Chef Osama Jalali is famous for bringing back old and forgotten Indian recipes, especially from the Mughal times. He is not just a chef but also a food historian. His passion is to save the food traditions of undivided India, especially from places like Punjab, Lahore, and Peshawar, where he has family roots. He often travels to these regions to collect authentic recipes passed down for generations.
For people who love real Mughlai food, Chef Osama’s dishes are considered the best. He often hosts special food pop-ups and private dinners across India, where he serves dishes with rich history and flavors.
Chef Osama grew up in Purani Dilli (Old Delhi), but his family’s roots are from Rampur, a princely state in Uttar Pradesh known for its unique Rampuri cuisine. This style of food is a mix of Awadhi and Rohila flavors. Some of Rampur’s famous dishes include Rampuri fish, Chicken Changezi, Haleem, Rampuri mutton kebabs, doodhiya biryani, and sohan halwa. His mother, Nazish Jalali, learned rare recipes from khansamas (royal chefs) of the Mughal kitchens and Nawabs of Lucknow, which she passed down to Osama.
As a child, Osama would watch his mother cook and became deeply interested in the stories behind these dishes. Today, he works to preserve the food culture of pre-partition India by collecting and sharing old recipes.
One dish very close to his heart is Hari Mirch Qeema. It reminds him of Ramzan and Eid celebrations at his home in Rampur. “It’s not too spicy, even though it has green chillies. It has a great aftertaste and goes perfectly with ulta tawa parathas. I remember it being on our Eid table every year, and it tastes even better the next morning for breakfast,” says Chef Osama.