The street foods of Lucknow are as grand as the city’s rich heritage. The Nawabs were not just patrons of literature and music, but also great gourmets when it came to their choice of food. Biryanis, kebabs and the array of lip-smacking dishes the city has to offer is a clear reflection of their rich taste. Of the various street food hubs in Lucknow, the Chowk Bazaar area tops the list.
Kebab – A Minced Meat Delicacy
An authentic and ancient delicacy of Lucknow, kebab is a crispy, smoky dish, made from minced meat, mostly prepared through the process of grilling or barbequing. More than 150 spices were used in the preparation of the traditional kebabs. Though so many ingredients may not be used at present, you could still find an assortment of ginger, garlic, yogurt, cardamoms, chili powder, and cinnamon.
Varieties: Galouti kebab (patties-shaped kebab with a buttery taste, deriving its name from ‘gala’, meaning soft, which is mainly because of papaya used as its primary ingredients); boti kebab (small sized kebabs); kakori kebab (named after its place of origination); patili kebab (patili stands for the round-shaped brass or copper utensil the kebab is cooked in); shaami kebab (minced meat patty also prepared with eggs, chickpeas, and several spices)
Kulcha and Nihari – A Flatbread-Chicken Stew Combo
A blend of kulcha (soft flatbread) and thick, tasty chicken stew (nihari), it is of great popularity in Lucknow, serving as a perfect breakfast dish for most localites.
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Nimish – A Delicious Milk-Based Dessert
Also known by the names makhan malai, lab-e-mashook, and daulat ki chaat, nimish is a milky, fluffy, creamy dessert, topped with pistachios, and saffron, mainly available in winters. Nimish, originating in Persia was traditionally prepared from horse milk, while its Indian variant, makhan malai, had cow milk as its main ingredient, though they are sometimes considered synonymous.
You would also be able to get a taste of nimish in its liquefied form in the cold winter evenings, when the vendors serve it into a large glass, calling it doodh (milk).
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Lucknawi Chaat – A Spicy Savory Snack
Like most other Indian cities, Lucknow too boasts of an array of chat (savory snack) delicacies. An amalgamation of spicy and tangy flavors, they are mostly made with white peas, mashed potatoes, crispy wafers, fritters, and tamarind sauce.
Varieties: Matar ki chaat or matara (a crispy savory made from boiled white peas seasoned with lemon juice, spices, and a dash of ginger); aloo tikki (patty made of mashed potatoes and topped with spices, onion, coriander and a tamarind dip); dahi aloo tikki (potato patty, garnished with curd and tamarind sauce); basket or tokri chaat (crispy baskets made by frying grated potatoes, filled with potato croquets, papri or crispy wafers, bhalle or lentil fritters); aloo chaat (a potato snack)
Malai Ki Gilori – Triangular Milk Cream Dessert
A soft sweet dessert folded in the shape of a paan, made from dry fruits, mishri (sugar candy), and khoa (a whole milk product), wrapped in layers of malai (milk cream), that would simply melt in your mouth.
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Biryani – A Spicy Rice Dish
Lucknow has always stood out in its unique way of cooking biryani, with the rice being prepared separately along with a host of spices and the marinated chicken added afterward.
Varieties: Chicken biryani; mutton biryani
Thandai – An Indian Iced Beverage
Thandai, a cool creamy drink, comes as a great relief during summer time. Having thickened milk as its base, the other ingredients used include sweeteners, almond, fennel seeds, and black pepper. Often served as a beverage to guests, it is also one of the popular drinks during festivals.
Varieties: Plain thandai; bhang thandai (similar to thandai, with the bhang or cannabis leaf concentrate being an addition)
Khasta Kachori-Sabzi – Fried Flatbread with a Delicious Curry
Besides kulcha-nihari, khasta kachori and sabzi is also another sought-after breakfast item. Crispy to taste, it is mostly teamed with a piping hot potato or chickpea curry.
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Sheermal – A Flatbread Baked Dessert
Sheermal has sweetened milk (sheer meaning milk) as its main ingredient, alongside flour and saffron. It was a dish of the aristocrats in the ancient time, though presently it is sold on the streets of Lucknow like hot cake, particularly during the auspicious occasion of Ramadan. Prepared in an oven or tandoor, sheermal is often teamed with kebabs or nihari for a sweet and spicy fusion.
Varieties: Regular sheermal; baqarkhani sheermal (larger than the regular one, popular in weddings); hazri sheermal (thin variety, mostly eaten in Ramadan); zafrani sheermal (the richest of the four, mostly flavored with saffron)
Kulfi – A Cool Frozen Dessert
Kulfi, a kind of frozen ice-cream, originating during the Mughal era, is one of the famous desserts of Lucknow. Having milk as its main ingredient, it is further garnished with pistachios, saffron, nuts, and cardamom.
Varieties: Regular kulfi; fruit kulfi; falooda kulfi (topped with falooda or vermicelli noodles)
Lucknawi Paan – Betel Leaf- Areca Nut Preparation
Though you would find paan anywhere in India, Lucknawi paan comes with an added flavor all because of the rich ingredients it comprises of like saffron, cherries, cardamom, fennel seeds, dry coconut, gulkand (sweet preserve made of rose petals), murabba (sweet fruit preserve), raisins and much more.
Varieties: Meetha paan (sweet flavored); zafrani meetha pan (flavored with saffron); pistai paan (with pistachio); khatta meetha paan (sweet and sour flavor)
With so much to offer, you would be in for a perfect treat the next time you visit the streets of Lucknow. Besides the significant ones mentioned above, you could satisfy the gourmet in you by tasting other snacks and savories like samosa complemented with a cup of steaming hot tea, buttered buns, dahi vada (fried snack dipped in curd), gol-gappas, varieties of sweets – the list are endless.