History on Awadhi cuisine
• ‘Awadhi cuisine is all about slow-cooking, known as dum in India,
much of which is done in the tandoor,’ explains Shoeb. ‘This brings
out amazing flavours and textures, which when combined with the
rich, perfumed flavours from the spices create one of the best
cuisines in the world. About ninety percent of all Indian kebabs are
Awadhi, and it is the home of korma and biryani. Everything is
cooked over charcoal – not just the kebabs, but all Awadhi dishes.
The food isn’t as ‘showy’ as cuisines found in other parts of India –
the biryani, for example, looks quite plain, but the texture and taste
is just incredible.’ This slow cooking helps to meld flavours together
to create something totally unique, but it’s the rich, indulgent spices
that really set Awadhi cuisine apart. ‘Awadhi cuisine is very rich,
with lots of nuts, cream and ghee, but in the olden days that was
fine because people did a lot of physical work,’ says Shoeb. ‘Now it
should be regarded as a treat; even though it might look simple, the
second you taste it you will realise just how special it is.’
Spices used in Awadhi cuisines
• Cinamon
• Pepercorn
• Cloves
• Cardamom
• Bay leaf
• Cumin
• Mace
• Nutmeg
• Saffron
• Elaichi
• Turmeric Powder
• Chilly Powder
• Asafoetida
• Hing
• Liquorice
• Star Anise,
Ten different Awadhi cuisine
• Galouti or Galawati Kebab
• Seekh Kebab
• Shami Kebab
• Awadhi Chicken
• Mutton Do Pyaaza
• Pasanday
• Nimona
• Navrattan Korma
• Awadhi Chicken Biryani
• Awadhi Mutton Biryani
Ten different Awadhi kebabs
• Galawati Kebabs
• Shami Kebabs
• Kakori Kebabs
• Boti Kebabs
• Pasanda Kebabs
• Tunday Kebabs
• Seak Kebab
• Chapli Kebabs
• Rajma galouti kebabs
• Adana Kebabs
Ten different Awadhi chaats
• Basket chaat
• Dahi Batashe
• Matra ki Chaat
• Shakarkandi ki chaat
• Tokari Chaat
• Aloo Chaat
• Aloo tikki chaat
• Samosa chaat
• Matar Chaat
• Papdi Chaat
The History of Mughal Cuisine
• Along with the Mughal rule over most of the Indian
subcontinent from 1426 to 1857, came a cuisine that
was rich in aromatic spices and lavishly enhanced with
delicacies such as dried fruits and nuts. Recipes that
were once prepared for Emperors and Royalty, still have
a stronghold in South Originating in Northern India, the
culinary legacy of the Mughal Empire can be found in the
regular diets of the people of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and
as far away as Hyderabad and what is now modern-day
Pakistan.
• As the Persian language along with the Islamic lifestyle
of the Mughals had a lasting impact, the origins of many
of the dishes that we enjoy today such as pilau, biryani,
kofte, and kebabs all trace back to the Mughal Empire.
• To truly understand the food of Lucknow and Awadhi cuisine in general, we have to
go back to the time of the Mughal Empire, which in the early eighteenth century ruled
over nearly a quarter of the world’s population and conquered vast swathes of India.
It was in places like Lucknow that the Mughals introduced their own food culture,
which in turn shaped India’s cuisine.
• ‘Dum cooking originated in Awadhi because of the Mughals, who ruled the area
around Lucknow at the time,’ says Shoeb. ‘They used to fight many wars, so needed
a way of cooking food that worked around that. By digging a hole in the morning
and slowly cooking food in it, they could go to battle and then return to eat. Dum
cooking also preserved meat for longer, which was handy for armies on the move.’
• At first, Awadhi cuisine was only ever eaten by royalty or the guests of Mughal kings
who wanted to show off their wealth. They’d do this by serving lots of richly
flavoured food covered in gold and silver leaf (especially biryanis, which were full of
expensive ingredients like saffron). Back then cooks would keep their methods very
secret to ensure no other chef could steal their methods, which meant if someone
wanted to taste Awadhi cuisine for themselves, they had to travel to Lucknow.
• ‘Even today, some chefs in Lucknow won’t share their recipes or methods,’ adds
Shoeb. ‘India has changed so much but there are still small towns or areas where
nothing has changed for one hundred years. That’s where a lot of India’s top chefs
come from, or at the very least they will have trained there.’
