Lucknow: Cuisine
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Famous places to eat at
2011
The Times of India, Sep 9, 2011
Historical buildings, crumbling edifices, chikankari embroidery, and, of course, the legendary Lucknawi tehzeeb… Add to it a food tradition that’s become synonymous with Lucknow. We scour the nukkads to come up with the best places to eat
— RACHANA RANA BHATTACHARYA
As part of the relief operations for the citizens of his famine-ravaged kingdom, Awadh’s Nawab Asaf-ud-Daulah commissioned the building of grand edifices like the Bada Imambara. This would provide a means of livelihood to his subjects. He also directed his cooks to provide them with a nutritious meal every day. His bawarchis hit upon the brilliant idea of creating a ‘one-dish’ meal by placing everything (rice, meat, oil and spices) into a huge degh (pot), sealing it with dough, placing hot coals on the lid to ensure uniform heat and leaving the degh to simmer overnight on a slow fire. One day, the Nawab happened to pass by when the pot was being opened. Drawn by the tantalising whiff of the piping-hot food, he asked for it to be served at his dining table. Since then, neither nawab nor commoner has been able to resist the magic of Dum Pukht biryani, Lucknow’s signature dish down the ages.
Under the patronage of nawabs, Dum Pukht cuisine was refined even further — leading to an entire range of one-dish meals like khichda, haleem and, needless to say, various biryanis. As the cuisine evolved, the Qureshi community (reputedly the finest butchers) defined the selection of prime cuts to suit each recipe, into a very precise science. The Nawabs, who hailed from Iran brought grapes, pomegranates, dried figs and stews like nahari to India. Over time, they learnt to appreciate India’s mastery over spices, which began to flavour Awadhi cuisine. That is why, while Irani nahari is pale, the Lucknawi version is yellow. Garlic and tomatoes were not used at all. The richness of dark kormas and yellow kaliyas was enhanced by the right cuts, complex use of spices and ittars, and the seamless osmosis of slow cooking that infused flavours into recipes. Spicing became secret passed on like heirlooms. Gourmands like Nawab Wajid Ali Shah accorded cooking the status of an art. The key element of Awadhi cuisine was not over-the-top opulence but subtleties of perfection. Nazakat (delicacy) and nafasat (subtlety) were synonymous with the Lucknawi dastarkhwan (banquet).
WHERE TO SAMPLE WHAT
• Tunde’s (Akbari Gate): Gilawati kebabs with paranthas
• Oudhiana: Kakori kebabs
• Near Chand Hotel, Kaiser Bagh: Shammi kebab
• Maharaja Hotel: Murgh kali mirch
• Tulsi Plaza, Idris (Patanala Chowk), Mushtaq Mian’s (near Press Club): Biryani and kebabs
• Rahim’s: Nahari with kulcha
• Sheermal Gali: Traditional breads like naan, khameeri roti, varqi parantha, bakarkhani and sheermal
• Naushejaan, Sekhawat, Chote Nawab, Mughlai Mahal, Daal Mein Kala, Dastarkhawan and eateries at Shahganj: Traditional Awadhi specialities at pocket-friendly rates
• Taj Residency, Clarks Avadh, Carlton and Park Inn: Excellent Nawabi cuisine at five-star rates
An overview
As of 2025
Shailvee.Sharda, Nov 9, 2025: The Times of India
Lucknow,” says Pankaj Bhadouria, India’s first MasterChef, “doesn’t merely serve food. It stages a cultural performance around it.”
To generations of gourmets and gourmands — or just about anyone who has stopped in their tracks, mesmerised by a whiff of biryani, a stray tendril of kebab smoke, or the nuanced flavours of malai kulfi — this may be obvious. But now, the food has brought the City of Nawabs international acclaim, earning it a Unesco tag. On Oct 31, Lucknow found a place in the Unesco Creative Cities Network (UCCN), under the ‘gastronomy’ category.
Lucknow is the second Indian city after Hyderabad (nominated in 2019) to make it to the coveted list of 70 cities selected from across the globe. The honour is more special, coming when Lucknow is celebrating 250 years of becoming a capital city.
“ Der aaye… Durust aaye… pahle hi ana chahiye tha … (Better late than never… it should have come before),” is how chef Ranveer Brar, a Lucknow boy, welcomes the recognition. “The city,” Bhadouria says, “keeps history simmering on a low, patient flame. You taste it in alleys perfumed with kebab smoke. You hear it in confectioners’ copper pans ringing like temple bells. You see it in the old city’s twilight, as the call to prayer mingles with the clatter of ladles and the fizz of hot ghee.”
Toil Behind The Tag
Heritage architect Abha Narain Lambah, who helped prepare a case for the city, calls the tag a “crown that designates Lucknow the Capital of Culture”. Behind the scenes, however, the Unesco Creative City of Gastronomy recognition is the culmination of months of hard work, including meticulous research, community engagement, and storytelling.
About a year ago, UP Tourism appointed Lambah to prepare the nomination dossier. “It was a massive task, which required extensive field studies, recording oral histories, and documenting Lucknow’s living food culture,” Lambah says. In all, voices of over 70,000 people — including khansamas, home chefs, and 20,000 street vendors — were recorded. “We also mapped 1,500 restaurants and 600 gastronomy-linked enterprises.
Heritage eateries like Tunday Kababi, Idris Biryani, and Wahid Biryani, as well as women-led home kitchens and street food clusters in Chowk, Aminabad, and Hazratganj were integral,”she says.
Lucknow submitted its entry through the Union culture ministry in Jan, and was nominated as India’s official entry on March 3. The announcement was made during the 43rd session of the Unesco General Conference at Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Well-Deserved!
Foodies and those in the food business are thrilled alike. “Lucknow holds a specialplace in the world’s culinary traditions,” says Mohd Usman of Tunday Kebabi. Matrika Gupta, of the more than 200-year-old sweet shop Ram Asrey in Hazratganj, explained gourmets’ deep attachment to Lucknow food. “It’s backed by engaging and astonishing stories,” she says. “For instance, our signature dish, malai ki gilori , is linked to Nawab Wajid Ali Shah and his love for sweets.”
Taiyaba Ali, of the Bilgram House homestay, notes that no two seasons in Lucknow taste the same. “The jazba , or spirit of mehmannawazi (hospitality) is a key element of Lucknow’s gastronomic creativity. We just don’t want to feed; we want to offer the very best to our guests and loved ones, and this is what makes every meal abundant and satisfying,” she says.
The beauty of Lucknowi cuisine also lies in its spirit of experimentation, feels Manish Gupta of Madhurima Sweets. He cites the example of chaat, another city specialty. “No two places will have chaat that taste the same,” he adds. “This personal touch in cooking adds a unique flavour to food.” “Lucknow’s food has won hearts for generations. Unesco has finally recognised its greatness,” says Mohd Bilal, owner of Raheem Hotel, known for its nihari and gilafi kulcha.
Hyderabad & Lucknow
Hyderabad or Lucknow? Which one offers better food? There may be as many answers to this debate as there are foodies.
“When it comes to food, it is not a great idea to compare,” says Lambah. “While Lucknow food is subtle and sophisticated, Hyderabad delicacies appear robust and straightforward.”
Way Forward
Even as PM Narendra Modi and UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath both hailed the Unesco honour for Lucknow, with the former, in a post on X, calling upon “people from around the world to visit Lucknow and discover its uniqueness”, state officials are gearing up for the start of something big.
Amrit Abhijat, principal secretary, UP tourism and culture, says the recognition means Lucknow is setting the table for a global culinary revival. “The city envisions positioning itself as a gastro-tourism destination, promoting its Awadhi flavours across borders,” he adds.
“Lucknow will curate travelling food festivals to showcase its gastronomic legacy. Local chefs, artisans, and food entrepreneurs will gain greater visibility,” he says.
“Beyond taste and texture, Lucknow hopes to use food as a medium of cultural dialogue, hosting exchange programmes and cross-cultural initiatives that make Awadhi cuisine more accessible to national and global audiences,” Abhijat says, adding that, in essence, the city’s creative vision marries tehzeeb (refinement, culture, etiquette, and sophistication) with tourism — turning every recipe, spice, and story into a bridge between cultures, and positioning Lucknow as India’s most flavourful ambassador.
| Feature |
Description |
|---|---|
| SUBTLETY |
Aroma dominates Lakhnavi food instead of spices |
| SLOW COOKING |
Lucknow food is traditionally slow-cooked. Prime example is 'dum pukht' – slow, sealed cooking technique that turns spice into perfume. |
| PRESENTATION |
Special attention is paid to presentation – use of silver or gold warq (foil), garnishing with dry fruits, use of kewra and dominance of colours. |
🍲 Savouries
GALOUTI KEBAB | Melt-in-the-mouth kebabs made from minced mutton.
YAKHNI PULAO | Lucknow version of biryani, made of delicate meat broth called yakhni, in which basmati rice is cooked.
PANEER PASANDA | Paneer slices stuffed with nuts, raisins, and spices, simmered in luxurious tomato-based gravy.
KOFTA | Vegetarian dumplings cooked in a rich and spicy gravy.
NIHARI | Shank meat, bone marrow and a blend of spices. Slow-cooked overnight.
🍞 Breads
WARQI PARATHA | A flaky, layered bread.
ULTA TAWA PARATHA | A thin bread cooked on an inverted griddle, giving it a distinct flavour and texture.
RUMALI ROTI | A soft, thin bread often served with kebabs and other Awadhi dishes.
SHEERMAL | Sweet bread made with flour, milk, sugar, saffron, served with kebabs and curries.
🍮 Sweets
SHAHI TUKDA | A luxurious Mughlai dessert of crispy ghee-fried bread soaked in sweetened milk, flavoured with saffron, garnished with nuts.
MALAI GILORI | An aromatic sweet made from thick layers of milk cream.
MAKHAN MALAI | Whipped cream that’s like a piece of cloud – with dashes of saffron and cardamom.
REWRI | Made from jaggery and til (The text cuts off here).
Evolution
Anoothi Vishal, Nov 9, 2025: The Times of India
Lucknow has just been acknowledged by UNESCO as a ‘Creative City of Gastronomy’. But even as foodies celebrate — perhaps with a Tundey kebab, a frothy pattal of nimish, or even a kulhad of chai — it’s time to look beyond the city’s famed, but stereotyped delights.
Beyond the kebab and kewra-scented biryani, this was the birthplace of India’s first modern, and cosmopolitan cuisine — one shaped by the city’s 19th-century flowering as a centre of art, intellect, and refinement. During that time, poets, courtiers, craftsmen, and cooks gathered under Avadh’s patronage. The city absorbed diverse influences of not only the various communities that made up Lucknow but also new ideas, ingredients and techniques. The result: dishes that show creativity, restraint and a technical precision that is no less than other great culinary traditions such as the French or Japanese.
Lucknow was far more than the nawabi capital of excess it is often portrayed to be. Though political and military power had slipped into the hands of the Company Resident, craft and literature flourished— the Nawal Kishore Press was the subcontinent’s largest; paper-making and photography thrived; chikan embroidery in silken threads became an alternative to Bengal’s jamdani. In this milieu, chefs too were prized — masters of technique who arrived from villages and kasbahs, finding patrons in wealthy landowners who maintained homes in the city.
The cult of the celebrity chef may seem modern, but in 19th-century Lucknow, rikabdars (superintendents of the kitchen with many different types of specialist cooks under them) were highly paid and sought-after. We get glimpses of their inventions in several books such as Abdul Haleem Sharar’s ‘Guzashta Lucknow’, ‘Qadeem Lakhnau ki Akhiri Bahar’ (The Last Spring of Bygone Lucknow), Amarish Mishra’s and Aslam Mahmud’s books, as well as the accounts of the remarkable Mrs Mir Hassan, an Englishwoman called Biddy married into a Lucknowi family. They describe fabled creations such as pomegranate pulao, where every grain of rice was half red and half white glistening like jewels, or a lamp made of crystal sugar that looked so real that it beguiled European guests, and legendary cooks like Mammadu credited with creating the sheermal and bakarkhani breads.
That sophistication and precision still linger in cooking today. Biddy wrote about how the smell of clay earthenware added a fragrance to the lightly spiced gravies. This idea of fragrance permeates Lucknowi food even today —petrichor or the smell of wet earth is now a bottled essence in Kanauj — even if its subtlety gets lost in commercial cooking sometimes. Spices, too, were prized for aroma rather than strong taste and the best Lucknowi cooking shows that — whether it is via a pulao or rasse ke aloo (potato was a new ingredient popularized by the Europeans and grown in the Himalayan foothills).
The pithi-filled kachoris accompanying the aloo have a whiff of hing and just a bite of ginger. This poori-kachori-aloo breakfast is favoured across communities, served sometimes with kaddu ki subzi (the sweetness of the pumpkin balanced by the bitter of methi dana). The spicing is understated, and no dahi-saunth-chutney overpower this breakfast. Old shops like Net Ram's continue this tradition. But a hot poori-aloo breakfast (brunch, really), along with chunki hui matar (tender green peas sauteed in hing) in winters, was a favourite in homes too. Jalebi was a breakfast item, unlike in Delhi, where it was more common as an evening snack.
The cult of the galauti came much later. Though Tundey Kebabi had existed in Chowk since 1905 and finds mention in poet Josh Malihabadi’s memoir, its second branch in Aminabad opened only in the mid-nineties, and the recipe was subsequently trademarked.
Within homes, including Kayasth ones, artistry was reserved for kebabs such as the shami (and its veg equivalents such as moong dal ke shami, or kale chane ke shami), always a more intricate and laboured preparation than the galauti. The galawat ke kebab (named so because of the use of a tenderiser like green papaya) that many sophisticates sought out were at the Clarks Avadh, where the kakori were and remain an epicurean delight. Though some say these melt-inmouth kebabs were innovated for toothless Avadhi nawabs, it may have more to do with dining etiquette in a highly mannered society, where visibly chewing food was thought to be uncouth!
The kakori was revived and popularised by the legendary chef Imtiaz Qureshi and ITC Hotels at Dum Pukht in Delhi. Other dishes and delicacies cooked during weddings and festivals are enjoying a revival too. Dum cooking, where food cooks in its own juices, is not just about the pucci Avadhi biryani or rich stews like the now-elusive shabdegh (meat with turnips), but also evident in vegetarian fare such as dum-kathal and famously the dum-aloo, which travelled east intoKolkata’s repertoire as luchi-alur dum!
Dals like the shabpaita/satpaita (urad cooked with methi greens) and the dhuli sookhi urad dal are also quintessential examples of elevated provincial cooking and prevalent in homes across many communities, sometimes as party dishes. As are the musallam or ‘whole’ dishes—not just Mahi or fish from the Gomti but lauki and gobhi elevated to gourmet status. Lucknow’s culinary refinement is evident not just in its ‘big’ dishes, but also in its home-cooking, mithais and chaats. So, what’s the test of a truly Lucknowi dish? You can tell by its subtlety (instead of overt spicing and masala), its fragrance, and finesse. How fine the boondi is in the motichoor laddoo; how delicately the gari (desiccated coconut) is slivered in balai ki gilori (as the malai paan invented by Ram Asrey was called by old timers); and how evenly the vegetables are sliced at home. The thinly sliced potato katli may rival an Italian chef’s carpaccio!
You can see this attention to detail in a qorma or gravy where only a hint of onion is present because it has been boiled and strained before being used. The potli ka masala used to gently scent yakhni and liquids was an innovation that echoed the French bouquet garni. But nowhere is this elegance more apparent than in the transformation of the humble white, dried field peas — a staple from Bihar to Bengal —into the exquisite matara chaat. In Lucknow, the matara is shaped into a delicate ‘tikiya’, pan-fried, judiciously spiced, and served with a bit of lime and ginger to clean your palate. An understated masterpiece, like the cuisine.
