While Ramzan brings with itself piety and divinity in Hyderabad, the spirit of this Islamic month is much more than that.
Hyderabad: While Ramzan brings with itself piety and divinity in Hyderabad, the spirit of this Islamic month is much more than that. As groups of rozedars come together to delight in the post-Iftaar festivities, the city comes alive with illuminated buildings, bustling bazaars and most importantly, mouthwatering street delicacies.
To celebrate culinary delights, Deccan Archive organised a food walk from Darulshifa playground, which has yielded many cricket players. The ground spreads in front of the Alawa-e-Sartauq Ashoorkhana, which hosts a relic from 680 AD, belonging to the grandson of the Prophet Mohammad. The complex housed a unani medical facility and was used until the 1930s until a bigger city hospital came into being. Built by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah in 1596 as a state hospital for Golconda, Darulshifa, meaning 'the house of healing' housed hakims (doctors) from across Asia who practised Unani (Greek) medicine.
"When it comes to food, a lot of infusion can be seen of Iranian cuisine from the 20th century. Yet, the way they have been customised to suit different palates has given birth to unique forms of the same dishes in different Indian cities," said Sibghatullah Khan, the founder of Deccan Archive.
The classic example of this Iranian infusion is the popular Irani chai, he said, "...which is nothing like the way they have it in Iran!"
The group of 20 heritage buffs tasted the well-known 'naan', a square bread made of maida, curd, with a brush of jaggery and egg wash, baked in underground ovens.
Walking through the winding lanes of 'Chhatta Bazaar', the first printing hub of the city, and passing through century-old gateways, the group tried some Kaddu Ki Kheer and Shammi Kebab from roadside stalls.
Sibghat explained that the area used to be part of the Salar Jung estates. "A closer look at the name plates and signboards would reveal a significant number of Shia inhabitants from Darulshifa to Purani Haveli, while other areas, beginning from Dewan Devdi, had enclaves of Rajasthani, Marwari and Kayastha communities."
The next stop was Badshahi Ashurkhana, just next to a popular hotel, overflowing with haleem lovers. To avoid the crowd, mouthwatering haleem was brought to the group at the Ashoorkhana. Talking about the Moharram mornings at the Ashoorkhana, Sibghat also mentioned how the month is observed among some local Telugu communities as "Peer la Pandaga".
"Haleem means patience. People mistake it for comfort food but it's certainly not comfortable for the one who's making it. It requires a great amount of patience, hence the name, as it is slowly cooked in a mid oven freshly made only for Ramzan. The meat is thoroughly beaten and ground, keeping the fibres intact. While the dish has a Geographical Indicator (GI) tag, which means variations cannot be made to the way it's cooked, in Hyderabad itself you will find variations of it. For example in Barkas, Yemeni Arabs make sweet haleem. The dish leads to a large number of people being employed during Ramzan and generates billions," Sibghat explained.
After large stretches of walking up to the Charminar, with occasional stops for Irani chai, lassi and dahi bade, the group finally concluded the walk with smoky-hot Patthar Ka Ghosht and piping hot marag.
"The food walk was a great opportunity to meet new people, get a taste of local delicacies and walk around the bustling old city. It was a truly magical experience, witnessing Ramzan festivities around Charminar. Indeed, in Hyderabad- more is always more- the people, the sounds, the rich food and the vibrant energy," said Tatheer Fatima, Assistant Professor of Law at Mahindra University and one of the attendees.
