The richness of the Lucknowi cuisine cannot be explained unless you try out the dishes at least once in your lifetime. Although the cultural inception of this cuisine dates back to the Nawabi era in the Awadhi region of India, its significance seeps throughout the nation and even outside the country.
Originating in Lucknow, the preparatory arrangements draw parallels with the cooking styles of the Middle East and Central Asia while targeting vegetarian and non-vegetarian indulgences with perfection.
Historical Prominence of the Lucknowi Cuisine
The culinary style adopted by the bawarchis of the Awadhi era spanned across diverse concepts and historical cooking patterns. Be it the invention of the Dum Pukht style of preparing meat and veggies on slow fire or offering a productive and sumptuous perspective towards kebabs, there are several milestones associated with the history of Lucknowi cuisine.
The richness of the Lucknowi style of cooking also spans across a wide range of recipes, including zardas, sheermals, rumali rotis, kormas, and more.
Secretive methods that make Lucknowi Cuisine worth the hype
Unlike some of the other preparatory methods and schools of cooking, the Lucknowi cuisine derives its richness from the innovative yet secretive techniques devised by the bawarchis of this era. The skill sets deployed by the rakabdars and bawarchis contributed to the grandness of this cuisine, making it worth every bit of hype.
The inclusion of tried–and–tested techniques like Gile Hikmat, Dum Pukht, Ghee Durust, and Seeni make this a cuisine worth exploring. Not just that, the difference in flavours synonymous with every dish is what makes Lucknowi cuisine standout in a world full of culinary brilliance.
To start with, the Lucknowi curries, unlike other cuisines, are mild and not overpowered with cayenne. This cooking style makes the curries easier to consume and allows us to breathe in the aroma of every spice and condiment that is being used. Besides that, every Lucknowi rice preparation is exclusive and brings in aromatic spices and ample portions of ghee to the mix. Tehri is one of the most sought-after preparations, combining clarified butter, aromatic rice, and slow-cooked veggies.
Apart from that, there are several innovative versions of breads, kebabs, and desserts that draw inspiration from the Lucknowi style of cooking.
What makes this a difficult culinary style to execute?
The Lucknowi cuisine isn’t a straightforward amalgamation of species, meat, and basic cooking styles. Moreover, unlike the Mughlai art of cooking, the style doesn’t call for overpowering usage of spices. Lucknowi cuisine uses fewer condiments, but the strategic usage of each makes it worth trying.
The Lucknowi School of Cooking is the one that brings Attar into the mix for rendering fragrance and aroma to the preparation. The perfect balance between Attar and saffron makes this a difficult art form to execute. Needless to say, a lot can go wrong with techniques involving earthen pots, slow cooking, flattened pots, and more. Moreover, cooking with dollops of clarified butter or ghee isn’t easy as the base might burn a bit.
Lucknowi Cuisine and its Global Clientele
While in India, we get a lot of trained Lucknowi bawarchis who share the same lineage and legacy as the rakabdars, bawarchis, and nanfus. The local richness and diversity of the workforce in India are hard to replicate for someone looking to start a Lucknowi startup outside the country. Lack of efficient manpower is the major reason why genuine Lucknowi cuisine is hard to get outside India.
The Lucknowi Nawabs wanted to segregate their cooking styles and attributes from the Mughlai School of Cooking. This requirement was the driving force behind the adoption of Lucknowi cuisine, preferably with Awadhi undertones. Moreover, as mentioned, the culinary methods are enriched with the perfect and restrained usage of spices and the slowest possible cooking styles, which help the bawarchis keep the juices and tenderness of the items intact.
The Lucknowi cuisine is an enigmatic experience that we all must try at least once. Be it the cooking style or the innovative usage of the marinade, several similar and even diverse aspects make this cuisine an elusive and anticipated one.
To enjoy the real experience visit Awadh at
Address:
01-33H, The Centrepoint,
176 Orchard Rd,
Singapore 238843
Phone: (+65) 93855337
Reservation: https://www.theawadh.com/
Delivery Ordering Link: https://order.theawadh.com/#/
