What is the meaning of なのか in this sentences? Is it a grammar pattern?

Question

私が家でよく作るのは、生姜焼きや唐揚げ、鍋料理などです。どれも、とても簡単ですよ！どんな料理なのかを、少し説明しますね。

Answer 1

In a sense, it's a "pattern", but it's something you can analyze logically. Let's do so step by step:

• (こんな)料理だ。
  It is (such-and-such) a cuisine.
• どんな料理か？
  ^{(converted to a question using どんな)}
  What (kind of) cuisine is it?
• どんな料理なのか？
  ^{(with explanatory-no for seeking clarification)}
  What (kind of) cuisine is it?
• どんな料理なのか
  ^{(as a noun clause, aka embedded question)}
  what (kind of) cuisine it is
• どんな料理なのかを、少し説明しますね。
  ^{(the embedded question is used as the object of 説明する)}
  I'll briefly explain what (kind of) cuisine it is.