A Royal Recipe That Won Over a Toothless Nawab
Every dish has a story, but few are as legendary as the Galawati Kebab—Tunday Kababi’s signature melt-in-the-mouth masterpiece. What began as a challenge in a royal kitchen became one of India’s most iconic kebabs, thanks to a toothless Nawab and a determined chef who believed that flavour should never have limits.
Table of Contents
- The Nawab Who Sparked a Culinary Revolution
- The Birth of Galawati Kebab
- Secrets of the Legendary Texture
- Why It Still Reigns Supreme Today
- Taste the Legend in Dubai
The Nawab Who Sparked a Culinary Revolution
The story goes back over 120 years to the court of Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula, a lover of fine food who, in his later years, lost his teeth but not his appetite. Frustrated that he could no longer enjoy the traditional coarse kebabs of the time, he issued a royal challenge: create a kebab so soft it wouldn’t require chewing—but make it worthy of a Nawab’s table.
It wasn’t just about tenderness. The Nawab demanded depth of flavour, perfect balance of spices, and a regal finish. Dozens of chefs took up the challenge, but only one recipe captured it all—and that came from Haji Murad Ali, the founder of Tunday Kababi.
The Birth of Galawati Kebab
The word “Galawati” comes from the Urdu word galawat, meaning softness. And true to its name, the Galawati Kebab was designed to dissolve on the tongue. Using finely minced buffalo meat and over 100 hand-pounded spices, Murad Ali crafted a kebab that didn’t just meet the Nawab’s demand—it became his favourite.
Legend has it that the chef, having lost an arm in his youth, prepared the spice blend with just one hand. His nickname—“Tunday”—became the name of a culinary legacy that lives on today in Dubai.
Secrets of the Legendary Texture
The melt-in-your-mouth texture isn’t magic—it’s mastery. The meat is ground multiple times to achieve an ultra-fine consistency, then mixed with raw papaya, which acts as a natural tenderiser. The spice blend is complex but balanced, using cardamom, nutmeg, clove, saffron, and rose water among others.
Each kebab is shaped by hand and shallow-fried on a flat tawa until just cooked through. The result? A kebab that’s crisp on the outside, pillowy inside, and packed with so much aroma and flavour, it barely needs chutney.
Why It Still Reigns Supreme Today
More than a century later, the Galawati Kebab is still a bestseller—not just because of its story, but because it delivers on every promise. It’s soft, spiced, and timeless. At Tunday Kababi Dubai, we continue the same recipe with the same respect for craft.
Whether you’re a first-timer or a lifelong fan, this is a kebab that invites reverence. It’s not fast food. It’s slow history, seared and served.
Taste the Legend in Dubai
Al Hudaiba Awards Building, Al Mina Street, Jumeirah Dubai
Come experience the kebab that started it all. The one that turned a royal request into a culinary institution. The Galawati Kebab at Tunday Kababi isn’t just food—it’s folklore on a plate.
