The story begins in the court of Nawab Asad-ud-Daula in 17th-century Lucknow. The Nawab, despite his age and dental challenges, refused to let anything come between him and his love of good food. He challenged his royal chefs — his khansamas — to create the softest kebab ever made. One cook, Haji Murad Ali — known as Tunday, meaning one-armed — rose to the challenge. His recipe, made with finely minced meat and an extraordinary blend of spices, won the contest. The Nawab declared it the finest thing he had ever tasted.

Generations later, that same recipe is still served at the same location in Chowk. Tunday Kababi was named among the World's Most Legendary Restaurants — one of only seven Indian restaurants to make the global list.

The kebab at Tunday Kababi is made with finely pounded minced meat — traditionally buffalo — and a spice blend that is said to incorporate 160 different spices and seasonings. The exact recipe is a closely guarded family secret, passed down through three generations and never written down.

Kebabs over charcoal in Lucknow — the slow heat that creates the melt-in-mouth texture Tunday Kababi has perfected over four centuries

Tunday Kababi is the centrepiece — but Lucknow's food walk takes you through some of the most legendary Awadhi eateries in the world. Here is what you eat and where you eat it on our guided Lucknow food tour:

Bara Imambara, Lucknow — the 18th-century Nawabi monument that stands as proof of the city's extraordinary cultural and culinary heritage

Awadhi cuisine — the food of Lucknow and the surrounding Awadh region — is considered one of the most refined cooking traditions in all of India. It was developed in the royal kitchens of the Nawabs, where the emphasis was always on subtlety, fragrance and technique rather than heat and intensity.

The defining technique of Awadhi cooking is dum — slow cooking in a sealed vessel over low heat for hours. This technique allows spices to fully penetrate the meat without losing their fragrance, creating dishes of extraordinary depth. Dum biryani, dum kebabs and dum korma are the cornerstones of the tradition.

Awadhi biryani — the dum-cooked masterpiece that has defined Lucknow's culinary identity since the Nawabi era