Taste the Hyderabadi Biryani

The list of Hyderabadi cuisines run deliciously endless, but undoubtedly who savour the taste of some of the dishes will agree with me that jewel in the crown is biryani. An authentic Hyderabadi meal is never completed without the biryani. Biryani is the dish that originated from Persia and introduced in India by Mughal emperor Aurangazeb, when he invaded Deccan in 1686. The Nizam of Hyderabad’s kitchen is said to have served 49 kinds of biryanis made with delicacies like quail, deer, prawns and hare. Historians also believe that the Nawabs of Hyderabad wore different turbans, each corresponding to a specific type of biryani.

The royal dish is also made by different royal ingredients such as basmati rice, spices, meat and yogurt, this royal dish is cooked in two different styles, namely the Kacchi Yakhni and Pakki Yakhni. In the Kacchi Yakni style (with raw gravy), the raw marinated meat and semi-cooked rice are layered and then baked by the ‘dum’ process. The ‘dum’ baking process consists of putting hot charcoal on top of the pot as well as the bottom so as to provide heat from both sides.

In the Pakki Yakhni style (with cooked gravy), the ingredients are precooked before they baked. The Katchi Yakhni Biryani is what is commonly served in the twin cities. Hyderbadi biryani is a full meal in itself, accompanied by mirchi ka salan and raita. It doesn’t require any other accompaniment.

Biryani is so synonymous to the Hyderabadi culture that both are said in one breath. There isn’t a single lane or bylane in the twin cities that doesn’t offer it. It is therefore, pure sacrilege to visit Hyderabad and not feast on its scrumptious biryani.

Top 3 Places to Feast on Biryani

• Hyderabad House
• Green Park
• Paradise Persis
• Fusion 9

Marrakech’s Jemaa el Fna

Marrakech’s main square has always been the city’s showcase. When Queen Victoria sent the pasha an elephant as a present, this is where it was displayed. When the Glaoli, pasha of Marrakech for much of the first half of the 20th century, had his setting of scores, this is where his enemies were beheaded; their heads salted and hung on the nearby city walls. These days the Jemma el Fna serves a more peaceful purpose, as the centre of entertainment. At sundown, half of the square is covered by stalls and tables; benches are wheeled in and food laid out. Smoke from the first fires rises up in a string of thick plumes. Across the square, entertainers, including story-tellers, snake charmers, acrobats, musicians, old sages who can cure diabolical conditions with a range of natural remedies, will be warming up. Here, then, are the makings of a unique evening of food and diversion, a recipe recognised by UNESCO when it inscribed the square on its list of the world’s Intangible Heritage.

Street Food

Eating in the square is a brief but entertaining experience. Each stall has a number, its food (and prices) displayed, and a front-man to pull in the clients, many with Anglo-Saxon references that include M&S and Jarnie Oliver. Food is always fresh – nothing is kept over from one day to the next – and hygiene, although basic, is usually dependable. Sheep’s head and offal and a snail soup are among the more exotic offerings but there are also meguez (spicy sausages), fried calamari, chicken kebabs, kofta and a long list of other less challenging dishes.

Riad Dining

If you are staying in a riad in the medina that doesn’t have a restaurant, chances are you will still be able to eat at home. These can sometimes be the most delicious and most memorable meals, an opportunity to sample Marrakshi home-cooking. You will have a choice of what you eat- chicken or lamb, tagine or couscous, fruit or pastries or both, and while this is being prepared, you can be in the hamman or watching the sunset over the rooftops of Marrakech Magical.

Karnataka Culinary Magic

The southern Indian state of Karnataka is blessed with an ancient culinary heritage. A traditional Karnataka meal is served on a banana leaf (patravali) or ‘muttuga’ leaves stitched together. A usually sumptuous spread, its menu items include protein-rich cereal salads like kosambri, playas and gojju (a vegetable cooked in tamarind juice with chilli powder), tovve (cooked dal without too much seasoning), huli ( a thick broth of lentils and vegetables cooked together with ground coconut, spices, tamarind and chilli powder) and pappad, all eaten with variety of rice based dishes, including vangibhath (spice rice with egg plants) and pulliyogare (rice flavoured with tamarind juice and spiced with groundnuts). Formal meals always culminate with the chitranna or rice flavoured with lemon juice, spiced with green chilli and turmeric powder and sprinkled with fried groundnuts and coriander leaves.

North Karnadas have a taste for wheat and jowar rotis (bread made of millet), which are savoured with a variety of chutneys and spicy curries most notable being the yenne badanekayi (brinjal curry). Mangaloreans combine fresh coconut and chillies to create wide variety of fruits and huge repertoire of rice preparations. It is the offerings of Udipi (also a town) that have become universal in India as South Indian food. The ubiquitous dosai has its origin in Udipi as do a plethora of South Indian vegetarian offerings.

The most distinctive Karnataka dish, however, is the bisibelebhath, a unique combination of rice, dal, tamarind, chilli powder and a dash of cinnamon. In rural areas, ragi(steam cooked finger millet rolled into large balls) is served either with mutton curry or soppina saaru.

The cuisines of Malnad is a fusion of Coorgi and Mangalorean fare, with signature dishes such as the midigayi pickle made from small raw mangoes, sandige, avalakki, (beaten rice) and talipittu (bread made of rice flour).

Savour European Cuisines at Lodi

When going out, not only “what” to eat but also “where” to go are of the utmost importance. While the numerous restaurants have to say as far as the “what” is concerned, the Lodi takes pride for the “where”, at least with regard to eclectic location and attractive settings for casual meetings, receptions, seated dinners and general gatherings. Ideas are developed for the restaurant to make it as inviting as possible to the guests. It involves especially complex tangible parameters, namely that of creating an atmosphere or versatile moods for various occasions. The Lodi is a brand extension of Sewara Hospitality & Development.

Set in the midst of the historical Lodhi Gardens off Lodhi Road in Luyten’s Delhi, the Lodi positioning in the cultural heartland of New Delhi acts not just an avant-grade restaurant but non-institutional hub for cultural activities. Lodi – The Garden Restaurant is surrounded by number of tourist attractions of South Delhi; the India International Centre, India Islamic Cultural Centre and the National Bonsai Museum, Dilli Haat, Safdarjung’s Tomb and obviously the royal Lodhi Garden.

The Lodi restaurant has 180 cover seating arrangement that is divided into the Atrium, the Bar, the Terrace, the Garden and the Ground Floor. The lush botanical ambiance and a nice blend of traditional and modern architecture sooths the sensibility of our guests. Our menus are created around the availability of the freshest seasonal ingredients, and primarily consist of European cuisines with minimal influences from Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

The bar houses the finest of wines and single malts while our wide range of beers and cocktails tempts the tightest of tee totallers. Apart from that we host several types of events like fashion shows, art shows, theatre performances, and even product promotions. The restaurant is most preferred by both expatriates living in the city, and the International travellers, as it is, truly, the gateway the city has to offer.

Zync Café in Bangalore

The best way to keep the vintage old bungalows from going under the wrecker’s ball is to convert them into restaurants, boutiques, and museums. Fortunately, it is a trend that has begun to catch on. The Zync Café in Bangalore was also a dilapidated bungalow, now rescued to on Hospital Road, the quiet, narrow street between Infantry Road and Dispensary Road. In the middle of the 20th century, the small bungalow served time as a Jewish boarding house. At the back, in a smaller house, lived the owners of the boarding house. Today the boarding has morphed into Sanctuary, a ‘lifestyle souk’ or bazaar where you can browse and shop for candles, artefacts, clothes, lampshades, jewellery, shoes and more.

It feels wonderful to walk down the narrow and bit desolate road and into this lovely new café. A retractable awning shades diners from the summer sun during the day, but at night, the café takes on an altogether more romantic aspect when the awning is rolled up and the candles come out. The café is perfectly positioned to serve weary shoppers coming off Commercial Street, which is very under-serviced in terms of nice restaurants and /or cafes where a girl can sit with a friend and her shopping bags and pass the time of day.

Zync’s menu is large, appetizing, wide ranging and wonderfully priced. The most sought after or otherwise called house specials are Nachos with beans and melted cheese, Lemon and Thyme Chicken, Lebanese Shish Touk, Prawn Satay. There are soups, noodles, salads, sizzlers, pasta, paella, and quesadillas. You can always an option to order Indian vegetarian or non-vegetarian cuisines, the kebab platter served with black dal and roti, or the, hold your breath, dal-chawal plain and simple.

Savour the Noor-Us-Sabah Recipes

With the name Noor-Us-Sabah literally means ‘the light of the dawn’ one would expect the best view of rising sun but interestingly it the best place for the sightseeing of sun setting over the waters of the Bhopal lake, that is the most stunning sight that one can see from this magnificent palace.

The Noor-Us-Sabah Palace, now considered Bhopal’s most prestigious destination, offer 70 rooms including some elegant suites, decorated with carved period furniture and soft furnishings to match. The Qamar Taj Suite is the just the place for a couple ideal for a honeymoon or an anniversary. There are few pleasures as satisfying as sitting on the suite terrace with a cup of tea or a drink and watching the setting Sun as it turns the waters into liquid gold.

Recipes from Noor-Us-Sabah Palace

Pasanda Baadan Jaan

An elaborate recipe of eggplant, from the royal courts of Bhopal.

Ingredients

Brinjals large – 1 kg, Onion Sliced – 150 gm, Khopra (coconut grated) – 20 gm, Khuskhus (poppy seeds) – 20 gm, Til (white sesame seeds) – 20 gm, Channa roasted -50 gm, Garam masala powder – 10 gm, Red Chilli powder – 10 gm, Chironji – 25 gm, Sweet yoghurt – 250 gm, Oil – 500ml, Salt to taste, Mint Leaves – a sprig.

Method – Remove brinjal skins and cut into thin slices. Heat oil and fry brinjal slices, remove and keep aside. Make a paste out of coconut, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, chironji, yoghurt. Coat fried birnjals with the paste. Heat oil and fry onion slices till brown and add brinjal and rest of the paste. Cook on slow fire. Add roasted channa, red chilli powder and garam masala. Cook till oil separated from the brinjals. Serve hot, garnished with mint leaves.

Goliya Kebab Shiraji

Ingredients

Lamb mince – 1 kg, Garam masala powder – 10 gm, Coriander powder – 20 gm, Onion slices – 20 gm, Red chilli powder – 10 gm, Channa roasted powder – 30 gm, Khuskhus (poppy seeds) – 20 gm, Almonds – 30 gm, Yoghurt – 400 gm, Eggs – 2 Garlic Paste – 1 Tbsp, Oil – 3Tbsp, Salt to taste

Stuffing
Paneer (cottage cheese) – 150 gm, Mint leaves – 50 gm, Green chillies – 20 gm, Raw mango – 100 gm, Onion -100 gm, Ginger – 20 gm.

Method
Make a paste of khuskhus and almonds, add to minced lamb. Add coriander powder, garam masala, chopped onion, red chilli powder, eggs and salt. Mix well. Grate paneer, finely chop all other ingredients and mix well t make stuffing. Divide mince into 16 equal portions and shape into roundels. Stuff balls with the mixture. Heat oil, add onion slices and fry till brown. Add stuffed lamb balls and fry. Add yoghurt and garlic paste and cook till done. Serve hot with green chutney.