Shops and premises

Tunday KababiLucknow (Chowk and Aminabad)since 1905

Galouti kebab

The family traces the recipe to a one-armed cook, which is where the name comes from. The Chowk shop is the original, and the spice mix is not written down.

Idrees BiryaniLucknow (Chowk)

Mutton biryani cooked in a single enormous sealed degh

Sells out by early afternoon — one pot, one sitting, no reheating.

Raheem'sLucknow (Akbari Gate)

Nihari and kulcha at dawn

The kulcha is baked in a wall oven in the shop; the queue starts before six.

Ram AsreyLucknow (Chowk)since 1805

Malai gilori, makkhan malai and khurchan

A vegetarian halwai of the Nawabi period, still in the same family and the same lane.

Prakash ki KulfiLucknow (Aminabad)

Kulfi with falooda

The Chowk attar housesLucknow (Chowk)

Mitti attar, shamama and khus

Distillation happens at Kannauj; the blending, ageing and retail happen here.

SEWA Lucknow and the chikan cooperativesLucknow

Chikankari bought directly from the women who embroider it

Worth knowing about, because the contractor chain that dominates the trade pays piece rates most buyers would not knowingly support.