Lucknow Special: Tundey Kababi 'Ki' Secret, Recipes, Where To Eat? (2024)

How did Tunday Kebab or Kabab or Kababi come into existence? How do we make it ourselves? Where do you get authentic Kababs in Lucknow? Scroll down to know more.

Tunday Kebabs or Kababs or Kababi, are a melt in the mouth with so much history to it that you will be awestruck! Did you know it was initially made using 160 spices and while it was prepared in the Royal kitchens, it was heavily guarded?! Yes, you read that right! There is an entire history to this delicious Awadhi breakfast which is a treat that Lucknow has to offer to us all.

Lucknow Special: Tundey Kababi 'Ki' Secret, Recipes, Where To Eat? (1)

Lucknow, the city of Nawabs, is home to many poets, lyricists, org*smic food like the kebabs or like they say in the city 'kababs', biryanin and more. The history, the architectural marvels, the rich literature or their opulent culinary affair, Lucknow has so much to offer that it never ceases to charm us all.

There is loads for the vegetarians but for the non-vegetarians, this place is like Disneyland. Lucknow is loved for its meaty delights with main focus being on the succulent kebabs (Tunday, Galouti, Boti, and Chapli).

How Did Tunday Kabab Come Into Existence?

Lucknow Special: Tundey Kababi 'Ki' Secret, Recipes, Where To Eat? (2)

Did you know that this was the staple breakfast of Awadhis in the 14th century? But it was in the 17th century, that it changed to what we eat today, minced! All thanks to the toothless king. Until the 17th century, kebabs were a little chewy in texture, which was changed when Nawab Asa-ud-Daula came to power.

He was very serious about his food and took it to the next level like we like to show our best during our 'dawats' at home! So the story is that as he started getting old, he started losing his teeth. So he apparently set up a contest where the maker of the softest kababs would be rewarded and given royal patronage. From there came the famous Tunday Kababi. The famous Kebab shop by Haji Murad Ali came into being around the end of the 17th century.

Did you know that the kebabs made here are from a closely guarded secret family recipe? The women of the family make a special masala for the kababs that use 160 different spices!

Make Tunday Kababi At Home With This Recipe

Ingredients

  • Meat ½ Kg finely minced meat
  • Onions 50 gm
  • Papaya 2 tbsp
  • Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp
  • Red chilly powder 2 tbsp
  • Roasted besan 2 tbsp
  • Saffron 2 to 3 strands
  • Rose water 1/2 tsp
  • Milk powder 1 tbsp
  • Salt to taste
  • Desi Ghee to fry
  • Galawat masala
  • Jeera 1/2 tsp
  • Cinnamon stick 1 inch
  • Cloves 4-5
  • Green cardamom 4
  • Nutmeg one pinch
  • Badi elaichi 2 to 3
  • Mace (javitri) 1/4 tsp
  • Poppy seed (khas khas) 1 tsp
  • Mustard seeds ½ tsp
  • Bay leaves 2

For Dum

  • Coal 1
  • Cloves 3
  • Choti elaichi 3

Method

  • Clean the raw papaya and make a paste of the fruit and add it to in finely minced meat. Leave it for 2 hrs.
  • Roast the besan.
  • Dry roast the spices and let it cool down, then grind to a paste.
  • Now cut the onions and sautee in ghee. After it cools down grind into a fine paste.
  • Grind ginger and garlic to make a paste or use the readymade paste that you get.
  • Soak saffron in 2 tablespoon milk around 15-20 minutes before use.
  • Add roasted masala powder, onion paste, ginger garlic paste, roasted besan, red chilli powder, saffron, rose water, milk powder and salt in marinated meat.
  • Mix the ingredients very finely with the meat
  • Cover the meat and refrigerate for 4 -5 hrs.
  • Heat a small piece of coal till it starts burning.
  • Put it in a metal bowl and keep it in the center of the vessel containing meat.
  • Add some ghee and put cloves and green cardamom in it.
  • This will release pleasantly aromatic flavor and flavoured smoke into the meat.
  • Quickly cover the vessel with meat and burning coal with foil so that meat absorbs all very earthy flavour of ghee and coal.
  • Leave it covered for about 20 minutes.
  • Meat is now ready for kebabs.
  • Make flat patties of the meat.
  • Heat ghee and fry the patties on very low flame till cooked.
  • Serve it with paratha with onions lemon and mint chutney.

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Where Do You Get It In Lucknow?

The original two shops are in Aminabad and Chowk. Don't go to Sahara Ganj or all these branches as they are costlier and they are far off from the original ones.

Lucknow Special: Tundey Kababi 'Ki' Secret, Recipes, Where To Eat? (2024)

FAQs

What is the famous dish of Tunday Kababi Lucknow? ›

Lucknow's iconic eating joint Tunday Kababi, started in 1905, is famous for serving buffalo meat galouti kebab. Plate of Tunde Ke Kabab with paratha and chutney.

What is the story behind Tunday kebabs? ›

Haji Murad Ali had only one arm. When he was young, he fell from the terrace while flying a kite and lost his left arm. In vernacular, any person with a hand disability is referred to as a 'tunday'. Thus, the kebabs he made were called Tunday ke kebabs.

Who is the owner of Tunday Kababi? ›

Tunday Kababi™ | Since1905 | Co-Founder- Mohammad Usman (@tundaykababipvtltd) • Instagram photos and videos.

Is Tunday Kababi vegetarian or non veg? ›

Tunday Kababs is a Lucknow based dish which is made out of lamb. Here we give it a vegetarian twist. In this recipe, 21 distinct spaces have been used and prepared with lot marination.

What is the signature dish of Lucknow? ›

10 must-try Lucknow street food
  • Biryani. You simply cannot miss this delectable best street food in Lucknow, which is Lucknowi biryani. ...
  • Lucknowi kebab. ...
  • Chole Bhature. ...
  • Basket Chaat. ...
  • Kulcha Nihari. ...
  • Lucknowi Paan. ...
  • Sheer korma. ...
  • Chicken Shawarma.
Dec 18, 2023

Which is the most famous food Jewel of Lucknow? ›

After tunday kebabs, nahari kulcha is the second most famous food jewel of Lucknow food and cuisine. All you need to do is imagine heaven on a plate.

What does tunday mean? ›

Nawab used Ali's this disability to name the dish. Tunde is an urdu word meaning "without an arm", hence the name Tunday Kabab.

Is Tunday Kabab healthy? ›

And, Tunday Kebab is usually made with a variety of spices and is fried in oil, it can lead to indigestion, acidity, etc. Therefore, pregnant women should avoid eating Tunday Kebab. Additionally, pregnant women are recommended to eat only well-cooked meats in order prevent food poisoning.

Is kebab Indian or Arab? ›

Kebab derives from a Persian term for the dish that passed into both Arabic (as kabāb) and Turkish (as kebap). Kebabs are thought to have originated among transhumant peoples in Central Asia, whose meat-heavy diet was transformed somewhat in an urban context where vegetables were more readily available.

How old is Tunday Kababi Lucknow? ›

Tunday Kababy was established in 1905 in the crisscrossed lanes of Chowk area by Haji Murad Ali where it is still today.

Where is Galouti kebab from? ›

Galouti Kebabs were invented in Lucknow because of the Nawab's love for Kebabs. 'Galouti' means soft and these kebabs are a literal melt-in-mouth delicacy. Minced mutton meat is marinated in a host of spices and grilled or pan-fried.

Who found Kabab? ›

The word 'kebab' itself actually means 'to roast' but can also be referred to as a meat patty mixed with spices. They are thought to have originated in Turkey when soldiers used to grill chunks of freshly hunted animals skewered on swords over open field fires.

Does kebab have pork? ›

The traditional meat for kebabs is most often lamb meat, but regional recipes may include beef, goat, chicken, fish, or even pork (depending on whether or not there are specific religious prohibitions).

What is veg Galouti made of? ›

To make this dish first take, ginger garlic paste, chopped green chillies, cashew paste, salt and mashed boiled rajma. 2. To this add a corse mixture of hard spices like cloves, cardamom stick, black peppercorn and coriander seeds. 3.

What is the difference between Seekh kebab and Galouti kebab? ›

03/5. Seekh Kebabs are made on the skewer and roasted directly on the fire. Whereas, Galouti Kebabs are made on the tawa.

What is the Speciality of Tunday Kababi? ›

History says that Tunday ke kabab was made with 160 spices and was served for the last Nawab of Awadh Wajid Ali Shah. The taste of both varieties of kebab is sweet and sour at the same time with the overpowering flavor of kewra water.

What is the famous dish of mutton in Lucknow? ›

Lucknow is famous for its non-vegetarian delicacies, some of which are quite simple to make and some can be quite complex. Mutton Curry is a perfect blend of different aromatic spices and tender juicy meat. Mutton curry is usually served hot with Rumali Roti or Naan or tandoori Roti and Jeera Rice.

Why is Galouti kebab famous? ›

Their unique texture, unparalleled flavours, and rich history have captivated culinary connoisseurs and fans worldwide. The term “galouti” translates to something that melts in the mouth. True to its name, this kebab indeed dissolves in the mouth within moments, releasing an explosion of flavours on the palate.

Whose famous dish is kebab? ›

kebab, dish of Middle Eastern or Central Asian origin that typically combines small pieces of meat such as lamb or beef with vegetables on a skewer and is then grilled. Kebab derives from a Persian term for the dish that passed into both Arabic (as kabāb) and Turkish (as kebap).

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