Culinary Adventures - Lucknow

Uttar Pradesh Heritage arc of Agra Lucknow Varanasi makes for a compelling food  experience....

The Lucknow of the Nawabs of Awadh was a paradise of culinary delights. Considered amongst India’s most cultured rulers, they imbued the mantra of refinement in all aspects of creativity...whether it was their music and dance traditions, arts and craft, or cuisine. The introduction of the dumpukht style of cooking (food sealed in degs cooked over a slow fire to cook in its own juices) by the Nawabs has been a revolutionary addition to Indian culinary techniques. This slow- cooking preparation emerged from a practical need. During a famine, Nawab Asaf-ud-daula commissioned the Bare Imambara to make sure his subjects had work and food to eat. The dumpukht process was most convenient as it allowed the workers to carry on with their work while their meal was getting ready on its own.

Another important import from the Nawabs was their fabulous banquet of gourmet delights—the Awadhi Dastarkhwan. This became an integral part of Lucknow’s culinary culture. Traditionally it would feature kebabs and kormas, biryanis and kaliyas, keema, and paneer, salan and vegetables, a variety of exotic breads and pulaos. The use of exotic spices such as saffron and cardamom was intrinsic to both non-vegetarian and vegetarian offerings; the bawarchis (cooks) and rakabadars (chefs) would guard their spice boxes as fiercely as they did their secret recipes. The Kashmiri and Mughlai influences also found their way into the culinary traditions of the Nawabs. One of the most delectable dishes to come out from the nawabs kitchen was the Kashmiri shabdeg—mutton slow-cooked with baby turnips into a melting curry in the early days of winter. The Kayastha community, famed for its delicious non-vegetarian fare, was highly influenced by the refined nuances of Awadhi food preparations. Among the other popular street food found in Lucknow is chaat, makhkhan malai, thandai and kesaria milk. 

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