One of India’s greatest food cities is finally getting the global attention it deserves
Lucknow Earns Global Culinary Recognition After Centuries of Refinement
One of India s greatest food – For generations, diners have gathered at Tunday Kababi, an iconic establishment situated along Phool Wali Gali—a slender street winding through Lucknow’s historic district. Patrons carefully separate portions of paratha, a traditional flatbread, then use them to gather succulent buffalo galawati kebabs that practically dissolve upon tasting. Meanwhile, kitchen staff persistently mold and shallow-fry new batches of these celebrated meat preparations. This daily ritual has unfolded continuously within a metropolis that numerous Indians regard as among the subcontinent’s premier gastronomic destinations.
Despite its rich culinary heritage, Lucknow has frequently been overlooked in international discussions about food, often eclipsed by metropolitan centers like Delhi and Mumbai. Nevertheless, recognition is finally arriving. During October 2025, UNESCO bestowed upon Lucknow—the administrative capital of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India—the prestigious title of Creative City of Gastronomy. This honor acknowledges the region’s enduring food traditions and their vibrant presence in contemporary life.
Lucknow represents merely the second Indian municipality to achieve this distinction, following Hyderabad’s achievement in 2019. The designation places Lucknow alongside more than four hundred cities spanning over one hundred nations worldwide.
Historical Foundations of Awadhi Cuisine
The term “Awadhi” derives from a historic territory within modern-day Uttar Pradesh, historically referred to as Oudh throughout the British colonial era. Initially incorporated within the Mughal Empire, this region gradually gained independence as imperial authority diminished during the early eighteenth century. Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula relocated the capital from Faizabad to Lucknow in 1775, transforming the city into the political heart of the region until British forces annexed the territory in 1856.
Between the eighteenth century and the mid-nineteenth century, Awadhi cuisine emerged within the royal kitchens of the Nawabs. These culinary spaces incorporated traditions already established within the Mughal court—which itself carried Persian influences—and elevated them through the utilization of local produce from the fertile Indo-Gangetic plains. The resulting culinary style successfully merged aristocratic refinement with distinctive regional characteristics.
Defining Characteristics and Techniques
While frequently categorized under the umbrella term “Mughlai,” Awadhi cuisine possesses distinct qualities. Mughlai food originated in the imperial kitchens of Delhi and Agra, characterized by robust gravies and pronounced spice profiles. Awadhi cuisine developed subsequently within Lucknow’s courts, emphasizing different principles.
“The biggest misunderstanding is that Awadhi cuisine is ‘heavy.’ It isn’t,” Chef Ranveer Brar, a restaurateur and ‘MasterChef India’ judge, tells CNN Travel. “It is delicate. It is nuanced. It is built on restraint. The richness people speak about is not about excess — it is about technique, balance and patience.”
Executive Chef Rohit Joshi of the Taj Mahal Lucknow reinforces this perspective. “The emphasis is on aroma, controlled spice use, and texture — what culinary historians describe as nazakat (delicacy) and nafasat (subtlety),” he explains. “The idea is not to overwhelm but to harmonize.”
Perhaps the most celebrated technique within Awadhi cuisine is dum pukht, a method involving slow cooking within a sealed vessel. Ingredients are arranged inside a heavy-bottomed container known as a handi, then covered with a lid—traditionally sealed using dough—and cooked over gentle heat. This process traps steam within, enabling flavors to develop gradually while preserving moisture.
Culinary tradition attributes the popularization of this technique to the reign of Asaf-ud-Daula during the late eighteenth century, when the region experienced a devastating famine. Through a work-for-food initiative, substantial quantities of rice, meat, and vegetables were prepared in sealed pots to nourish laborers constructing the Bara Imambara tomb complex. Legend suggests that aromas emanating from these slow-cooking vessels attracted the Nawab’s attention, prompting the refinement of the dum method within royal kitchens.
Regardless of whether this account is entirely accurate, it illustrates how dum cooking became integral to the region’s culinary identity. During the twentieth century, the late chef Imtiaz Qureshi resurrected this technique for modern dining, introducing dum pukht to contemporary restaurants through ITC Hotels, including the establishment of Dum Pukht Restaurant in New Delhi.
Beyond technical mastery, Awadhi cuisine emphasizes precision—particularly in how flavors are constructed. Rather than incorporating all spices simultaneously, cooks layer them progressively throughout the cooking process, allowing each element to contribute meaningfully to the final dish.