Your search will take you to places far and beyond. And when you want to surprise your tastebuds, you will embark on a journey for new gastronomic addresses. With the Ramadan hangover, escaping the culinary aesthetics of the Nizami city is not easy. Devi Singh samples how the erstwhile city of Nizams eats in this day and age.
She tries to put on another one slowly, dropping a convincing gaze at me but I know deep down she’s freakishly looking for my size, her face betraying the false bravado. This time to ease her desperation, I extend my left wrist and it finally fits me, wrapped nicely around with crystals, dancing and shimmering on my skin. I look at her giving me a gleeful chuckle, her faith wins me over. I pay Fatima for nothing but the confidence to have been able to sell me her bangles. I, for one, am not a jewellery person or for that matter a hue and shade person but the place manages to electrify without throwing me into psychedelia. Maybe there’s something in the air. Maybe I do know what it is.
As far as my eyes can see, the farthest of corners of the bazaar, I see beaming faces. Not because this is laad Bazaar forked out from one of the lanes of the famed Charminar but this is Ramadan at Charminar — the happy season at one of the most happening places this time of the year. They told me laad Bazaar has a history of making ladies happy, laad meaning pet pampers. I wander around to see if it can humour me. It does make for a vivid picture with its crystal bangles in sundry shades stacked neatly adorning the rows of shops, a collection so varied that it matches every mood and fancy. But it doesn’t stop at just that.
One of the fascinating aspects about the old city of Hyderabad is that it plays multiple roles at once — perfect food host, style assistant and, of course, the solace-seeker. As I continue to snake my way through these lanes, a man with a tray full of samosas walks by. The whiff stays even after he’s gone. I see a bunch of kids running to another similar looking middle-aged man selling lukhmi similar to keema samosas. The only difference, it comes in squares and is crispier. I see people lining up at food stalls and soon the eateries extend to the lanes with plastic chairs and tables being put up. The place starts to bustle with different smells and flavours of the ineluctable delicacies of the region with the crowds looking to slurp up their desires.
Even I can’t seem to tamp down my hunger. My curiosity leads me to the workshop of one of the most renowned places for haleem in Hyderabad, for that matter in India — Pista House. Going by the craze for the dish, it occurs to me that locals here enjoy their haleem more than biryani. I happen to stumble on two branches of the chain already on my way, clearly indicating the foothold they enjoy with their signature offering. I see delivery boys by the roadside in fluorescent green, ushering the cars passing by. One of them comes running to me frantically asking how much grams of haleem I need. I’m later told besides saving time by fetching haleem to the parked cars ,these young lads get jobs during the season. Happy faces for no reason. As I park my car, it is indeed a sea of people. I decide to sample some of it myself while talking to the owner Mohammed Abdul Majeed and his son Mohsi.
Initially into garment business, Majeed ventured into food in 1997 with his restaurant Pista House. Back then there was only one place in Hyderabad serving haleem — Madina hotel near Charminar — but it was Majeed and family who etched haleem in popular imagination. “We worked for three years on getting the perfect recipe by having various tasting sessions with people of all age groups,” Majeed tells me as I dig into my bowl, immersed in ghee topped with nuts and caramelised crushed onions.
The haleem mania
Calling for its origins in Saudi Arabia, the preparation boasts of spices — shahi jeera, kababchini, dalchini — with the main ingredient being pure ghee and fresh meat. In 2002, Majeed catered to a delegation of Saudi Arabia at a party thrown by the late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan and he liked the dish so much that he called for a tie-up with the postal department which turned out to be the turning point for Pista House. “People were apprehensive as to how this would happen. But we made it possible,” adds he. They manage time very well. Their haleem, simmered overnight for almost 10 hours, gets prepared by 2 pm, reaches the airport by 4 pm and gets flown to different parts of the country and the world. Today they export haleem to Saudi Arabia which is their most remarkable feat. Majeed continues, “I think the proudest achievement is exporting and serving our delicacy to the country it originated from.” Adds son Mohsi, “We don’t serve haleem, we serve love.” Agrees actor Akbar Bin Tabar, who joins us to share his love tales with Pista House’s haleem and how the place is his favourite haunt in the city. “I would say you need to taste this divine dish once in life for that ultimate experience.”
Even I can vouch for it now that I’ve tasted their love but it’s way too overwhelming for me. They even have Geographical Indication (GI) which is a tag conferred by the government to standardise a product as original based on the place of its origin. “This is our second biggest feat. Pista House’s haleem is Hyderabad’s GI tag. People think Hyderabad as the home of biryani but they are surprised when they come to know of us,” says Mohsi.
Haleem has evolved over time in this part of the country. Owing to its popularity, the city has come up with new versions of it only to keep people hooked. Some of the innovations are chicken and vegetarian. In my opinion, chicken haleem might sound like an aberration but it’s a clever take commercially speaking. It’s less time-consuming as it’s easier to break down chicken than mutton. Needs less pounding. Maybe this is why chicken haleem seems to be budding. The vegetarian version, the lesser said the better. looking and tasting more like a salaan, it exists only to appease the non-meat eating strata of the society but I wonder how many of them exist in this city that has 95 per cent of carnivores. But is there any other place that serves equally good haleem as they doIJ There are a lot of places but not as good as theirs. I sample some from Shah Ghouse, another popular chain and the difference is palpable. It’s sweeter than the previous one. And haleem is never a sweetmeat, so off it goes from my list of absolutes.
Biryani trail
Alright. I understand the city loves its haleem like crazy but what’s the use of coming to Hyderabad if I don’t hunt down the best place for some good old biryani. I start from Shah Ghouse. Their biryani menu has the likes of mutton, chicken, even prawn but I decide to go for the traditional, the mutton. What takes me by surprise is I have a bowl to myself in mere six minutes. Shows how much it’s in demand. The biryani is spicy, hot actually. However, the heat will come out slowly, won’t attack you though. Interestingly, the rice is longer than the average long rice. I talk to the manager, Rafiq, who tells me the biryanis, especially mutton, are off the rack by 9 pm. How do you manage then, I ask him. “We have to make do with chicken, egg and now even prawn is getting popular,” he says. I look at my phone, it’s past midnight and the streets, though not losing out on the vibrancy, start to dull out a bit. It’s time for me to call it a day.
The next evening my gastronomic adventure takes me to the streets of old city yet again, this time to Shadab — an old haunt for biryani lovers. The 2010 winners of best biryani in the town, the place is a name to reckon with old favourites. I order a portion of dum biryani for myself and it’s evident why it’s revered so much. They don’t have a lot of ghee running through and are pretty discerning when it comes to the usage of masala. The spices don’t hit you like the usual biryanis do. My next destination is Sarvi which has a long queue of people waiting their turns. Thank heavens they have a takeaway. I check out their menu, not so elaborate which doesn’t concern me as I’m here simply for their biryani. I again go for mutton although I wanted to try some other meat. Now, two things — their takeaway is served in a plastic tub which could have just bungled the taste a tad. But I have no option, the queue just seems to be growing and no way could I have thought of being served in a better way than this. I am also recommended Paradise, apparently the most commercially successful chains for biryani in the city with the young of Hyderabad preferring it over other eateries. I decide to give it a miss only for being too commercial. How much can I savour anywayIJ
The sweet goodies
If I had my druthers, I would rather go for afters first but to douse the fire in my belly with the spices still pitter-pattering in my mouth, I start looking for those sweet-nothings. I try khubani ka meetha at Shah Ghouse which doesn’t come across as something exotic to me but I’m not complaining as I’ve had diabetic versions of the same before. This one at least is a little toned down on the sugar.
For better desserts, I hit the century-old Hameedi bakery. History has it that the shop was named after the nickname of one of the sons of Nizam after he loved their preparations. I sample their jousi halwa, claimed to be a Turkish delicacy made from the paste of wheat grains soaked in water overnight. Another speciality is a rose petal flavoured boondi ladoos, which remind me of raspberry delice. The shop may be in a dilapidated state but you have to give it to them for their sweets. No wonder the Nizam went gaga over them and wrote a letter of appreciation which is proudly exhibited on one of the walls. They soon plan to relocate to a better place but that would cut down on the historical relevance, I feel.
From streets to the palace
It’s time for a more refined taste, away from the crowds in the serene environs of the luxe Taj Falaknuma Palace overlooking the city. To relive the royal past and to know more about the Nizami cuisine, there’s no better place than Falaknuma. My car gets parked outside from where I’m taken in a carriage to the heritage hotel. I take the steps to the impressive palace with rose petals being showered over me. Splendid indeed. Not to digress I’m here to meet Executive Chef Sajesh Nair, who is busy with the ongoing Nizami food festival. As I soak in the incredible décor of the place, he joins me for a discourse on Nizami cuisine with me sampling some of it. I ask him about how he’s managed to revive the original recipes. He tells me, “The recipes are the inheritance of the palace, documented and kept in the library, which houses more than 5,000 books. Few of the dishes have been researched upon by our team of chefs. They have gone into bylanes and houses of people in search of the most authentic flavours.”
But is the fare we get really authentic. If yes, then how muchIJ The chef explains it’s impossible to keep the recipes authentic as people won’t be able to digest the heavy food in this day and age. “The fat content is really high. Hyderabadi food is anyway known to be very rich. By the time you reach the second course, you feel full already.”
He takes me through his intriguing shikar ka khana concept which works as an experiential for the guests where they get to savour Nizami barbeque. “Back in the day when the royals set out on hunting sprees, they used to cook and eat whatever they had killed. And that’s how patthar ka gosht got invented which was game meat cooked on stone. The Deccan plateau used to get heated under a blazing sun making it easier for them to cook up a desi sizzler.” So how are they interpreting the same in their kitchensIJ “We keep a griddle on a range. On top of that, we place stones and control the temperature. Then we place the mutton, which has been marinated 48 hours. Stone retains heat, so the moment the meat is slapped on it, it gets cooked within seconds,” says he. I get an urge to try some patthar ka gosht and prompt it comes. Succulent and juicy, I can’t seem to fathom how they used to eat meat cooked on stone. I ask him how has haleem evolved and he comments, “We don’t use wooden sticks to pound the mutton in our kitchens for hygiene and health issues. The modern kitchens use pulveriser as it’s both hygienic and time-saving.” But when it comes to holding on the tradition and history, the chef is keen on offering his patrons an experience more than just a hearty meal. “I would say more than knowing the dishes in a cuisine, it’s important to know about its history and how a particular dish has evolved. like we have simple dishes like hari mirch ka gosht — something which you won’t get at a lot of places. It has got its own unique essence, the subtle flavour of green chillies, which is what takes people back to the times of the Nizams.”
The city will excite you, surprise you and definitely satisfy you with its diverse aromas, be it its old narrow lanes serving the traditional cates or the new-age eat-out hubs which act as the smorgasbord of international derivatives. It’s called a foodie’s paradise for a reason and it’s worth risking your taste buds here.