From city of Nizams to city of flavours: Hyderabad crowned UNESCO's 'Creative City of Gastronomy'

Hyderabad, the capital of India’s Telangana state, is known as the “City of Nizams” and was recognised as a 'Creative City of Gastronomy' by UNESCO. Gastronomy refers to the art and knowledge involved in preparing and eating good food, along with the fusion of culture. The identity of the city began with the influence of Persian and Turkish flavours, introduced during the Qutb Shahi dynasty in the 16th century and later enriched after the Mughal invasion.

The Nizams, who ruled Hyderabad from 1724, were passionate food lovers and employed several foreign cooks in royal kitchens. These palace kitchens played a significant role in preserving and enhancing the rich and diverse food culture of Hyderabad, more so than any restaurant or cookbook.

“The Nizams used to marry girls from Central Asia, and the brides used to bring their own khansamas [house servants] or royal cooks so that they could bring their cooking traditions with them. This led to an amalgamation of influences from various countries. Because there was a lack of water in the rocky terrain, millet used to be the staple grain, as it needed less water. Grains like rice came in much later," explains celebrated chef Chalapathi Rao, of Simply South restaurant in Hyderabad, according to the South China Morning Post.

To make Hyderabadi cuisine distinctive, it combines rice and meat with a liberal use of vegetables, spices, and souring agents like tamarind. This complex blend of Indian, Arabic, Persian, Mughlai, and Turkish influences defines Hyderabadi contemporary cuisine.

“The influence of food from the North is evident in the rich and aromatic dishes, while the abundant spices from southern India and Telugu cuisine add a distinct touch,” notes Sampath Srinivas Thummula, the chef behind popular Hyderabad restaurant The Spicy Venue, which serves typical regional fare. “Ingredients like saffron, mace, black cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon are predominantly used, but what sets Hyderabadi cuisine apart is the combination of these spices with tamarind, dry coconut, chillies from Guntur, and curry leaves.”

What are other Hyderabadi cuisines?

The city also has a special blend of aromatic spices, roots, and herbs known as ‘potli masala.’ In this, seasonings are filled into a pouch or sachet of muslin cloth, infusing gradually into the gravy of a curry at the right time to bring the required amount of flavour.

“Usually, the potli masala has many spices,” Rao further explained, “from spices like dried vetiver and paan ki jadd (betel root) to kalpasi or black stone flower (a dried lichen), fennel seeds, dried rose petals, kasoori methi (fenugreek leaves), kabab chini (dried berries of Piper cubeba), star anise, cinnamon, royal cumin and others. This pouch of spices is left in dishes like nihari, a slow-cooked meat stew.”

In addition, the most popular dish of the 'Creative City of Gastronomy' is ‘Hyderabadi biryani,’ which features basmati rice and meat cooked together in a pot and is frequently found on the menus of Indian restaurants globally. However, based on the recipe, a local biryani may use many spices, from cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom to bay leaves, papaya paste, nutmeg, mace flower, caraway, star anise, and saffron.

“The No 1 spice used in Hyderabadi cuisine is chillies – mostly dried red chillies that are either fried, powdered, ground into a paste or whole. That is because the people of Telangana were the first in India to use chillies in cooking and this is recorded in history, when the court poet of King Krishnadevaraya mentions chillies in the 16th century," Kurush Dalal said, a Mumbai-based food historian.

All with herbs and spices in Hyderabadi cuisine, local cooks use souring ingredients, like mango, tamarind, gongura leaves, and also ingredients like dried coconut, sesame seeds, peanuts and curry leaves.

Another traditionally served Hyderabadi delicacy, 'Mirchi ka salan', is a shining example of the city’s amalgamation of different Indian cuisines alongside biryani. In order to make this dish, coconut, peanuts, sesame and poppy seeds are roasted, then made into a paste. In addition, aromatic spices such as cumin, curry leaves, mustard seed, red chilli peppers, fenugreek and ginger garlic paste are used alongside tamarind pulp to give it a tangy punch.