Hyderabad, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, India

Rogers Park, Chicago; Elmhurst, Queens: it just wasn't enough for me. I had to move to the source to get my fix of kebabs and masalas and dosas and chutneys. I had to come to the Deccan (if the Deccan won't come to Habibi, Habibi goes to the Deccan) to learn the difference between Irani Haleem and Mashad Haleem and Hadhrami Harees during Ramzan Kareem. Does Biryani need to be dum? Is the chicken really better than the mutton here? Why did I just have one of the best Kebsa ("Arab Biryani") at a place called 4 Seasons (no relation) that also has Indo-Chinese on the menu? What is the deal with all this salan stuff?

In the next year or two I hope to answer these questions, pose more, and carve out a tiny space in LTH to showcase the culture and cookery of Hyderabad, the former Nizamate and the last independent state/principality in India long after India itself became independent. This is a marvelous city, seemingly at odds with itself, and its culinary heritage is deep and unnasaible. I hope to scratch the surface a bit and share what I can.

This should be cool.

Sounds good.

Here's a quick picture of some Irani Haleem from the well-regarded (by cab - Uber! - drivers) Shah Ghouse chain, which has several locations throughout the city. This is from the Towlichowki location.

For those that don't know (or haven't read Pigmon's excellent write-up), Haleem is a Hyderabadi dish of Arab/Persian origin, and is particularly popular during Ramadan, when the heavy, nourishing stew helps rejuvenate after a long day of fasting and fortifies the body for the day of abstinence to come. Shah Ghouse's version is a typical Irani (Persian) Haleem that eschews the pulses found in other Subcontinental Haleem's for a more traditional (and in my opinion tasty) combination of nothing but meat (mutton preferred), wheat, spices, ghee, and occasionally, dried fruit. Prepared properly, the meat and wheat combine to a thick but buttery soft paste that rolls off the side of whatever container it is in. The Irani Haleem is topped with a bit of ghee, cashews, coriander leaves or mint, and some masala. This version was supremely muttony.

That Harleem looks quite a bit darker (and richer) than the versions I have tried on Devon. I'd love to have a taste of that!

On another note, Habibi, have you moved from NYC to Hyderbad?

stevez wrote:That Harleem looks quite a bit darker (and richer) than the versions I have tried on Devon. I'd love to have a taste of that!

On another note, Habibi, have you moved from NYC to Hyderbad?

I have indeed.

The Haleem here is nothing like what I've had in the U.S. - either in N.Y. or in Chicago. Those Haleems have a distinct bean/pulse quality that the Haleem here lacks. This stuff is basically melted mutton with a bit of wheat binder. It is intensely rich and complex. Not too spicy. Very good.

Wow! tnx Habibi, this is going to be *great*!!

Geo

I'm almost as interested in the non-traditional foods of Hyderabad. Do they have cronuts? Detroit style pizza? What's the hot dog situation? The orthodox meats wouldn't seem to work. Tell us about everything! It seems to me that Hyderabad is to India what India is to the rest of the world. Watching you scratching the surface of something so vast and different will be cool. Thanks in advance.

Habibi wrote:This stuff is basically melted mutton with a bit of wheat binder.

Next flight out description....................

This is going to be interesting, looking forward to your posts.

Habibi wrote:In the next year or two I hope to answer these questions, pose more, and carve out a tiny space in LTH to showcase the culture and cookery of Hyderabad, the former Nizamate and the last independent state/principality in India long after India itself became independent. This is a marvelous city, seemingly at odds with itself, and its culinary heritage is deep and unnasaible. I hope to scratch the surface a bit and share what I can.

I hope you're enjoying your new life in Hyderabad. I'm greatly looking forward to your News from the Nizamate dispatches, and can't think of any other city I'd be more interested in hearing about.

JeffB wrote:I'm almost as interested in the non-traditional foods of Hyderabad. Do they have cronuts? Detroit style pizza? What's the hot dog situation? The orthodox meats wouldn't seem to work. Tell us about everything! It seems to me that Hyderabad is to India what India is to the rest of the world. Watching you scratching the surface of something so vast and different will be cool. Thanks in advance.

I have my fingers crossed that you'll stumble on a Hyderabadi Jim Shoe. I wouldn't be completely shocked if it's made it's way back to South Asia and, while Karachi might seem most likely, Hyderabad wouldn't be far behind.

In another thread Habibi wrote:I'm dead. Fucking dead, reading this in burger-barren India. Bravo.

Looks like you might have your first topic for the "Non-Traditional Foods of Hyderabad" thread!

I hope you are staying Hydrated.

Habibi,

In your quest for a taste of home away from home, you might find this Lucky Peach article interesting (and a warning to not bother with Dunkin Donuts "burgers") http://luckypeach.com/lunch-at-dunkin-dont-nuts/.

The online menu at Dunkin Donuts Mumbai wrote:The “Crunchy Joe Chicken” Burger

“Don’t stop yourself from biting into the crackling crunch of its buttery buns. Give in to the overload of its chunky minced-chicken sloppy-joe filling. Fall into the trap that the new Dunkin’ Crunchy Joe Burger is. Of course you’ll regret eating it. But it’ll be worth it.”

This should be fun to hear an 'outsider's' opinion on the food of my city.

FWIW, I think Hyderabadi food is the best food from India. It has a combination of north-Indian/persian food and south Indian spices that makes the food unique.

Also, there is a distinct difference in taste even between Hindu meat-centric restaurants and Muslim restaurants (or so I have been told by my meat eating friends ).

Restaurants attached to the nicer hotels are some of the better ones in the city. Unlike in the US; hotel centric restaurants in India are actually where you will find really authentic stuff.


Hope you enjoy your stay.

Addendum: the header is funny because Hyderabad is the Capital city for both Telangana and AndhraPradesh States for the next 10 years.

A long absence from the site; lost in the subcontinent, both in Hyderabad and areas around - Kerala, Goa, Hampi, Bombay, Delhi - injured in a motorcycle accident (it was bound to happen but the Enfield took it like a champion, and my ankle did too - I should be able to walk in a month).

Where to begin when re-beginning? At the source, I suppose. The center of the city that no one visits because it's too crowded. The place where even native Hyderabadis fear to tread because of crowds and cars and auto-rickshaws. Where else to begin but the feet - in this case, the hooves - the feet of the goddess/whore, shuffling to black magic, that Miles Davis articulated in the opening track to Bitches Brew, "Pharoah's Dance" ( her dance for the Pharoah, of course).

The black sheep to Hyderabad's famous brothers Biryani and Haleem is the city's most primordial (and delicious!) offering: Nihari Paya. If you are only familiar with the food of Northern India, particularly Delhi, this sounds utterly confusing. We (I) know Nihari as the long-cooked stew of beef or water buffalo shank with marrow. Paya is more familiar as the soup of trotters (beef or mutton depending on whether you are in Af-Pak or India) with a gelatinous broth and mild spicing with a hint of hoof odour).

Here in Hyderabad, the two are merged, well, in name only. We have Nihari Paya - a soup of stewed mutton hoof in a thick gravy meant to be eaten as breakfast (as Nihari is eaten - hence the moniker). Nihari, of course, is the Arabic loanword for "morning".

Shadaab Hotel in the old city is famous for it's Paya and Nihari offerings. The broth is all basically the same - an amalgam of goat extremities and other assorted parts cooked until the broth is rich with collagen, and fortified with a bit of yogurt. Shadaab offers versions with Paya (hoof), Jabda (cheek and eyeball) and Zabaan (tongue). Hell, you can get a plate of all three in one dish. Very generous, and heavy on things slimy, slippery, fonky, and just fucking deliciously intense.

Here's a plate of exactly that at Shadaab! Be sure to use the limes and the onions to temper the goat fonk. The naan served with it is perfect for sopping up goat collagen.

Finally, for now, I'll post a picture of some 12 - hour Paya that I made at home.

No dairy, just ginger/garlic, Paya spices, and a long reduction. It was delicious, probably better than Shadaab, though I had to rely on Arabic bread rather than the more traditional nan/phulka.

Hyderabad is great. I'll keep posting more regularly. Peace to Chicago, and peace in the Mil' Eas'.

Shukriya,

Habibi

Great! Always fun to read your stuff, think about your wonderful food. Don't know where we could get mutton/goat extremities around here in Montréal, but I know for a fact that piggie trotters are available. Might be interesting to try.

And, on a totally off-topic remark, I had lunch today with a new prof my wife hired into her dept, and Indian named Ferrara... but *not* from Goa. His mother's side of the family moved to Delhi 400 yrs ago and have been there ever since. It was fascinating to talk to him about his family's food, a curious blend of Portugual and the Sub-conintent. He has had great fun here in Montréal visiting our many Portuguese restaurants, finding aspects of his culinary roots.
I wonder if the Portuguese ever had any influence in your part of the country?

Hope you heal well and rapidly!

Geo