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Indian · regional cuisine

Telangana and Hyderabadi

Two traditions in one state: the Deccani court cooking of Hyderabad (kacchi biryani, haleem, salans, double ka meetha) and the millet-and-tamarind village food of rural Telangana.

Flavour character: Hyderabadi dishes are rich and aromatic (whole garam spices, saffron, kewra, mint, fried onions) with tangy Deccani sauces built on roasted peanut, sesame, coconut and tamarind. Village Telangana food is hot and sour with green and red chilli, tamarind and gongura.

7 recipes
Bagara baingan: whole small aubergines in a nutty tamarind gravy on a white plate

History

Hyderabad was founded by the Qutb Shahi dynasty (1518–1687) and later ruled by the Asaf Jahi Nizams (1724–1948). Their courts blended Persian, Turkish and Mughal cooking with Deccani ingredients such as tamarind, peanuts, sesame and coconut, producing salans and the kacchi (raw-meat) dum biryani. Arab soldiers and settlers of Hadhrami descent (the Chaush community, around Barkas) brought harees, which became haleem, and marag. Persian immigrants ran the Irani cafés known for Irani chai and Osmania biscuits. Hyderabadi haleem received an Indian Geographical Indication in 2010. Rural Telangana kept a separate, sharper cuisine of jowar rotte, sarva pindi, gongura and tamarind-heavy pachi pulusu.

Well documented

Geography and influences

Part of the dry Deccan plateau: rocky uplands, tanks (reservoirs) and the Godavari and Krishna river basins; jowar, rice, cotton, groundnut and chilli are major crops.

  • Qutb Shahi and Nizam courts
  • Persian, Turkish and Mughal cooking
  • Hadhrami Arab community
  • Irani café culture
  • Telugu village food

Regional variations

Hyderabadi (Deccani court)
Kacchi biryani, haleem, salans, khubani ka meetha, kebabs; Irani cafés.
Rural Telangana
Jowar rotte, sarva pindi, gongura mutton, pachi pulusu (uncooked tamarind rasam), natu kodi curry.

Festive and seasonal food

  • Ramzan: haleem, cooked overnight and sold across the city
  • Eid: biryani, sheer khurma, qubani ka meetha
  • Weddings: biryani with mirchi ka salan, bagara baingan and double ka meetha
  • Bonalu (Ashadha month): cooked rice with jaggery and milk (bonam) offered to the goddess, with meat feasts
  • Bathukamma: flavoured rice dishes (saddulu) such as lemon, tamarind, sesame and coconut rice
  • Sankranti: sakinalu

Signature dishes

Not on the site yet: Hyderabadi kacchi gosht ki biryani, Hyderabadi haleem, Double ka meetha, Qubani ka meetha, Pathar ka gosht, Lukhmi, Shikampuri kebab, Osmania biscuit, Sarva pindi, Sakinalu, Pachi pulusu, Jonna rotte

Telangana and Hyderabadi recipes