Eating your way through Lucknow

Lucknow is the undisputed king of UP cuisine. Hopping in and out of traditional roadside eateries giving you an opportunity to try a variety of different local delicacies. While we often hear only about its kababs, here we look at its vegetarian delights.

Dahi jalebi–khasta

Days do not start in Lucknow without the staple naashta of dahi-jalebi. No matter what time of the year, the weather or the day of the week, every morning, pushcarts making fresh jalebis and khasta magically spring up across the city. Where there are no carts, there are shops. The crispy and small jalebis here are best eaten with creamy yogurt set in clay pots. The spicy and soft khasta is served with a dry preparation of potatoes laced with chilli, asafoetida, and dry mango powder. You can top this off with a hot cup of tea or a cold glass of lassi depending on the season.

Poori - kachauri

You cannot go to Lucknow and not eat their iconic pooris and kachauris. Another staple in the city, these serve as lunch time indulgences and are eaten with a runny and tangy potato curry, a dry preparation of pumpkin and sonth, a special sweet chutney made with tamarind, jaggery and dried ginger powder. While every home has its own recipe of the dish, some shops here are so famous that even homemakers rely on them to feed their guests. The pooris come soft and luscious and the kachauris are crisp and crunchy. Best eaten fresh at the small establishments that make a meal of poori-kachauri-aloo is flavourful, full-bodied, and very, very satisfying.

Chaat

Just like a day in Lucknow would not start without jalebi-dahi, it does not end without a plate or two of chaat. There is nothing a true-blue Lakhnavi loves more than a lip-smacking plate of chaat. Pani ke batashe, aloo ki tikki, nimbu ki matar, dahi chutney ke batashe, suhaal, palak ki chaat, the list of offerings here is endless as are the flavours and textures. Whether it is the blandness of the mashed peas against the tang of the lemony jaljeera water, or the crispness of the fried potato patty against the softness of beaten curd, the textures will have you hooked and so will the flavours. Once you have tasted the chaat of Lucknow, you will be ruined forever.

Mithai

People in Lucknow take their sweets seriously. Delicate and fine, the mithais are considered a part of Lakhnavi heritage. Be it the soft and flowing doodh ki barfi, the robust motichoor laddoos, or the indigenous malai ki gilori, every mithai here is a revelation. While the repertoire of sweets here is so wide that it can take months to taste the sweets here, there are also other desserts the people of Lucknow take pride in: kulfi, especially from the old city and malai makkhan, a frothy dessert made only in winter, are things you will come back for again and again.