Seek sensory pleasures

I almost pinched myself to believe that I had heard it correctly... Could the piping hot, delicious-looking kulcha that had been freshly removed from the tandoor in front of me cost a mere Rs 10 a piece? Yes, it did. My big grin said it all - this was going to be one pocket-friendly breakfast.

Kulcha, which is a street-food speciality of Lucknow, is eaten along with nihari,  a spicy mutton gravy. The kulcha itself is made with a dough of atta, maida, ghee and milk. It is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and tastes more delicious after it absorbs the gravy. There are numerous eateries that serve kulcha-nihari, but the best is Rahims, located near Akbari Gate. Some people also like to eat their nihari with a saffron flatbread called sheermal.

Tummy full, it was time to explore Lucknow, and our first stop was Hazratganj. During the British rule it was used exclusively by them or by those Indians (read royalty) favoured by them. Its colonial architecture is prevalent, with Victorian lamp poles and a clock tower. On its 200th anniversary, keeping with its colonial look, all the buildings were painted in the same colour of light crème and light pink. Shopping in the evening in Hazratganj is known as ganjing in the local lingo.

Don't miss the famous ghantaghar or clock tower modelled after the Big Ben of London. Located next to the Hussainabad picture gallery, its construction started in 1881 and was completed in 1887. The clock tower was inaugurated by Sir George Couper, who was then 'commissioner of Lucknow'. This 221-feet tower is the tallest clock tower in India.

Time to eat

By now, it was afternoon and time to sample some more of the city's culinary offerings. For lunch, we headed to Idris ki Biryani at Kotwali Chowk Bazaar. This restaurant was recommended by our local guide, Mirza Atif Arshi, who was knowledgeable, patient and demonstrated ample tehzeeb (culture), which is so synonymous with Lucknow.

The dum biryani of Lucknow is well-known throughout India.

It's slow-cooked and the mutton added is of a lamb that weighs less than seven kg. The pre-cooked meat with milk is then added to the rice, which gives the biryani its superlative taste and texture. The owner of Idris ki Biryani, Mohammed Idris, is the proud custodian of the prized biryani recipe given by his father.

After lunch, we headed to buy some ittar (perfume) as we needed souvenirs to take back. Imran Abbasi of Izharson Perfumers not only explained how various perfumes are made,  but also showed, through his sher-o-shayari  in the conversations, why visitors enjoy their stay in the city of nawabs.

The perfumes are made with flowers, herbs and roots, while the exotic ones are made with seashells and deer musk. Abbasi also had a unique perfume that captured the aroma of the soil right after the first monsoon quenches the parched earth.

The basic process of perfume-making involves boiling flowers or herbs, collecting and adding distilled water to get oil and water layers, which are then separated. The process takes almost two months.

Kebab paradise

If like us, the thought of enjoying hot kebabs makes your mouth water, then you'll remain in Lucknow, the foodie paradise. Start with the famous tunday kebabs. Grandson Tunday Kababi, also near Akbari Gate, is crowded at any time of the day and exclusively offers these kebabs, relished either with sheermal or paratha  made of maida.

I found the name 'tunday' intriguing and asked Mirza about its origin. He told me that since a 'tunda' or one-armed man had invented the kebabs, they were named after him. Other popular kebabs of Lucknow are shami kebab, made with meat and eaten along with  chana ki dal, galouti kebab  - so soft that it melts in the mouth - kakori kebabs and seekh kebabs.

Dastarkhwan in Hazratganj is a popular kebab joint.

Not just foodies, even bird lovers can enjoy their Lucknow visit, courtesy the Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary. Located about 45 km  from Lucknow and spread over 246 sq km, it consists of a marshland and a lake with a mixed dry forest.

Apart from several migratory birds, the sanctuary is also home to many resident water birds, aquatic plants, fish, insects and tortoises. During winter, spotting and photographing the migratory birds from Siberia is a delight.