Tunday Kababi

                                                              
                                                            TUNDAY KABABI

Tunde ke kabab is a dish made out of minced meat which is popular in Lucknow. It is part of Awadhi Cuisine. It is said to incorporate 160 spices. Ingredients include finely minced lamb (lamb ground), plain yogurt, garam masala, grated ginger, crushed garlic, ground cardamom, powdered cloves, melted ghee, dried mint, small onions cut into rings, vinegar, sugar, lime.

The 100-year old Tunde ke Kabab in Chowk is considered the most famous outlet for choicest Kababs till date. Tunde Kabab is so named because it was a specialty of a one-armed chef. The ingredients of the Tunde Kabab's masala, which makes the Kabab unique is a guarded secret and is prepared by the women in the family.

The origin of the kabab is narrated in the form of a story. It is said that there was once a nawab (royal family member) who loved to have kababs. However, as age caught up with him, he lost his teeth and was unable to enjoy the kababs. He apparently setup a contest to seek the softest and most succulent kababs. He said that the person who makes the kabab would henceforth enjoy royal patronage. It is believed that the secret recipe was created by Haji Murad Ali, who apparently had only one hand. In India, the slang word in Hindi used to describe a person with a hand disability is tunday. It is believed that this is the origin of the name, tunday kabab. The secret recipe apparently has 160 spices, including sandalwood. The recipe is a family secret and is passed down to the generations by the ladies of the house. Haji Murad Ali initiated a small corner shop in 1905 in the criss-crossed lanes of the Chowk area, where it is still today.

Maintaining the original taste for as long as 90 years(approx.) Mohammad Usman persuaded his father Haji Rais Ahmad to move out and start a parallel outlet in Aminabad in 1996, which is now known as The Grandsons of Tunday Kababi.

Tunday Kabab's outlets are located not only in different parts of India but also in Dubai. Information about some of the noted outlets of Tunday Kababi:

• 1. Shirmal Wali Gali, Chowk, Lucknow
• 2. Naaz Cinema Road, Aminabad, Lucknow
• 3. SaharaGanj, Lucknow
• 4. Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi
• 5. Qutab Plaza Market, DLF Phase 1, Gurgaon
• 6. Indrapuram, Ghaziabad
• 7. Sector - 22, Chandigarh
• 8. KHB colony, 5th block, Koramangala, Bangalore
• 9. Civil Lines, Allahabad
• 10. Mahmoor Ganj Sigra, Varanasi 
• 11. Boring Road, Patna