Every morning, while getting my make-up done, I would put on the latest Hindi film song and tell the team that this was what was trending back home. By the time the shooting came to an end, they were all hooked to our desi tunes,” the actress chortles and admits that this was all part of a well-thought out plan. “Now that I have landed this opportunity, I want to represent my country and promote it in my own way,” she points out.
So, is the next stop Hollywood? “I have worked pretty hard to make my way in. What’s the point of backtracking now? They are doing some pretty interesting work out there and as an actor, it is liberating to not be bound by language or territory,” Huma avers.
She recently made it to the New Wave Actors list, released by Film Independent, an organisation that recognises diverse performances, for her turn in Deepa Mehta’s dystopian drama, Leila. Huma admits that the honour means a lot. “I had to turn down quite a few lucrative Bollywood projects for that series, and all along, I wondered if it was worth the risk. This inclusion is a validation of sorts,” she acknowledges, enthusing about her recent project. “Working with Zack has been such a treat. I told him he is big in India and he admitted he knows that,” she laughs.
However, she is quick to add that she hasn’t bid adieu to Bollywood and is hoping to land a romcom soon. “This is home. No matter where I go, one leg will always be in India,” the actress asserts. For now, the only thing on Huma’s agenda is to catch up on all the Hindi films she has missed over the months. “I am asking for suggestions and recommendations as I compile a to-watch list. The next one week will be pretty laid-back as I want to doll up in festive finery, visit friends, gorge on sweets and not think about work,” she reveals with a smile.
Then, she plans to take off to Delhi to take a look at the oldest branch of her dad’s 40-year-old restaurant, Saleem, which she helped renovate and reopen while shooting in the capital last year. Reiterating that she would be in the hospitality business if not an actress, Huma says they plan to expand. “It’s not business, it’s a legacy now which both Saqib and I want to be a part of. We have started a tiffin service in Mumbai and hopefully, the restaurant will be here by next year. In fact, we want to open outlets all over India,” she says, quickly crossing her fingers.
But doesn’t being in the food business make counting calories that much more difficult? “Not at all,” she negates. “I like having a good time, and food is obviously a part of it. But as an actress, I have a certain responsibility. So, being fit is important as well. I enjoy working out, the goal is not to lose weight but maintain fitness.” However, she says, her frame, helps her be relatable. “I don’t want to do anything drastic. It makes young girls aspire to unachievable standards of beauty. Anyway, there is already so much pressure on them and as a middle-class Delhi girl following her dreams, I want them to believe that they don’t have to look a certain way to be successful,” insists Huma.
While on the topic, does she see the body positivity movement hitting Bollywood anytime soon? “Our actresses, be it Malaika Arora, Masaba Gupta or Sonakshi Sinha, have always been comfortable in their own skin and dress for themselves,” she points out matter-of-factly.
Talking about her own sartorial choices, the actress says that she likes to let her films do the talking, especially when it comes to events like the Cannes Film Festival. “I’m not insecure about my looks. I know I can look glamorous and if required, I can be the girl-next-door as well. But I like making brave fashion choices on the red carpet. My brief to my team is that I should not look like everybody else, my personality has to shine through,” she maintains.
And what are her thoughts on the #MeToo movement in Bollywood? “There’s no system in place yet,” she sighs. “Maybe I’m being an idealist, but I want people to know that it’s not okay to exploit another person, be it physically, financially or emotionally. There’s a need for a safe working place. Both my recent projects had a lot of women on sets and it creates a comfortable space. But at the same time, we shouldn’t make little boys feel bad for their gender. So many of those wrongly accused had their work and careers questioned. Their livelihood was at stake. That’s wrong too, no?”
While she is candid throughout, Huma clams up when the conversation veers towards her personal life. She’s been putting up lovey-dovey posts for director Mudassar Aziz, wearing her heart on her sleeve, literally, on his birthday, but ask her if a wedding is on the cards and pat comes the reply, “All I can say is that I’m happy to be surrounded by supportive people—family and friends.” But what about the wagging tongues? “Let them keep speculating,” she shrugs.
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