Hyderabadi
The non-vegetarian fare of Hyderabad is much sought after not only by the local people but those from other parts of the country and the world. The Biryani of Hyderabad is unrivalled and tourist make it a point to have their fill during their trip here. The typical Hyderabadi meal would be at a ‘chowki’. And 8 people sit around a channi or white sheet. For starters, ‘shorbas’ or soups can be had with chicken or mutton bone soup being the non-vegetarian ones or tomato being used for vegetarian.
Then come large pieces of curried chicken that can be eaten with ‘sheetmal’, a local bread, or ‘Khulcha’, leavened bread stuffed with minced meat. Biryani is served as the main course, to be eaten with the accompanying mirchi-ka-salam. At such dinners, Biryani is not placed on the ‘chowki’ but brought in after people have had their starters and are ready to have a go at the main course. Thus it is brought straight out of the Deg and is steaming hot.
Parts of the country but the Hyderabadi variety stands out.
On special occasions like the holy month of Ramzan for Muslims, special dishes are prepared. Haleem is a favourite and many people prefer to break their day-long fast with it after pryers. Haleem is small pieces of mutton cooked along with pounded wheat and spices over a slow fire throughout the day, so that by evening the meat is extremely tender. Chicken Haleem and beef Haleem are also made. In the Old City of Hyderabad, especially places like Barkas, beef is used instead of mutton.
The sweet could be ‘double-ka-meetha’ (made of bread) or ‘qubani-ka-meetha’ (made with dried apricots).
Of course, there are other variations for the start with kababs or ‘marak’, an Arabian stew with large chunks of mutton. The Hyderabadis also have a number of ways of preparing mutton dishes. Marinated chunks of mutton are roasted on a stone over a fire and this is known as ‘patthar ka gosht’. Of course ‘tandoori chicken’ is cooked in other.
Haleem is generally consumed during Ramzan to break the fast. ‘Nahari’ or ‘Paya’ is consumed in the morning before commencement of the fast. Nahari is a soup made with trotters and tongue of lamb while paya is just the hoof part boiled in a stew overnight with appropriate spices. It is eaten with sheermal.
Most of the Hyderabadi cuisine is available in ‘Irani’ restaurants that employ local cooks in all parts of the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The Old City too has popular eating joints. Multi-cuisine restaurants too serve ‘ Moghlai’ food but it does not equal the food available in local restaurants.
For the vegetarians, there is a bagara rice that can be had with mirchi-ka-salan or ‘bagara baingan’, aubergines (brinjals) cooked in a spicy tamarind gravy. At times, there is ‘bagara kerela’ or ‘khatti dal’ or ‘kaddu dalcha’, liquid dal, to go with the vegertarian fare. Hyderabadi cooking takes to a lot of sour taste along with the spice and local greens are used to give it this tang. A summer speciality is ‘chugar’ or ‘chinta chiguru’, tender leaf of the tamarind tree, which has a mild sour taste. It is used either in dal or to give a sour tinge to non-vegetarian cooking.
Then come large pieces of curried chicken that can be eaten with ‘sheetmal’, a local bread, or ‘Khulcha’, leavened bread stuffed with minced meat. Biryani is served as the main course, to be eaten with the accompanying mirchi-ka-salam. At such dinners, Biryani is not placed on the ‘chowki’ but brought in after people have had their starters and are ready to have a go at the main course. Thus it is brought straight out of the Deg and is steaming hot.
Parts of the country but the Hyderabadi variety stands out.
On special occasions like the holy month of Ramzan for Muslims, special dishes are prepared. Haleem is a favourite and many people prefer to break their day-long fast with it after pryers. Haleem is small pieces of mutton cooked along with pounded wheat and spices over a slow fire throughout the day, so that by evening the meat is extremely tender. Chicken Haleem and beef Haleem are also made. In the Old City of Hyderabad, especially places like Barkas, beef is used instead of mutton.
The sweet could be ‘double-ka-meetha’ (made of bread) or ‘qubani-ka-meetha’ (made with dried apricots).
Of course, there are other variations for the start with kababs or ‘marak’, an Arabian stew with large chunks of mutton. The Hyderabadis also have a number of ways of preparing mutton dishes. Marinated chunks of mutton are roasted on a stone over a fire and this is known as ‘patthar ka gosht’. Of course ‘tandoori chicken’ is cooked in other.
Haleem is generally consumed during Ramzan to break the fast. ‘Nahari’ or ‘Paya’ is consumed in the morning before commencement of the fast. Nahari is a soup made with trotters and tongue of lamb while paya is just the hoof part boiled in a stew overnight with appropriate spices. It is eaten with sheermal.
Most of the Hyderabadi cuisine is available in ‘Irani’ restaurants that employ local cooks in all parts of the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The Old City too has popular eating joints. Multi-cuisine restaurants too serve ‘ Moghlai’ food but it does not equal the food available in local restaurants.
For the vegetarians, there is a bagara rice that can be had with mirchi-ka-salan or ‘bagara baingan’, aubergines (brinjals) cooked in a spicy tamarind gravy. At times, there is ‘bagara kerela’ or ‘khatti dal’ or ‘kaddu dalcha’, liquid dal, to go with the vegertarian fare. Hyderabadi cooking takes to a lot of sour taste along with the spice and local greens are used to give it this tang. A summer speciality is ‘chugar’ or ‘chinta chiguru’, tender leaf of the tamarind tree, which has a mild sour taste. It is used either in dal or to give a sour tinge to non-vegetarian cooking.
