I have always said that I should have been born a few generations ago, either in Hyderabad or Lucknow, so that I could enjoy the decadence of life in those days. Be born in a Rich family, spend your life around the kothas of the day, keep drinking and keep enjoying life. :(
It is not that, I don't enjoy now, but I think I would have had a freer reign in enjoying life those days.
History tells us that Tehzeeb (culture) was taught to rich kids by sending them to the popular kothas.
Well....
Hyderabadi Mehman-nawazi (hospitality) is something I like and believe in. It is truly eastern, mid-eastern in soul and heart. And for this Mehman-nawazi, the food is at the core. Anyone who knows me can tell you that I am a food junkie. :)
Hyderabadi food has a rich variety to choose from and..here are some of them:
Hyderabadi Biryani has no parallels among the connoisseurs of biryani. Travelers have written that in the past a typical Hyderabadi feast would have no less than 26 different varieties of Biryani a dish which has the reputation of being an aphrodisiac. It is of course the most famous dish from Hyderabad. But history tells us that, the origins of Biryani are in left over Awadhi pullao. :)
There are many versions of how the Hyderabadi Biryani originated.
One says, the Nizam tasted common man's food and liked it so much that he called it Biryani and ordered the cooks to make it. But practically speaking, I would not imagine a Nizam ever eating common man's food.
Another version of it, which I believe is more true, is that Biryani has its roots in Awadhi pullao.
The cooks created a new dish by using left over pullao rice and meat, arranged it in layers and thus created Biryani. :)
The difference between biryani and pullao is that while pullao may be made by cooking the items together. Biryani, is used to denote a dish where the rice is cooked separately from the other ingredients.
Perhaps, equal to this rice dish, for Hyderabadis, is Haleem. The best and worst thing about Haleem is that it is largely available only in month of Ramadan. It is the best thing because people keep waiting for this month to savour this mouth-watering dish and it is the worst thing about Haleem as people who miss it in Ramzan may need to wait for a year.
A succulent dish of meat, wheat, ghee, cooked to a porridge-like consistency, its name Haleem literally means patience, because it takes long hours to prepare.
I can tell you all Hyderabadis irrespective of their faith, wait for Ramadan just to eat this.
Hyderabadi Mirch Ka Salan - Fried Peppers in a gravy sauce
Hyderabadi Bagare Baigan - Eggplant Curry
Dal Dhokli - Dumplings in Lentil Curry
Kalmi - Moong Bean (lentil) Patties
Do Pyaza - Hyderabadi Curry, with lots and lots of onions.
Double Ka Meetha - Bread Pudding
Kubani Ka Meetha - Apricots with Whipped Cream
This for me is the king of desserts. "Kubani Ka Meetha" eaten with icecream or custard.
Apart from all this, Hyderabad has a good number of Tea (Irani) Cafes and Bakeries. Because of these cafes in every nook and corner of Hyderabad, one can taste a variety of biscuits, cakes, pastries, puffs, rolls, and of course the Irani Samosas.
Snacks and Bakery items served in these Cafes are somewhat indigenous in nature. Here are a few of them for you to relish upon:
Osmania Biscuit - A typical biscuit named for the last Nizam. Served in all the cafes, bandis and tea stalls, ubiquitously.
Chand Biscuit - Another Hyderabadi biscuit. Apparently, it got the name becoasue of its shape resembling a crescent moon.
Fan Biscuit - A longish wafery biscuit.
Dilkhush - A sweet snack item which has lot of cream and other sweet stuff tucked in a bun.
Luqmi - A namkeen (salty) snack with just a little vegetable and spicy filling in a flat square patty.
Bun-Maska - Bun with butter and sugar on it.
Irani Samosas - Small crisp samosas with fired onions.
And...to top all of this is the Irani Chai.
It might have come to Hyderabad from Iran via the cafes in Bombay, but, now...it does belong to Hyderabad heart and soul.
And... the business in tea in Hyderabad. I am talking about a daily revenue of about 8-10 Crores and this in a city with an estimated population of around 8 million.
Each cup of Tea costs around 3-4 INR. Now do your own math! :)
Unique in the Irani Cafes of Hyderabad:
You go to a cafe, order tea and samosas or biscuits. The waiter brings you the tea and a plate full of samosas or biscuits. You eat as many samosas as you want and just get billed for what you have eaten.
It is not that, I don't enjoy now, but I think I would have had a freer reign in enjoying life those days.
History tells us that Tehzeeb (culture) was taught to rich kids by sending them to the popular kothas.
Well....
Hyderabadi Mehman-nawazi (hospitality) is something I like and believe in. It is truly eastern, mid-eastern in soul and heart. And for this Mehman-nawazi, the food is at the core. Anyone who knows me can tell you that I am a food junkie. :)
Hyderabadi food has a rich variety to choose from and..here are some of them:
Hyderabadi Biryani has no parallels among the connoisseurs of biryani. Travelers have written that in the past a typical Hyderabadi feast would have no less than 26 different varieties of Biryani a dish which has the reputation of being an aphrodisiac. It is of course the most famous dish from Hyderabad. But history tells us that, the origins of Biryani are in left over Awadhi pullao. :)
There are many versions of how the Hyderabadi Biryani originated.
One says, the Nizam tasted common man's food and liked it so much that he called it Biryani and ordered the cooks to make it. But practically speaking, I would not imagine a Nizam ever eating common man's food.
Another version of it, which I believe is more true, is that Biryani has its roots in Awadhi pullao.
The cooks created a new dish by using left over pullao rice and meat, arranged it in layers and thus created Biryani. :)
The difference between biryani and pullao is that while pullao may be made by cooking the items together. Biryani, is used to denote a dish where the rice is cooked separately from the other ingredients.
Perhaps, equal to this rice dish, for Hyderabadis, is Haleem. The best and worst thing about Haleem is that it is largely available only in month of Ramadan. It is the best thing because people keep waiting for this month to savour this mouth-watering dish and it is the worst thing about Haleem as people who miss it in Ramzan may need to wait for a year.
A succulent dish of meat, wheat, ghee, cooked to a porridge-like consistency, its name Haleem literally means patience, because it takes long hours to prepare.
I can tell you all Hyderabadis irrespective of their faith, wait for Ramadan just to eat this.
Hyderabadi Mirch Ka Salan - Fried Peppers in a gravy sauce
Hyderabadi Bagare Baigan - Eggplant Curry
Dal Dhokli - Dumplings in Lentil Curry
Kalmi - Moong Bean (lentil) Patties
Do Pyaza - Hyderabadi Curry, with lots and lots of onions.
Double Ka Meetha - Bread Pudding
Kubani Ka Meetha - Apricots with Whipped Cream
This for me is the king of desserts. "Kubani Ka Meetha" eaten with icecream or custard.
Apart from all this, Hyderabad has a good number of Tea (Irani) Cafes and Bakeries. Because of these cafes in every nook and corner of Hyderabad, one can taste a variety of biscuits, cakes, pastries, puffs, rolls, and of course the Irani Samosas.
Snacks and Bakery items served in these Cafes are somewhat indigenous in nature. Here are a few of them for you to relish upon:
Osmania Biscuit - A typical biscuit named for the last Nizam. Served in all the cafes, bandis and tea stalls, ubiquitously.
Chand Biscuit - Another Hyderabadi biscuit. Apparently, it got the name becoasue of its shape resembling a crescent moon.
Fan Biscuit - A longish wafery biscuit.
Dilkhush - A sweet snack item which has lot of cream and other sweet stuff tucked in a bun.
Luqmi - A namkeen (salty) snack with just a little vegetable and spicy filling in a flat square patty.
Bun-Maska - Bun with butter and sugar on it.
Irani Samosas - Small crisp samosas with fired onions.
And...to top all of this is the Irani Chai.
It might have come to Hyderabad from Iran via the cafes in Bombay, but, now...it does belong to Hyderabad heart and soul.
And... the business in tea in Hyderabad. I am talking about a daily revenue of about 8-10 Crores and this in a city with an estimated population of around 8 million.
Each cup of Tea costs around 3-4 INR. Now do your own math! :)
Unique in the Irani Cafes of Hyderabad:
You go to a cafe, order tea and samosas or biscuits. The waiter brings you the tea and a plate full of samosas or biscuits. You eat as many samosas as you want and just get billed for what you have eaten.
Labels: Hyderabad
posted by Saranga at
12:59 PM
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