Discovering royal cuisine while in the City of Nawabs Lucknow is a lesson in history and tradition.
The city is famous for its beautiful gardens and rich cultural heritage and also boasts incredible cuisine. The foodie that I am, this city is quite close to my heart and holds fond memories.
The city occupies an important place in Indian history right from our pre-Independence era. It still reflects the richness of the Mughal empire and this is evident in the traditions and culture maintained by the royals.
Lucknow’s cuisine has a uniqueness and originality. The traditional cuisine of Lucknow originated from the Mughals, which explains its royal influence. It is believed that just like the Maharajas of Punjab, Nizams of Hyderabad and the Rajput clans of Rajasthan, the Mughals took pride in their food. Before Independence, the Nawabs, when not at war, would spend time refining cuisine, culture and socialising.
The Awadhi cuisine that Lucknow is famous for has been greatly influenced by Mughal cooking techniques. The richness of this cuisine lies not only in the variety of dishes but also the ingredients used in the dish. The rakabdars (cooks) came up with a new style of cooking over a slow flame. I was quite lucky to work closely with one rakabdar, trying to understand the cuisine and learn their culinary secrets.
I also ventured out to Aminabad to get a taste of its famous Tunday’s Gelawat kebabs. Street food here is one of the best I have ever savoured! One such place in the heart of the city market is Tunday Kebabi which is over 100 years old and famous world over. You find interesting cooking techniques that are adopted to get varied textures in the kebabs. For eg. Kakori kebabs are made on a charcoal grill while the Gelwat kebab is made on a mahi tawa. Apart from kebabs, the “hing tempered green peas stuffed aloo tikki” at Chownkare is also quite famous. It was here that I learnt the secret art of making soft and delicate kebabs that literally melt in your mouth. I also discovered that kebabs were made this soft and tender so that the kings would not have to chew!
Awadhi cuisine also includes dishes like Korma, Kaliya, Naharikulchas, Sheermal, Roomali roti and Warqi parathas that are equally delicious.
One of the most fascinating recipes that I took back was the Zamin Doz a whole fish stuffed with spices, sealed in a case and buried underground and cooked by placing cow dung cakes and burning charcoal ambers. The taste and aroma is irresistible.
With food so rich and tasty, can desserts be far behind? Nimish, a classic sweet dish of the Nawabs, is an interesting dessert that people must try. It is whipped cream, flavoured with saffron and rosewater and tastes heavenly.
Lucknow lights up during the time of Ramzan and the extravaganza of food is surely something to experience. From shahi tukdas to mutton rolls, from biriyanis to seekh kebabs, this is a paradise city to visit during the festive season.
Oudhi Gosht Biryani
Ingredients
- Mutton curry cut 2 kg
- Curd 500 gm
- Onion fry 300 gm
- Green cardamom powder 80 gm
- Mace 50 gm
- Cream 250 ml
- Saffron 5 gm
- Ginger-garlic paste 150 gm
- Turmeric powder 25 gm
- Lemon juice 50 ml
- Pure ghee 250 ml
- Mint leaves 200 gm
- Coriander leaves 150 gm
- Rose water 45 ml
- Kewda water 40 ml
- Basmati rice 2 kg
- Yellow chilli powder 6 gm
- Degi mirch powder 10 gm
- Green chilli (slit)
- 40 gm
- Salt to taste
Method
Marinate all the ingredients along with the mutton by mixing it in curd and seasoning.
Boil water and add salt, lemon juice and 1/3rd boiled rice in the water and then put it on top of the marinated mutton. Add ghee, cream, rose water, kewda water, saffron water on top of the rice and wrap it with an aluminum foil.
Cook it on a slow flame for 30 minutes.
Garnish with fried onion and fresh coriander along with mint.
Serve with mirchi ka salan and dahi ki chutney.
Dum Ka Murgh
Ingredients
- Chicken 1 kg
- A 2-inch stick of cinnamon
- Cloves 4
- Green cardamoms 6
- Black cardamoms 6
- Poppy seeds (optional) (khuskhus/posto) 1 tsp
- Cashew nuts 6 to 8
- Sunflower seeds (chironji) 1 tsp
- Onions (medium) 2
- Ginger 1 small piece
- Green chillies 3
- Fresh mint leaves 6 sprigs
- Fresh coriander leaves eight to nine sprigs
- Yogurt 1 cup
- Ginger paste 1 tsp
- Garlic paste 1 tsp
- Red chilli powder 1 tsp
- Saffron (kesar) four to five strands
- Lemon juice 6 tsp
- Rose water (optional) 1 tsp
- Oil to deep fry
- Salt to taste
Method
- Crush the cinnamon, cloves, green cardamom and black cardamom together.
- Soak khuskhus, cashewnuts and chironji in warm water and then grind to a fine paste.
- Clean, wash coriander leaves and mint leaves.
- Slice and deep fry the onions till it turns golden brown.
- Cut the ginger into juliennes and remove stems, wash and chop green chillies. Grind browned onions, green chillies, mint leaves with water to a fine paste.
- Whip the yogurt, ginger and garlic paste, and mix well (reserve it).
- In a heavy bottom pan, add oil to pan fry.
- Add chicken in it along with salt, red chilli powder, fried onion mix paste and spices paste, sauté on slow flame till golden.
- Add yogurt mix and keep stirring till it releases water and reduces.
- Add cashew paste, mix along with saffron dissolved in water, finely chopped coriander leaves, ginger juliennes, lemon juice, freshly crushed garam masala and rose water.
- Seal the chicken or cover it tightly.
- Cook over medium heat for an hour.
- Check for seasoning and serve it hot with a bread or a traditionally cooked kulcha.
