No biryani? Never mind

Hyderabadi home recipes make way into fine dining restaurants

tala huwa arbi

Move over biryani and let the whiff of other good food that constitutes the most talked about in Hyderabadi cuisine tickle our sense of smell and taste. For years together ‘Hyderabadi Dum Biryani’ ruled our palates while the other dishes struggled and remained confined to the home kitchens and with the shadi ka khansamas .

The wait was long but worth it; the outcome is a lip-smacking one. After an initial slow push, Hyderabadi cuisine now finds exclusive mention on the menu with dishes that range from marag to khatti dal to tala hua arbi . No wonder restaurants like Soda Bottle Openerwala, the place which introduced food lovers in the city to Parsi food now has an exclusive menu section for Hyderabadi dishes which are usually prepared on special occasions like festivals.

Shaaz Mahmood who decided to try this at Soda Bottle Openerwala got the recipes from his family and friends. He says, “I also made my family and extended family experts to come and cook so that my chefs could follow the process and keep the flavours as authentic and homely as possible. It is a laborious process, but it tastes equally good. We have decided to feature everything from

lukmi ,

marag ,

zaban curry to

nihari and a combo of

khatti dal ,

bagara khana and

tala hua ghosht . Surprisingly, on the first few days, the crowd that tried this food were all from the city with their guests from other cities. Which means there is a dearth of places where genuine Hyderabadi food other than biryani is available.

How and why biryani became famous no one can say, but its popularity definitely overshadows other dishes. “As a chef there is a need to re-invent and revisit our native dishes. We tried a lot of dishes to test the waters. The response has been good and that made us create space for Deccani Cuisine in our menu. No one is bored of biryani but they will not mind something more exciting,” says chef Chalapati Rao of Simply South.

It is no secret as to why everyone wants to be invited to a wedding in a Muslim household. Wedding and family functions are occasions when every house prepares its own signature dish or dishes, “which is impossible for anyone else to taste or relish on an ordinary day.

‘Aish’ in The Park is a signature Hyderabadi restaurant so we had to go beyond biryani. To be able to give more and better, we have a thali that helps diners sample several signature dishes,” says chef Mandar Sukhtankar.Could that be the reason why standalone restaurant Chicha’s is frequented by all to taste their shadi ka red chicken and achari mutton? “Shaadi ka red chicken is not easily available everywhere but is a must at Muslim weddings. Everyone loves it and to stay ahead of the rest we have decided to feature it on our menu,” says Fauzan Khan, a partner at Chicha’s.

The Hyderabadi menu can be exhaustive, but is best finished with the ever popular Khubani ka meetha for dessert.