Best Biryani in Lucknow
Think biryani and you immediately think of Lucknow, the land where the art of dum-cooked biryani has been refined to the point of perfection. The City of Nawabs is also the land of tehzeeb and rich hospitality and everyone who comes to Lucknow is welcomed with a smile and delicious platters of Awadhi delicacies with the constant refrain of aur lijiye na! If you are planning to visit the city of Nawabs and wondering where to get the best biryani in Lucknow, keep reading.
Additionally, no true Lakhnawi feast can be said to be complete without a platter of fragrant biryani that contains delectable treasures in the form of heavenly-spiced pieces of juicy chicken or mutton. Unlike its counterparts in Hyderabad or other parts of India, Lakhnawi Dum Biryani is known for its subtle flavours and rich aroma that permeates the air with the scent of saffron and an exotic mix of whole spices. Got you drooling, did we?
Local legend has it that the method of “dumpakht” or dum-cooking evolved when the Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula ordered the construction of Asafai Imambara to provide employment to his subjects during a particularly severe famine. The workers were also provided with food, as the Nawab who instructed his cooks to provide them with piping hot, nourishing fare.
The cooks found an ingenious way to provide piping hot meals to the workers by cooking them slowly in clay pots over coals. They would also cover the clay pot and seal any gaps with dough and add a few hot coals on top. Thus, the Lakhnawi dum-cooked biryani was born, out of necessity and the generosity of a great ruler.
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So, without any further ado, here are 7 legendary places to eat the best biryani in Lucknow and experience the true essence of “dumpakht” biryani.
1. Idris ki Biryani
If you like mutton in your biryani and like your rice to be well-flavoured and cooked in decadent amounts of fat then a visit to Idris should definitely be a part of your itinerary. Located in Old Lucknow, Idris is an unassuming eatery serving generous platters of the best mutton biryani in Lucknow. Even though they are known more for their rich mutton biryani with tender pieces of slow-cooked mutton, their chicken biryani is equally delicious. Why not enjoy the best of both worlds, we say and order a plate of each?
However, make sure you reach there early in the morning as they start selling quite early and make limited quantities. While we can’t guarantee that your efforts will meet with success but if they do, we can definitely guarantee that the taste will be worth it.
Where: Jauhari Mohalla, Raja Bazar, Chowk, Lucknow.
2. Wahid Biryani
A Lucknow institution, Wahid Biryani has been serving well-heaped platters of tender meat amidst aromatic, well-seasoned rice since 1955. You can enjoy the dum biryani with a variety of raitas, salad, and Salan or gravy alongside sizzling Awadhi kebabs and parathas. We recommend having the biryani with a healthy helping of green chutney to take things up a notch!
Where: Old Nazirabad Road, Mohan Market, Aminabad, Lucknow.
3. Lalla Biryani
Another celebrated spot on the list of best biryani in Lucknow, Lalla’s Biryani is known for its well-tenderized meat and perfectly spiced rice. Just imagine a world filled with the aroma of fragrant spices and piping hot plates stacked with multicoloured rice, each colour representing a different spice and flavour.
Wait, we are not done! These fragrant mountains of rice hide succulent pieces of beautifully cooked meat waiting to be discovered just below the surface. Find your mouth-watering at the mere thought? Then make it a point to try their biryani on your next visit to the city,
Where: Bal Mukund Bajpai Marg, Chowk, Lucknow.
4. Dastarkhwan
Dil Ne Dastarkhaan Bichhaaya, Daawat-E-Biryani Hai!
This popular Awadhi restaurant definitely offers its patrons a delicious spread of pure Laknawi delights including Galouti Kebab and Chicken Masala. It should come as no surpise that their biryani is regarded amongst the best spots to try dum biryani in Lucknow. The biryani comes with juicy pieces chicken or mutton nestled amidst spiced long-grained rice and tastes delicious with both raita or spicy green chutney.
Where: 29, BN Road, Lalbagh, Lucknow.
5. Naushijaan
This popular outlet in Hazratganj lies in a street food lane frequently visited by the city’s young crowd for authentic Awadhi food. The biryani at Naushijaan is made using the traditional “dumpukht” style and transport you back to the decadent day of the Nawabs. Offering a wide variety of dishes and cooking techniques, Naushijaan also serves biryani form other regions including Hyderbadi, Deghi, and Bukhari. While you are there, don’t forget to try their melt-in-your-mouth Seekh and Kakori Kebabs.
Where: Tulsi Theatre Building, Hazratganj, Lucknow.
6. Sakhawat Restaurant
Famous for its kebabs, Mutton Chap, and mutton Boti Kebab, Sakhawat Restaurant is another place in Lucknow that serves lip-smacking dum biryani in Lucknow. The meat is tender and succulent, the rice is well-flavoured but less oily and packs a punch of flavour, need we say more?
Where: Near Oudh Gymkhana Club, Kaiserbagh Officer’s Colony, Lucknow.
7. Tunday Kababi
Whether you are looking for melt-in-your-mouth Galouti Kebabs or flavoursome Biryani, no culinary tour of Lucknow is complete without a visit to the fabled Tunday Kebabi and trying their wide array of spiced meat kebabs and of course, dum biryani!
Where: Mohan Market, Aminabad, Lucknow.
So, which place do you think serves the best biryani in Lucknow?
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