The story
Galouti kebab is a jewel of Awadhi cooking from Lucknow, the old capital of the nawabs of Awadh. The story goes that an ageing nawab who loved kebabs but had lost his teeth asked his kitchen for one he could eat without chewing. His cooks answered with patties of very finely minced, tenderised meat blended with a long list of spices, so soft they dissolve on the tongue; 'galouti' comes from a word for melting. Accounts differ over whether the nawab was Asaf-ud-Daula or Wajid Ali Shah. Lucknow's Tunday Kababi, serving since 1905, helped make the kebab famous far beyond the city.
Rival claims
Accounts differ over which nawab (Asaf-ud-Daula or Wajid Ali Shah), but all place it in this city.
Also known as galawati kebab, galauti kebab, galouti kabab, Tunday kebab.
On the Meridish menu
Galouti kebab was the starter course on menu No. 27 on October 27, 2026. Its clue in the game, which hints at the place without naming it:
Melt-in-the-mouth patties of minced meat and dozens of spices. Royal cooks here created them for a nawab who had lost his teeth and could no longer chew.
In Meridish, every dish is pinned to the town or city most widely credited with creating it. A guess within 25 km scores all 100 points. How scoring works.
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galouti_kebab
- homegrown.co.in/homegrown-explore/the-fascinating-origins-of-lucknows-famous-galouti-kebabs
Food history is often disputed. Think we've pinned it in the wrong place? Tell us at hello@meridish.com, ideally with a source.
