Awadhi cuisine

Awadhi cuisine is the traditional cooking of the Awadh region of northern India, centred on Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh. It is best known for its Nawabi cuisine, a refined slow-cooked tradition that includes both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.

History

Awadhi cooking took shape in the courts of the nawabs of Awadh, where specialist cooks known as bawarchis and rakabdars refined their techniques. According to the reference texts, their work gave rise to the dum style of cooking over a slow fire, now closely associated with Lucknow.

Characteristic dishes include kebabs, kormas, biryanis, zarda and breads such as sheermal and rumali roti. Mughal influence, along with links to the cooking of Persia, Kashmir, Punjab and Hyderabad, helped shape its repertoire.

Culture

Awadhi food is known for its subtlety compared with the richer, fattier Mughlai style, with spices such as cardamom and saffron. Kebabs hold a central place, among them shami and galawat kebabs, and wheat breads such as paratha and naan form the everyday staple. Halwas are common in winter, and chaat, which originated in Uttar Pradesh, is now a widespread street food across South Asia.