Like various other art forms, the culinary art of Lucknow was also raised to a fine art under royal patronage. A favorite past time of the nobility of Awadh was perfecting the art of cooking.

The bawarchis and rakabdars of Awadh, by their expertise of blending spices, achieved a high degree of finesse in cooking and presentation of food that took culinary art to the highest realms. This gave birth to the dum style of cooking or the art of cooking over a slow fire, which hasbecome synonymous with Lucknow today.

The bawarchis of Awadh transformed the traditional dastarkhawan with elaborate dishes llike kababs, kormas, kaliya, nahari - kulchas, zarda, sheermal roomali rotis and warqi parathas. The richness of Awadh cuisine lies not only in the variety of cusine but alos is the ingredients used in creating such a variety.

Naharia hot favourite of Awadh is a meat preparation with thick spicy gravy. In Pai ki Nahari leg and other bones are cooked and bone juice is mixed with a mouth watering gravy. Nahari was originally a beef preparation eaten with Kulchas. Now - a - days mutton is used instead of beef Nahari is still served in Lucknow is the Rahim's shop inside Akbarigate which has produced some of the best Nahari dishes for the past five generations.

Lucknow is also proud of its Kababs. The Kakori Kababs, Galawat ke Kababs, Shami Kababs, Boti Kababs, Patili- ke Kababs, Ghutwa Kababs and Seekh Kababs are among the known varities. The 100 years old Tunde ke Kabab in chowk is the most famous outlet for choicest Kababs even today.

Korma a prepation of meat in gravy was an essential item of the Awadh dastarkhwan 'Biryani' was yet another item cooked in Dum style. Te method imparted a typical Awadhi flavour to this rice preparation. The warqi paratha and sheermals are other sumptuous dishes of Lucknow that are simply a gourmet's deligt.