60 Min
GF
NF
Galouti Kebabs
In a world of expanding wellness, longevity pursuits, and intermittent fasting, I bring you a story of unabashed indulgence from a different era and place. Lucknow, a northern city in India was well known during the Mughal empire for its artistic splendor in textiles, music, architecture, and food. The Mughals, mostly Persian descendants, had declared themselves landed aristocracy for a few hundred years before the predatory eyes of the British had descended upon the country. At the time, Lucknow was ruled by a series of Nawabs, princes of sorts, who led lives of resplendent luxury. Abstinence or restraint was not the order of that time.
A noteworthy Nawab during late-seventeen hundreds was Asaf-ud-Daula, a man known for his generosity and a notorious obsession for royal edifices and rich cuisine, particularly kebabs. During his reign, Lucknow reached the epitome of architecture with beautiful palaces, roads, and gardens. He commissioned the building of his court, the Imambara with excruciating details, where the largest arched roof built from brick and limestone, without a single beam, still stands today. An entire team of cooks was commanded to create daily changing aromatic stews, breads, and kebabs. These are the decades when Persian and Indian cooks came together to create Mughlai cuisine, still beloved in India. Legend has it that due to his overindulgences, early in his forties, the Nawab lost almost all his teeth and the ability to chew food, yet his love for kebabs did not wane. Anxious to please their beloved leader, the cooks, using papaya to tenderize the meat, concocted a kebab so soft that it required no chewing and would literally melt in his mouth. The Galouti (means melt-in-your-mouth) kebab was born and has remained a popular kebab in India ever since. The Nawab led a short but glorious well-lived life and is buried in his beloved Imambara.
In a world of expanding wellness, longevity pursuits, and intermittent fasting, I bring you a story of unabashed indulgence from a different era and place. Lucknow, a northern city in India was well known during the Mughal empire for its artistic splendor in textiles, music, architecture, and food. The Mughals, mostly Persian descendants, had declared themselves landed aristocracy for a few hundred years before the predatory eyes of the British had descended upon the country. At the time, Lucknow was ruled by a series of Nawabs, princes of sorts, who led lives of resplendent luxury. Abstinence or restraint was not the order of that time.
A noteworthy Nawab during late-seventeen hundreds was Asaf-ud-Daula, a man known for his generosity and a notorious obsession for royal edifices and rich cuisine, particularly kebabs. During his reign, Lucknow reached the epitome of architecture with beautiful palaces, roads, and gardens. He commissioned the building of his court, the Imambara with excruciating details, where the largest arched roof built from brick and limestone, without a single beam, still stands today. An entire team of cooks was commanded to create daily changing aromatic stews, breads, and kebabs. These are the decades when Persian and Indian cooks came together to create Mughlai cuisine, still beloved in India. Legend has it that due to his overindulgences, early in his forties, the Nawab lost almost all his teeth and the ability to chew food, yet his love for kebabs did not wane. Anxious to please their beloved leader, the cooks, using papaya to tenderize the meat, concocted a kebab so soft that it required no chewing and would literally melt in his mouth. The Galouti (means melt-in-your-mouth) kebab was born and has remained a popular kebab in India ever since. The Nawab led a short but glorious well-lived life and is buried in his beloved Imambara.
60 Minutes
5
Notes & Variations
- Try to use meat that has 80-85% fat; if the meat is too lean, the kebab may turn out dry.
- Papaya is a wonderful meat tenderizer therefore these kebabs are super tender and soft – for firmer kebabs or to use them as sliders or hamburgers, cut the papaya quantity in half.
- If you do not have cardamom, replace with cinnamon and substitute 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg for the mace.
Notes & Variations
- Try to use meat that has 80-85% fat; if the meat is too lean, the kebab may turn out dry.
- Papaya is a wonderful meat tenderizer therefore these kebabs are super tender and soft – for firmer kebabs or to use them as sliders or hamburgers, cut the papaya quantity in half.
- If you do not have cardamom, replace with cinnamon and substitute 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg for the mace.
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A handmade spice box containing chai masala, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, whole black peppercorns, whole green cardamom pods with a few black cardamom pods, garam masala, mace pods and nutmeg.
A handmade spice box containing red chile, turmeric, black pepper, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, amchur and garam masala.
Tags:
Stock Your Pantry
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