This document provides information about the cuisine of the Awadh region in Uttar Pradesh, India. It discusses the influence of the Nawabs of Awadh on the local cuisine, including innovative dishes introduced during the reign of Wajid Ali Shah. It also outlines some key culinary terms used in Awadh cooking, signature dishes like Kolmi Patio and Nargisi Kofta curry, preferred meat and vegetable ingredients, and common cooking methods like dum pukht. Basic utensils used are also mentioned.

1. UTTAR PRADESH
DESINGED BY
Sunil Kumar
Research Scholar/ Food Production Faculty
Institute of Hotel and Tourism Management,
MAHARSHI DAYANAND UNIVERSITY,
ROHTAK
Haryana- 124001 INDIA Ph. No. 09996000499
email: skihm86@yahoo.com , balhara86@gmail.com
linkedin:- in.linkedin.com/in/ihmsunilkumar
facebook: www.facebook.com/ihmsunilkumar
webpage: chefsunilkumar.tripod.com
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2. INTRODUCTION
• In this age of frozen and foods it is reassuring to
find that in the kitchens of some nawabs and
talukdars, life is still in tune with the natural
rhythms of the season and food has not changed
for generations.
• Food occupies the highest position in most
cultures and religions.
• This land has always been a major center of
culture and learning's.
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3. • To start with a part of the Kaushal kingdom ruled
by Suryavanshis of Ayodhya then it was
conquered by many rulers.
• But it was NAWAB ASAF UD DAULAH the
benevolent ruler and a great builder transformed
lucknow from a village to a town.
• Wajidh Ali Shah the last of the nawabs of awdh is
also a great lover of the arts. During his regime
many innovative dishes were introduced.
• The cook is called as BAWARCHIS.
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4. SPECIAL FEATURES
• The cuisine is mainly influenced by the difference
in regions.
• A lot of emphasis on vegetarian cooking.
• Basic cuisine is simple but on occasions the make
it more elaborate.
• Fried food items are very popular such as
kachories and pri, and they are the must for every
functions and festivals.
• Food habits vary from region to region, in
Mathura the people uswe lot of desi ghee, milk
and milk products.
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5. • In Lucknow it is very famous for its biriyanis and
meat preparation.
• The word dum pukht style of cooking was
originated from this region only.
• It is also famous for the sweets.
• The bazaar of Banaras is full of sweets like jalebi,
pethas of Agra and sweets dishes like kheer,
ghajar ka halwa, imarti, rabdi, burfi and boondi
ladu are famous in this region.
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6. CULINARY TERMS ASSOCIATED
WITH THIS REGION
• GHEE DURUST KARNA:
This is the vital step in cooking almost any awadhi
dish. It is essentially the tempering or seasoning of
the cooking medium and flavoring with kewra
water and cardamoms. The method is as follows
heat ghee or oil to the smoking point and add
kewra water and green cardamoms, stir till the
water evaporates and ghee gives a pleasant aroma.
Remove from the fire, strain through a muslin
cloth and keep for further use.
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7. • DHUNGAR:
This is a quick smoke procedure to flavor the meat,
dhals or even raitha. This is a common technique
employed when making kababs. The method is as
fallows… in a shallow utensil or lagan in which
the meat or the mince has been marinated, a small
bay is made in the center and a katori or onion
skin or a betel leaves is placed. In it a piece of live
coal is placed and hot ghee, some times mixed
with aromatic herbs and spices, is poured over it
and covered immediately with a lid to prevent the
smoke from escaping. The lid is not removed till
about 15 minutes.
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8. • DUM DENA :
This is frequent used in Awadh cooking. DUM
literally means ‘breath’ and the process
involves placing the semi cooked pot or degchi
sealing the utensils with dough and applying
very slow charcoal fire from the top, by placing
some live charcoal on the lid and some below.
The persians influence is the most evedent in
this method. The magic of dum is the excellent
aroma, flavor and texture which results in slow
cooking. This method is followed for number of
delicacies such as shabdeg, pulao and biryani.
Any dish cooked by this method is called as
DUM PUKHT OR DUM BAKHT.
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9. • GALAVAT:
Refers to the use of softening agents such as papian
(raw papaya) or kalmi shora to tenderize meat.
• BAGHAR:
This is the method of tempering the foods with oil or
ghee and spices. It may be done at the begenning
or it can be done at the end. In the former the fat is
heated in a vessel to the smoking point and
reducing the flame, spices are added to it. When
they begin to crackle, the same process is carried
out in a ladle which is immersed into the cooked
dish and immediately covered with the lid, so that
the aroma are retained within the dish.
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10. LOAB:
This is the term used to denote the final stage in cooking when
the oil used during cooking rises to the surface giving the dish
a finished appearance. This occurs mostly when slow cooking
of gravy dish is involved.
ITTAR:
The use of perfumes play a very important role in Awadh cuisine,
they are used to enhance the aroma of the dish and make it
delicate. Most of which they use is made from MUSK DEER,
the hunting of which is now banned world wide.
YAKHNI:
The cuts of mutton are generally bony pieces with flesh on them.
These cuts are usually taken from the joints and the ribs of the
animals. The main purpose is to derive the juice and flavor and
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hence the shape of the meat doesn’t count much.

11. • CHANDI WARQ:
This is the process in which small pieces of
silver are placed between two sheets of
paper and then patted continuously with
hammer till it becomes papery thin. These
are used in decorating the dishes before
presentation e.g. chandi kaliya, moti pulao.
• ZAMIN DOZ:
This is a style of cooking in which a hole is
dug in the ground and the ingredients are
placed and covered with mud. Then burning
charcoal is placed over it. The cooking
process takes about 6 hours.
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12. BASIC UTENSILS USED
• DEG/DEGCHI
A pear shaped pot with a lid made of brass, copper or
aluminum. The shape of the utensil is ideally suited
for dum method and is suited to cook pulaos,
biryani, nehari etc.
• KADHAI
A deep concave shaped utensil made out of brass,
iron or aluminum and used for deep poories and the
like.
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13. • BHAGONA
It has generally a brass lid and is used for bhunna or
saute or even for boiling and simmering. It is also
used for preparing yakhani or salan, khoruma or
kaliya.
• LAGAN
It is a round and a shallow copper utensil with
aslightly concave bottom. Used for cooking whole
or big cuts of meat or poultry.
• MAHI TAWA
In Awadh the version of griddled
shaped like a big round, flat bottom
tray with raised edges, used for cooking kababs.
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14. • LOHE KA TANDOOR
Iron tandoor. It is kind of dome shaped iron
oven used for making most breads such as
sheermal, taftan, bakarhani etc.
• SEENI
It is a big round thali used as a lid for lagan or
mahi were live coal are placed for the dum
process.
All the copper and brass utensils are almost
always used after KALAI or TIN
PLATTING the insides.
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15. AWADH
• Now represents the area in and arround LUCKNOW, the
capital of the state UTTAR PRADESH.
• It stretches from the Ganges to the Himalayas on one side
and equidistant from Delhi on one side and extreme east
of Bihar on the other.
• The cuisine was richly influenced by life styles of the
Nawabs.
• The annexation of the Awadh by the british brought to an
end to the rule of the gracious Nawabs. The Nawabs may
have perished but their legacy of gracious living the fine
building, arts and crafts and ofcourse the exquisite
cuisine still lives on on on …
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16. • This region is rich in cattle population. Traditional
farming also encompasses rearing of animals such
as goats, sheep and pigs.
• Poultry farming is also common.
• Religion and traditions have led to the choice of
lamb, chicken and fish as the favorite meat, but
however mutton is most extensively used. The
meat of male goat is prefered as it is believed to
have more flavor and marrow in the bones.
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17. • Neck portion of the lamb has non fibrous meat and
is there fore used for making korma, salan, pulao
or biryani.
• The chops has high content of marrow and the
tender meat which is least fibrous and are used in
delicate kormas, kaliyas, pulaos and biryani.
• Minced meat called as chikna keema which is a
high quality mild flavored mince used in delicate
kabab preparation such as GALAVAT KABAB.
• Front leg or the hind leg of mutton called as raan
are most versatile used cuts.
• The trotters or the paya are essentially the bones
are used in making paya shorba, nehari etc.
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18. POULTRY AND GAME BIRDS
• Birds are raised with greater care, with
special attention given to the beak which
are kept in perfect conditions.
• The cooking of quails and partridges and
other game birds are popular in this region
and are greatly relished.
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19. FISH AND VEGETABLES
• Fish varieties like rohu, sole, taingan, pata,
moh and mahasher are used in this region.
• The Muslims favor the meat based diet and
the Hindus are predominantly vegetarians.
• Vegetables such as gourds, nimona (green
pea and lentil dumpling) gobhi are widely
used.
• Milk and milk products are widely used.
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20. SIGNATURE DISHES
• KOLMINO PATIO:
• NARGISI KOFTA CURRY:
Hard boiled egg wrapped in mince and deep fried,
when halved length wise it resembles as that of the
eyes.
• KUNDAN KALIYA:
Kaliya is a mutton preparation with the gravy with
compulsory inclusion of turmeric or saffron. The
use of gold leaf lends a touch of luxury to it. The
carefully carved mutton pieces wrapped in gold
leaf, placed on a bed of rich gravy.
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21. • NEHARI KHAAS:
The word NEHARI is derived from NEHAR or
fasting and is popular break fast item. It is
originally beef, braised and then stewed overnight,
further prepared in the morning and eaten with
kulchas. 23 different types of herbs and spices are
incorporated in it. Now a days they are made from
mutton.
• PASANDA KABABS:
It is a 2 inch square boneless cut flattened out by
beating with a blunt knife. It can be skewered or
cooked in vessel. The later method is more
common in Lucknow.
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22. • SHAMI KABAB:
It is the national kebab of the awadh. Meat
mince often stuffed with a wide variety of
fillings mainly the mango or Kari. The
texture of the kebab is extremely soft and
simply melts in the mouth.
HALEEM
A dish with wheat and mutton which is light
and yet delicious.
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23. DESINGED BY
Sunil Kumar
Research Scholar/ Food Production Faculty
Institute of Hotel and Tourism Management,
MAHARSHI DAYANAND UNIVERSITY,
ROHTAK
Haryana- 124001 INDIA Ph. No. 09996000499
email: skihm86@yahoo.com , balhara86@gmail.com
linkedin:- in.linkedin.com/in/ihmsunilkumar
facebook: www.facebook.com/ihmsunilkumar
webpage: chefsunilkumar.tripod.com
F& B (P) II
SUNIL KUMAR