Tradition · Lucknow Nawabi culinary tradition
Awadhi cuisine
The Awadhi cuisine of the Lucknow Nawabs (1722-1856), one of the two foundational Mughlai regional culinary traditions (with Hyderabadi). The dum-pukht slow-cooking technique developed under Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula (1775-1797) during his famine-relief public-works programme produced the Awadhi signature dishes — Galawati kabab (named for the toothless old nawab who could only eat melt-in-the-mouth kabab), Shami kabab, Nihari, Kakori kabab, Sheermal, Kulfi-faluda. The 1920 Tunday Kababi at Lucknow's Chowk Bazaar established the modern commercial Awadhi tradition. The 1856 British Awadh annexation drove many royal cooks (bawarchi) and bakers (nankhatai) into private households.
- Function
- Trade & production
- Confidence
- Established / referenced
Connections (1)
- Site withinFarangi Mahal, Lucknow
The Awadhi cuisine tradition is centred on Lucknow and the broader Awadh region, developed at the Nawabi court between 1722 and 1856. The dum-pukht slow-cooking technique, the galawati-sheermal kabab-bread combinations and the full Awadhi dastarkhwan banquet tradition remain preserved by the Tunday Kababi, Dastarkhwan, Rahim's Nihari and other heritage restaurants of Lucknow.
Sources
Standard culinary reference; GI tag records.
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