Hyderabadi Biryani
It is a follow-up to a post in which I wrote that I am on my way to become a true blue Hyderabadi.
I came to Hyderabad after finishing my college in Indore on June 18, 2006. Google put me up in this brilliant Guest House in Jubilee Hills. I had an AC room all to myself — After living in a hostel room for about.4 years and sharing a common toilet with 50 other guys in my block,this room with an AC, carpets, curtains, and an attached bathroom with Jaccuzi was sheer luxury. To top that, I shared the guest house (read mansion) with 10 girls. Can life get any better?
I fell in love with Hyderabad, even though I had seen nothing.
My superficial life as a king was shortlived and after 15 days of all apid for accomodation, I had to move to a rented modest 2BHK and shared the flat with a guy from work, Zubin. Later, we went on to become really good friends.
At Google you are really well taken care of, the only meal that I had to worry about was dinner. We used to frequent either Sandarshini, a decent veg restaurant, or Hyderabad House, a chain famous for its Biryani and non-veg delicacies for dinner. Both places offered great food for 60-80 bucks per head.
I used to wonder how these modest and skinny looking hyderabadi guys whom I used to ogle while they ate, can finish a whole Thali (a typical south Indian dinner with usually 6-8 different type of curries, curd, 1-2 chapatis, multiple pickles and chutneys, and several servings or rice) or eat a whole chicken biryani in one sitting. Me and Zubin used to order 1 biryani and share it. Sometimes both of us couldn’t finish the entire thing together. It was not long before I stereotyped Hyderabadi’s as monsters who can hog all day.
To drift slightly away from the topic, as time passed I felt that I am being accepted by the city as one of its own. I picked up some Telugu words and was able to communicate a tad bit better with the local pan walla. I fell in love with the chaos of Charminar, and the pleasent evenings at Hussain Sagar. I started appreciating Sanbhar and curd-rice like never before. I fell in love with the city and its people, and more so the food. I became a cross north-south random Indian who can’t eat lunch without rasam and daal both.
Now, almost 3 years and 8 months later I am a true blue Hyderabadi. I am proud of the city and its culture, food, and am glad that it accepted me.
I am now one of those I stereotyped. I can eat a thali with multiple serving of rice. I enthusiasticly and tastefully mix gun powder, rice, and ghee and hog till I can eat no more. I can finish a whole chicken biryani and still go out for dessert. And I now weigh around 65 kgs which is pretty neat coz it balances the BMI that goes with my height of 5’8″ — when I came to Hyderabad I was 52 kgs.
I think if I ever leave Hyderabad of all the things I will miss Biryani the most. For it is really unique and amazing. I had the best Biryani at Nizam’s Club which I believe was cooked to perfection with the aroma of spices engulfing you the moment it is served. For those of you who are members of Nizam Club, I strongly suggest you eat the Biryani there. For those of you who are not, find a good ol Hyderabadi friend who is a member and is willing to take you to the club, like the one I found 
Hyderabadi Biryani rocks!
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