| Cuisine |
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The geographical location of Hyderabad has been a
major influence on its varied cuisine, which ranges from the Hyderabadi style
with its strong Mughalai influence, to a pure Andhra cuisine - hot and spicy.
Hyderabad also has a good number of places for Chinese food, and several Punjabi
'Dhabas'. For a quick meal or a snack, one has a choice between western fast
foods and the Indian 'chats'. The city has its ubiquitous Irani Hotels, serving
thousands of cups of tea everyday. For the diet-unconscious, Hyderabad probably
has the largest number of ice cream brands to offer. In addition, the city's
main shopping areas are crowded with sweet shops offering a mind-boggling
variety of sweet and snacks. The entries are listed below cuisine wise, and good
places to have them are listed under each entry in smaller print. This is in no
way an exhaustive list you are bound to find an excellent hotel which we may
have missed!
Hyderbadi
Umm! The mouth watering Shahi cuisine of Hyderabad. As soon
as a person hears the mention of Hyderabadi Biryani, he starts whetting his appetite! The
wafting aroma hits you before you set your eyes on the delicious mounds of fragrant,
steaming rice with the tempting sight of a traditionally cooked chicken peaking out! It is
so popular that it takes a special mention in the world of cuisine's. A part from this
king of the delicacies, the entire Shahi Nizam cuisine is very popular for its rich and
aromatic taste. "The food is a dream of deliciousness", said the Persian
Ambassador who came to the Qutub Shahi Kingdom in 1603. The elaborate Dastarkhan, on which
are place steaming hot dishes of dum ka murgh, a baked chicken full of savoury herbs and
spices. Lagan ke kebab, bhagare bhaingan, machili ka qualiya, mirch ka salan, haleem, and
different kinds of Biryanis severed with Bhurani. Even the
desserts are world renowned. Khubani ka meeta, badaam ki jaali, hub ke laoz, azam jahi
meetha, etc, satiate you beyond imagination.
Another speciality eaten very early in the morning is Nahari,
a curried soup of sheep's trotters and tongue. It cooks all night, and a nothing stale is
considered edible, it is served up right away in soup bowls, and you drunk in piece of
spongy Sheermahal bread. And during the festival day of Id-ul-Fitr, it is
traditional to serve sheer quorma, the delicious kheer, made with sevian,
dried fruits and dates.
This cuisine owes its origins to the Mughalai
style of cooking of the Asaf Jahi period. By carefully mellowing and nurturing
the typical Mughalai flavours with a blend of spices, the cuisine of Hyderabad
was born. While there is a certain exotic quality to some of the royal foods, it
is also known that a true Hyderabadi will go any where in the city for a well
prepared dish, however humble its origin.
For those who want a taste of the royal menu,
there is a variety of Biryanis (a rice and meat preparation, seasoned with
spices and flavourings); Kababs (meat pieces or minced meat cooked in many
different styles such as Boti Jhammi, kalmi, Shikampur, Sheek, Lagan-ke-kababs,
Dum-ke-kababs); Khormas (either meat or vegetables cooked in a rich creamy
gravy) and Lukhmi (pastry). During the month of Ramzan, one gets to taste
Haleem (a pounded wheat and meat preparation). For those who prefer more homely
food, there is Kichri (a rice a lentil preparation); Kheema methi (minced meat
with fenugreek); Nahari ( stew of tongue and lamb trotters); Rumali Rotis (bread
as thin as a handkerchief) and Chakna (a spicy dish of meat).
For vegetarians there is Bagara Baingan (a rich
spicy preparation of aubergines); Mirch-ka-salan (chillies in a creamy gravy);
Tomato kut (aromatic puree of tomato with flavourings); and Shahi dahi vadas
(lentil dumplings in youghurt sauce).
For dessert, on can have a pick from
Double-ka-meetha (a bread and cashewnut pudding); Qubani-ka-meetha (stewed
apricod dessert); Anday-ka-piyosi (made with eggs, mild, almonds and purified
butter); Badam-ki-jhab (marzipan) and Dil-e-Firdaus ( a rich, milk-based sweet).
Good Places Firdaus (Krishna oberoi, Banjara
Hills) Dhak (Gateway Hotel, Banjara Hills), Hotel Akbar (M.G.Road), Azizia Hotel
(Nampally), Hotel Madina (Pattargatti), Garden Restaurant (S.D.Road), Banjara
Darbar (Panjagutta), Hotel Parwez (Nampally). Many small hotels and restaurants
around the Charminar area also offer some authentic Hyderabadi dishes - a few of
them serve 'Haleem' throughout the year. The Chaknawadi around Charminar area is
famous for its 'Chakna', but one must go before 2.00 P.M.
Andhra & the South Indian
The Andhra cuisine is distinct for its hot and
spicy food with a range of chutneys, curries, meat preparations and pickles. One
can also taste the cuisines of Karnataka (Udipi) and Tamil Nadu - the
omnipresent dosas, idlis and vadas.
Good Places Raaga (Holiday Inn, Banjara Hills),
Amaravathi (Hyderguda), Abhiruchi (S.D.Road), Hotel Rajdoot (Lakdi-ka-pul),
Abhilasha (R.T.C x Roads), Hotel Indu Deluxe (Saifabad). For vegetarian cuisine:
Taj Mahal Hotel (Narayanguda, Koti, S.D. Road & Abids), Hotel Shanbagh (Panjagutta,
Basheerbagh), Mithila (Koti), Kamat Hotel (Nampally, S.d. Road. Saifabad)
Chinese
Hyderabad also boasts of a number of Chinese
restaurants ranging from the inexpensive to the exclusive.
Good Places Hai King (Himayatmagar), Golden
Dragon (Park lane), Blue Diamond (Fateh Maidan), Nanking (Park Lane), Kontiki (Banjara
Hills), Pearl City (S.P.Road), Alex's Kitchen (Himayatnagar), Shogun
(Hyderabad), Chung Hua (Basheerbagh), Schezwan Garden (Hotel Krishna Oberoi,
Banjara Hills).
Fast Foods
For somebody looking for a quick and filling
snack, there are many western-style fast food joints which offer pizzas,
burgers, sandwiches, etc.,
Good Places: Pick 'n' Move (Himayatnagar), Big
Mac (S.D. Road), Niralas Open House( Himayatnagar) Prabhat Fast Food (Banjara
Hills), Potluck Cafe (Gateway Hotel, Banjara Hills).
There are also several places serving Indian fast
foods. For the adventurous, the Punjabi Dhabas ont he outskirts of the city
(Hyderabad-Bombay Highway) offer a unique culinary experience. These 'dhabas'
are located on open tracts of land with benches and charpoys ( a wooden cot with
jute netting) to sit on. These offer the best in Punjabi foods - both vegetarian
and non-vegetarian. A part from these, there are quite a few places which serve
'chats' (spicy snacks) like samosas, bhelpuri, panipuri, tikki, pav bhaji, etc.
Then there are the very visible, very hyderabadi, Irani Hotels, with their
glitzy interiors and marble-topped tables. The crowd in almost all these hotels
is exclusively male. One can sit in these hotels, for hours on end, with a cup
of the spiced tea that is their speciality. The discussions in these hotels may
range from philosophy to politics to some of the latest rumours in town!
Desserts
The number of ice cream parlours seems an
ever-expanding one, with popular brands such as Kwality, Dollops, Vadilal,
Scoops, Yankee-Doodle, Jumani, Go Cool, Funn and many more. Most of these
parlours have places to sit and enjoy your ice creams. In addition, the range of
sweets and snacks available in the sweet shops - omnipresent in Hyderabad- is
bound to make one's head spin.
Good places for sweets: Santosh Sweets (Kingsway),
Bombay Halwa (Monda Market, Begumpet), Pulla Reddy (Nampally, Panjagutta),
Almond House (Himayatnagar), Balaji Bajrang (Narayanaguda), Madhuban (S.D. Road,
Khairtabad)
Pubs
Although many restaurants around the city serve
liquor, the pub culture is new to hyderbad - in fact, just over two years old.
In the brief period, at least 20 pubs have come up in the city, each having a
distinct style. The pubs, the Bier Keller for instance, is designed in the style
of a German World War II Nazi bunker! One of the largest pubs is named 10,
Downing Street!
Good Places
Bier Keller (S.D. Road), Sailor's
Inn (Paradise), Cloud 9 (Begumpet), Oaken Cask (Basheerbagh), Barrel House
Street (Panjagutta), Beat Route (Park Lane), Pivot Pub (Punjagutta), Rock Castle
(Banjara Hills), 10, Downing Street (S.D. Road), Black Cadilac (R.P.Road).
Paan
No meal in Hyderbad is complete without Paan
(betel leaf wrapped around a mixture of betelnut, aniseed, cloves, cardamom,
gulkand). There are paan shops, almost one every few metres - quite a few of
them an extension of the innumerable Irani Hotels. These shops sell a variety of
paans- the most popular being 'Meetha', 'Ram Pyare', 'Meenakshi', etc., Offering
paan is a tradition in Hyderabad and most Muslim household still keep the 'Paan
- Daan' a specially crafted silver container meant to hold all the ingredients
for making paans.
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