Lucknow, India —
A plate of buffalo galawati kebabs arrives at the table at Tunday Kababi, a famous restaurant in Phool Wali Gali, a narrow lane in Lucknow’s old quarter.
Diners tear off pieces of paratha, a flat bread, and scoop up the tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat. Nearby, cooks continuously shape and shallow-fry fresh batches of kebabs.
It’s a scene that has played out every day for generations in a city many Indians consider one of the country’s greatest culinary capitals.
Yet beyond this South Asian nation’s borders, Lucknow has remained largely absent from global conversations about food, overshadowed by destinations such as Delhi and Mumbai despite being the historic center of Awadhi cuisine.
