fly to lucknow and eat kebabs

Kebabs of lucknow

The city rose to prominence as the home of the nawabs of Avadh (Oudh) who were great patrons of the culinary and other arts, particularly dance and music. Lucknow’s reputation as a city of culture, gracious living and rich cuisine has continued to this day. And eating out is still a major highlight of a visit to the city, especially if you like kebabs!

Kakori Kebab Originates from Kakori, a small town outside Lucknow. Legend has it that the old and toothless Nawab of Kakori asked his royal bawarchi (chef) to make kebabs that would simply melt in the mouth. So these kebabs are made adding papaya as a tenderizer to raw mincemeat and a mix of spices. They are then applied to skewers and barbecued over charcoals. Galawat Kebab This is the mouthwatering creation that is served up in Lucknow’s most famous kebab restaurant, Tunday Kabab. There it is simply referred to as a mutton kebab, and in other restaurants it is often called Tunday. Galawat is the name of the tenderizer that’s used for these kebabs. Essentially, they are the same as kakori kebabs except that rather than being barbecued they are made into patties and shallow fried in oil or ghee. Shami Kebab Raw mincemeat is boiled with spices and black gram lentil. It is then ground on stone before being mixed with finely chopped onions, coriander leaves and green chillies. Shaped into patties, it is then shallow fried like seekh kebabs. Pasanda Kebab Fillets (pasanda) of beef or mutton are marinated with papaya and salt before yoghurt, spices, ginger, garlic paste and finally roasted gram flour are added. The marinated meat is then added to heated ghee and bay leaves and cooked slowly on a charcoal fire. Nargisi Kebab A mix of mincemeat, roasted gram fl our (which acts as a binder) and spices is coated over boiled eggs and gently tied with thread. After each egg has been deep fried, the thread is removed and the egg cut lengthwise so that it resembles the nargis (the flower of Narcissus, or daffodil).