What to Eat in Lucknow Today?

Kebabs soft enough to melt

The galouti kebab is minced meat ground so fine and spiced so heavily that it falls apart on the tongue. The usual story is that it was made for a Nawab who had lost his teeth. It is the dish behind Tunday Kababi, the old-city shop that opened in 1905. The original Tunday shops are known for kebabs of buffalo meat; mutton and chicken versions are widely sold, so ask if it matters to you. The kakori kebab is a long, silky seekh kebab of minced mutton, named after Kakori, a town just west of Lucknow, and grilled on skewers over coals.

Biryani, the Awadhi way

Lucknawi biryani is cooked by the dum method: meat and partly cooked rice are layered in a pot, sealed and slow-cooked. The result is lighter and more fragrant than the spicier biryanis of the south, with whole spices, saffron and kewra water. Old-city shops such as Idris Biryani in Chowk cook in big pots over wood, and the best pots can be gone by early afternoon.

Breads

Sheermal is a soft, slightly sweet flatbread made with milk and saffron and baked in a tandoor. Eat it with kebabs or korma. You will also see roomali roti, thin as a handkerchief, and warqi paratha, which is layered and flaky.

Winter sweets

Makkhan malai is milk froth sweetened with sugar and saffron and topped with pistachio. It is made overnight in the cold and whipped in the morning, so it only appears in winter, roughly November to February, and it sells out early. Ram Asrey in Chowk, a sweet shop open since 1805, is one of the places to try it, along with its malai gilori, a sweet made from rolled cream.

Timing your meals

Kebab shops come alive in the evening, and the old city food streets are busiest after dark. Biryani is best at lunch, when the pots are fresh. During Ramadan, the lanes around Chowk and Aminabad are full of food stalls after sunset. See where to eat for the kitchens behind each dish.