Hyderabadi food lies at the intersection of Nizam-influenced history, Deccani traditions, and the love of grandmothers who painstakingly continue to perfect the recipes that have come down through the family’s lineage.
I like to think of the city’s eateries as time warps, harkening back to simpler times.
Bold flavours befriend slow-cooking techniques, lending Hyderabad a culinary identity that goes beyond its eponymous biryani(rice cooked in spices and layered with marinated meat). Here’s feasting our way through the city’s most iconic (and perhaps) unheard dishes.
1. Jouzi halwa
While Hyderabad’s markets are pulsating with confectionery shops, a century ago, there weren’t many of these. And so, when a young Mohammed Hussain set up Hameedi Confectioners around 125 years back, it became one of the city’s first sweet shops — and quickly drew the attention of the Nizams (rulers of Hyderabad).
The story goes that Hameedi Confectioners was christened by one Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII, after he feasted on the sweets and declared jouzi halwa (a rich, nutty dessert with a fudge-like texture) his favourite. Since then, the halwahas remained at the heart of the city’s gastronomic legacy.
The family claims that the spices are imported from Turkey, mixed with milk, ghee, sugar, saffron, and dry fruits, and cooked for nine hours. While it is the poster boy on the menu, the saffron ashrafi (traditional non-baked Hyderabadi delicacy moulded in the shape of gold coins) attracts quite a fan following too.
2. Muddapappu avakai annam
The Telugu Medium Kitchen in Hyderabad’s Jubilee Hills is lauded for its inventive take on classical dishes, while staying true to tradition.
While you’re bound to love any pick of Andhra food from the menu, we hear that the avakaya(raw mango pickle) and the muddapappu avakai annam (avakaya pickle mixed with a basic dal) are stellar picks.
3. Apricot Delight
Whoever knew that a dessert prepared for a kitty party would soon sneak its way into the city’s menus? That’s the fate of the Apricot Delight, which was introduced to the city by the founder of The Spicy Venue in Jubilee Hills in 2001.
The Apricot Delight is the trademark dessert at The Spicy Venue. Photograph: (Instagram: @hyderabadfoodtrip)
It was a take on the qubani ka meetha (a Hyderabadi classic made by slow-cooking dried apricots, served with thick cream and garnished with almonds). The Apricot Delight is a thick, creamy custard variation of the classic.
4. A Hyderabadi feast
Nostalgia is a by-product of Dilnaz Baig’s cooking. She identifies as a connoisseur of authentic, Hyderabadi cuisine and puts out a feast for her guests at her home in Banjara Hills.
Blogger Sam Mendelsohn, who partook in this feast on his trip to India, can’t stop singing praises of Dilnaz’s food in his blog, where he writes, “The food is truly unique and distinctive, and I’m not sure a single dish I had is possible to find in a restaurant, or if you do find it in a restaurant it is likely to lack the same authenticity and craft.”
A Hyderabadi feast. Photograph: (Sam Mendelsohn)
He particularly swears by the vegetarian marag(a vegetarian spin on the Hyderabadi soup made from slow-cooked mutton with bone), aloo pasanda (a curry made with sautéed potato slices), and mirchi ka salan (a popular Hyderabadi spicy curry made with chillies and simmered in a gravy of peanuts, sesame seeds, and coconut).
5. Bamboo chicken
The bamboo chicken at Ulavacharu, Hyderabad, comes highly recommended by seasoned food blogger Kripal Amanna. You’re bound to feel like you’ve just stepped into a soap opera of flavours as you feast on the appetiser, which is cooked in a bamboo stalk.
Other menu items he recommends are Bangla kodi(popular, spicy, and crispy South Indian snack featuring marinated chicken pieces) and junnu(a sweet pudding made from colostrum).
6. Egg barfi
For anyone who claims that the city needs to embrace a little bit of innovation with tradition, the desserts created at Meethe Miya are a cogent argument. The outlet was started with the intention of giving Hyderabadi classics a new twist.
One of the best-selling desserts on the menu, with a cult following, is the egg barfi. It comes recommended by chef and restaurateur Yajush Malik, who is all love for the “bread and butter pudding walacustard meets mithai”.
7. Pathar ka gosht
While Bade Miyan does a stellar pathar ka gosht, there are a number of places that do equally compelling versions of this dish. The classic Hyderabadimutton isprepared on a heated granite slab (in Urdu, patharmeans ‘stone’ and goshtmeans ‘meat’).
The reasoning behind using granite is for a uniform distribution of heat, allowing the meat to cook slowly and evenly without burning. This imparts a subtle smoky aroma, a lightly charred crust, and seals in the juices, keeping the meat tender and succulent.
