Aurangabad, now officially Chattrapati Sambhaji Nagar, is the gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Ajanta and Ellora. Over centuries, the region has been ruled by the Chalukyas, Yadavs, the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughals, and the Nizams of Hyderabad. Their imprint is visible in Aurangabad’s architectural heritage – from the Taj Mahal-esque Bibi ka Maqbara to the intricately carved Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple – and in its diverse cuisine.
Strongly influenced by Hyderabadi, Mughlai, and Maharashtrian flavours, Aurangabad’s food includes iconic specialities like gosht qaliya, kebabs, misal pav, samosa pulao, thalipeeth, and the fiery-red, tongue-in-cheek Kantakki fried chicken, the local take on KFC.
Amid this bustle of no-frills eateries and family restaurants, is an unusual offering – an intimate, creative private dining experience by Chef Mohib Farooqui that quietly, but confidently, holds its own. An alumnus of Sydney’s Le Cordon Bleu, Chef Mohib has worked across Australia, Denmark, and India with acclaimed chefs at renowned establishments, including Urbane, Restaurant Relais, and consulting with Bangkok’s Indee on a menu that earned the restaurant a Michelin star. Now based in Aurangabad, Chef Mohib’s reserved demeanour both complements and belies his expressive cooking—precise, understated, and packed with flair. At Accentuate Labs, his reservations-only eight-seater dining space, he experiments with inventive menus spanning modern Indian, Italian, Levantine, and North African cuisines. These influences trace back to his childhood in Saudi Arabia, his family’s Hyderabadi roots, and his familiarity with Aurangabad’s culinary traditions.
“Aurangabad’s cuisine is strongly Mughlai-oriented. It is less refined compared to Lucknowi or Hyderabadi cuisine, the flavours more robust and spicy,” says Chef Mohib. Chicken and beef are the preferred proteins for many of the meaty preparations, like naan qaliya, arguably the city’s signature dish. “It originated at the time of Mohammad bin Tughlaq as a dish to sustain the soldiers. Now, whether you’re invited to a wedding or dinner at home in Aurangabad, naan qaliya is on the menu. This is the city’s dish,” says Chef Mohib, referring to the time when Tughlaq shifted his capital from Delhi to Daulatabad, just outside Aurangabad, prompting the need for a hearty one-pot dish to feed his army on the long journey.
Present-day versions feature mutton or beef slow-cooked with ingredients like khus khus, chironji, khopra, yoghurt, and other aromatic spices, mopped up with fluffy naans brushed with turmeric water for their trademark amber hue. Other local favourites he recommends include tikiya pao—akin to a shammi kebab of lentils and minced meat tucked into pao—and the fiery Kantakki fried chicken.
There is also a strong vegetarian culture, seen in Maharashtrian staples and street foods such as misal pav, thalipeeth, sev tamatar with crunchy, thick sev strips submerged in an onion and coconut gravy, and the pasty chickpea flour curry pithla paired with bhakri (millet or rice flour rotis). “Most of my clientele is vegetarian, and they are more receptive to my experimental cuisine and a tasting menu format. Even for the non-vegetarians, only a few of my courses feature meat. I prefer showcasing a range of vegetarian ingredients,” says Chef Mohib.
Surprise is central to his approach. A recent 12-course “Summer in Italy” menu featured dishes like duck confit gnocchi with green apples, thecha capellini, and a pistachio tiramisu. The plating was as imaginative: a boat-shaped raviolo of ricotta and Swiss chard, and a dessert of edible jigsaw puzzle pieces flavoured with coffee, dark chocolate, olive oil, and passionfruit.
Another menu highlighted an all-vegetarian selection of North African and Levantine dishes, a menu he was curating for a new restaurant in Ahmedabad. “I don’t do the usual suspects like hummus and pita bread that are associated with Levantine cuisine in the Indian context,” he says. Instead, he opened with a refreshing and delicate tartlet of kefir, compressed cucumber, and black lime; followed by a moreish zaatar-flavoured madeleine base, topped with spicy tomatoes and macadamia shavings.
Chef Mohib occasionally takes his dining experience to off-site settings in and around the city, such as the luxury farm stay Dhyaana Farms, an hour away, bordering the Ellora caves. These nine- to twelve-course dinners are often more elaborate, showcasing seasonal produce from the farm. When he cooked for the farm’s first guest, Hillary Clinton, in 2022, he created a Dakhani-inspired modern Indian dinner. “Some of the dishes included marigold flowers from the farm used in pakoras, showcasing the bitter flavour of the flower; a savoury doughnut with dum ka keema; and chhena soaked in orange blossom water.”
Accentuate Lab’s elevated private dining stands apart in a city dominated by family restaurants and basic eateries. The city’s iconic dishes are often at the most unassuming spots. For instance, Chef Mohib often takes visitors to eat “the best seekh kebabs” at Bismillah by Khaleel Bhai in Juna Bazaar. “It’s just a hole-in-the-wall spot, the kebabs served on newspapers. They are not as velvety as Lucknow’s kebabs, more robust and spicy, but I’ve taken several friends, including senior chefs, there, and they loved it.”
For traditional Maharashtrian fare, from puran poli to onion thalipeeth, he recommends Pratham Swayampak Ghar, an all-women-run kitchen. “There are some upscale restaurants and bars that come up in the city, but many of them last just for a few months before shutting down. Good food comes first, not fancy interiors. Fine dining is ok in Aurangabad for small numbers. We have some catching up to do, but I believe the city’s restaurant scene will change over the next decade,” he says, with the certainty of someone who has watched the city evolve.
