Awadh Cuisine

Awadhi Cuisine, of the bygone era

2021-12-27T07:37:00.000-08:00

Awadh was ancient name for present Lucknow and surrounding regions, capital of Uttar Pradesh in North India.
The seekh kabab has long been considered a piece de resistance in the Awadhi dastarkhwan . The beautifully executed kabab is what every Lucknawi is proud of. The seekh kabab, introduced in this region by the Mughals, was originally prepared from beef mince on skewers and cooked on charcoal fire. But later influences and innovations led to the use of lamb mince, which was preferred for its soft texture. Besides, serving of it on the dastarkhwan did not offend the sensibilities of the Hindu guests. The immense popularity of this kabab led to further refinements and improvements and one bawarchi from Kakori found much acclaim for his efforts in this direction. Kakori is a small hamlet on the outskirts of Lucknow, in the Lucknow - Malihabad mango - belt. During the freedom struggle, it became well known for the famous 'Kakori Case' when a band of freedom fighters looted the train carrying the British Government Treasury money at this obscure place. In the same period, of British rule, it was also customary in this region for the rich Rajas and Nawabs, to entertain senior British Officers and ply them with the best hospitality they could offer. And if it was the mango season , a 'mango dinner' was very much in order (dinner in a mango orchard, was followed by a variety of chilled mangoes served in great style). At one such parties in Kakori, stung by the remark of a British Officer regarding the coarse texture of Seekh Kabab, the host, Nawab late Syed Mohammad Haider Kazmi summoned his rakabdars, hakims and attars the very next day and asked them to evolve a more refined variety of the Seekh Kabab. Ten days of incessant research and design efforts resulted in the now famous 'Kakori Kababs' which was as far as perfection could go. The mince for the kabab was to be obtained from no other part but the 'Raan ki Machhli' (Tendon of the leg of mutton) and Rawaz or animal fat was replaced by khoya, black pepper replaced by white pepper and a brand new mix of powdered spices which still remains a closely guarded secret added to the perfect blend. And of course, the Nawab invited the same officer again and presented the new version of the Seekh Kabab and needless to say it met with great applause. Since then the Seekh Kababs of Kakori became famous by word of mouth and even today, though cooked elsewhere, are known as 'Kakori Kababs'.

Popular Dishes and Recipes

2020-12-27T07:39:00.000-08:00

Click on the dishes below for their recipes

1. Kakori Kabab
2. Nimona
3. Dum Bhindi
4. Lazeez Lauki
5. Murgh Mussalam
6. Zamin Doz Machli

Nimona

2007-12-27T07:50:00.001-08:00

Ingredients :

½ kg - Green peas
150 gms - Potatoes
200 gms - Spring onions
1 pinch - Asafoetida (Hing)
1 inch - Ginger
6 nos - Garlic Flakes
2 nos - Bay leaves
2 tsp - Coriander leaves
½ tsp - Red Chilli Powder
½ tsp - Turmeric Powder
1 Tsp - Cumin seeds
5 nos - Cloves
5 nos - Green Cardamoms
1 no - Cinnamon stick
50 gms - Green coriander
Salt to taste
3 tbsp - Tomato Puree
Mustard oil
1 tbsp - Pure Ghee

Cooking Instructions :

- Divide the shelled peas in two batches finely grind one half and coarsely grind other.
- Grind to paste the ginger, garlic and cumin. Also grind the cloves, cinnamon and cardamoms and keep aside.
- Finely slice the onions, fry to a golden colour and grind to a paste.
- In the same oil, fry the potatoes on a very slow flame till crisp and golden brown. Remove and keep aside.
- In a separate pan heat a tablespoon of pure ghee and add crushed asofaetida, add all the ground peas and sauté till the moisture evaporates, keep aside
- Heat oil add the bay leaves, ginger-garlic paste, coriander, turmeric, chilli powder and salt and sauté till the masala is done.
- Add the onion paste and tomato puree and stir till the ghee separates. Now add the crushed peas, potatoes, ½ litre water and the garam masala paste.
- Cover and cook on a slow flame till potatoes are tender and oil appears on the sides. Serve hot garnished with finely chopped coriander leaves, with plain boiled rice or chapattis

Dum Bhindi

2007-12-27T07:49:00.001-08:00

Ingredients :

500 gms - Bhindi (Okra)
150 gms - Capsicum
250 gms - Tomatoes
2 large - Onions
1/4 tsp - Chilli powder
1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder
150 gms - Refined oil or Mustard oil
Salt to taste

Cooking Instructions :

- Select okras of a uniform medium size. Wash and dry well. Cut off the top and tall and keep aside.
- Coarsely chop the onions, capsicum and tomatoes.
- Heat the oil and deep fry the okras, a handful at a time till they are partly cooked, drain them at keep aside.
- Heat some oil, saute chopped onions till they turn to a golden brown, add the tomatoes and capsicum and saute for 5 minutes.
- Add the fried okras, salt, chilli powder and turmeric powder, and blend well.
- Put the lid on the pan, reduce heat, seal with wheat dough and place some live charcoal on top. - Cook on reduced heat for 15 minutes.
- When done, serve hot with chapatis.

Lazeez Lauki

2007-12-27T07:48:00.002-08:00

Ingredients :

500 gms - Bottle gourd (Lauki)
250 gms - Khoya
200 gms - Curd
25 gms - Poppy seeds
25 gms - Chironji
8 nos - Cashewnuts
2 nos - Onions
¼ tsp - Chilli powder
5 nos - Green cardamoms
5 nos - Cloves
1 no - Mace
1 tsp - Kewra water
A pinch saffron
100 gms - Ghee/oil
Salt to taste
2 Tsp - Coriander leaves

Cooking Instructions :

- Wash and peel the gourd, and if too long then cut into two halves, remove the seeds.
- Prick the outside uniformly with a fork, apply a teaspoon of salt all over and keep aside for 15 minutes.
- Fry the finely sliced onions to a golden brown and grind to a paste.
- Fry the cashewnuts and chironji separately in same ghee to a pink colour and remove.
- Coarsely chop the cashewnuts and keep in a separate kadhai, crumble the khoya and keep stirring till it turns pink.
- Mix the fried nuts in it and keep aside. Grind the cloves, cardamoms and mace to a paste.
- Lightly roast the poppy seeds on a griddle and grind to a paste using some of the curd. Pat the gourd dry and fry in the ghee, brown them
- In the khoya, add ¼ teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoon of curd, blend well and stuff inside the gourd.
- In the curd, mix the onion paste, poppy seed paste, garam masala paste and the saffron dissolved in kewra water, add the chilli powder and salt and blend well.
- Grease a pan, spread the curd mixture and the remainder of the ghee on it. Then cover with lid and place live charcoal fire on it. Also apply low heat from below.
- Cook for 30 minutes or till the gourd is done. Serve hot on a platter garnished with sprigs of coriander. Carve round sliced while serving. Tastes delicious with chapati or warqui paratha..

Murgh Mussalam

2007-12-27T07:48:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:

1Kg - Whole Chicken 25 gms.
1 no - Raw Papaya
Salt to taste
4 nos - Onions
4 nos - Garlic Flakes
1 no - 2” piece Ginger

MASALA ‘1’

5 gms - Cinnamon
8 nos - Cloves
5 gms - Black Pepper
8 gms - Green Cardamom
5 gms - Poppy seeds
50 gms - Dessicated Coconut
20 gms - Chironji

MASALA ‘2’

20 gms - Cumin seeds
20 gms - Coriander Seeds
5 gms - Chilli Powder
250 gms - Curd
A Pinch Saffron
A Pinch Saffron Colour edible
1 tbsp - Kewra Jal
250 gms - Ghee
4 nos - Eggs
30 gms - Almonds
2 nos - Silver leaves

Cooking Instructions :

- Clean and wash the chicken, prick all over with the fork/knife.
- Grind the raw papaya to a paste, apply it with salt on the chicken rubbing it in well. Marinate for 2 hours.
- Finely slice the onions and fry in ghee till golden brown. Remove and grind half the onions to a paste and keep aside. Also grind garlic and ginger to a paste.
- Lightly roast ingredients of masala A and B separately on a griddle and grind to a paste.
- For the stuffing, hard boil 4 eggs, chop and keep aside.
- Blanch and peel the almonds and cut into the slivers. Keep aside.
- Remove the papaya paste off the chicken completely, Dissolve the saffron colour in kewra jal and apply on the chicken rubbing inside as well.
- In a bowl, mix masala A and B in the curd and blend well. Then add the coloured chicken to this mix, rub well and marinate for 25 minutes.
- Mix half of the fried onions in chopped boiled eggs and stuff inside the body cavity of the chicken. Truss the chicken by bringing the wings and legs close to the body and tie with a thread. - In a pan pour the ghee which was used for frying the onions and the chicken along with the marinade. Simmer for 30 minutes or till the chicken is done and the ghee appears on the sides.
- When done, place on a platter and remove the thread. Place the silver leaves on the chicken and garnish with almond slivers. Serve hot with the warqui paratha or sheermal.

Zamin doz Machli

2007-12-27T07:47:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:

1 kg - Sole Fish
100 gms - Gram Flour
50 gms - Aniseed Powder
25 gms - Caraway Powder
250 gms - Curd
15 gms - Almonds
15 gms - Pistacchio
25 gms - Dessicated Coconut
200 gms - Chironji
20 gms - Poppy Seeds
20 gms - Ginger
20 gms - Garlic
1 tbsp - Chilly Powder
Salt to taste
2 nos - Mace Blades
4 nos - Black Cardamom
6 nos - Cloves
6 nos - Pepper Corns
Food Colour - Orange
1 no - Lime
1 tbsp - Oil
150 gm s- Flour

Cooking Instructions :

- Skin and wash the whole fish and slit one side lengthwise. Squeeze the juice of one lime and apply with salt on the Fish. Keep aside for 15 minutes.
- Grind the ginger and Garlic to a paste.
- Blanch and peel the almonds, grind to paste along with lightly roasted poppy seeds and chironji and dessicated coconut.
- Blanch, peel and finely chop pistachio nuts.
- Grind to a paste the mace, cardamom, cloves and peppercorns. In a teaspoon of water, dissolve the edible colour and apply evenly on the marinated fish.
- In bowl mix all the above and the remaining ingredients except the pistachio nuts and stuff inside the fish.
- Grease with oil a flat earthenware dish, the kind used to set curds in, and place the fish in it along with Cover with a lid and seal with atta dough.
- Bury 4"-6" below the Ground. Cover and place a slow cow-dung cake fire or charcoal fire on the ground directly above the dish and let it cook for 5-6 hours.
- Open and serve with roomali roti.

Kakori Kabab

2007-12-27T07:40:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 Kg - Minced meat (keema)(Without fat)
100 Gms - Raw papaya
Salt to taste

Masala A: -
5 Nos - Yellow chili
1 Tsp - White pepper
8 Nos - Cloves
2 Blades - Mace
1/8 Tsp - Nutmeg

Masala B: -
4 Nos - Black cardamom
6 nos - Green cardamom
10 gma - Coriander seeds

Masala C (paste form): -
50 gms - Copra (Dessicated Coconut)
10 gms - Poppy seed (Khuskhus)
5 gms - Shahi Jeera
200 gms - Khoya
100 gms - Onions (to be fried brown and crushed)

Grind into fine paste :-
Garlic - 1 pod.
Ginger - 10 gm
Roasted gram flour - 200 gm
Pure Ghee - 100 gm

Cooking Instructions:

- Mince the meat till very smooth (mince without washing as it helps in binding). Add papaya paste, salt and powdered masalas (A+B).
- Place the mixture in a deep pan keep a live coal in a katori or cup in the center.
- Put 2 tablespoons of ghee on coal and cover quickly for 'dhungaar'(smiking).
- Keep covered for half an hour. Mix crushed onions, paste C and ginger garlic paste. Add to smoked mince. Keep for half an hour.
- Add roasted gram flour and blend well. Heat skewers slightly and grease.
- Take a portion of mince mixture and spread on skewers with slightly wet hand into oblong roll around the skewers.
- Roast on kabab griller on live coal for few minutes till they turn to a golden pink brown. Take out carefully from the rods with the help of cloth.
- Arrange on serving dish and serve garnished with onion rings, slit green chilies and fresh coriander chutney.