Lucknow travel guide

Lucknowi biryani

The most aromatic biryani in India—long-grain basmati cooked in the Awadhi dum tradition with saffron, rose water, kewra (screw pine) and tender mutton; lighter, more perfumed and less spiced than Hyderabadi biryani; invented in the Nawab's court

Galouti kebab

Lucknow's most refined creation—minced lamb pounded to a paste with 150 spices including green papaya tenderizer, formed into discs and cooked in ghee until they melt instantly on the tongue; invented for a toothless Nawab; available at Tunday Kababi

Tunday kebab

Lucknow's legendary flat kebab from the 150-year-old Tunday Kababi restaurant on Aminabad—a highly seasoned minced mutton patty cooked in a flat iron pan; the recipe for the spice mixture is a guarded secret; always eaten with ulta tawa paratha

Nihari nahari

Lucknow's pre-dawn meat specialty—beef or mutton slow-cooked overnight in a sealed pot with bone marrow and aromatics; traditionally eaten after Fajr prayer; the Aminabad neighborhood's nihari stalls open at 4am and sell out within hours

Sheermal

Lucknow's Nawabi bread—saffron-enriched, milk-basted flatbread baked in a tandoor; slightly sweet, layered and fragrant; served at Muslim weddings and festivals or at Chowpati's classic old bakeries; rarely found outside Lucknow and Hyderabad

Kulfi

India's ancient frozen dessert—condensed milk frozen in sealed metal molds with cardamom, pistachio and rose water; Lucknow's kulfi makers have perfected it for centuries; the Hazratganj area after sunset has dozens of kulfi vendors on wooden push carts