[A graceful, 400-year-old city, Hyderabad's aristocratic order has given way to wealth born of industry, real estate and entrepreneurship. Once it became the capital of Andhra Pradesh, families from the traditionally Hindu coastal belts to the east populated the infertile, rocky city; then, with the boom in software and outsourcing, people began pouring in from all over India seeking jobs. Today's Hyderabad is a curious mix of Hindu and Muslim, of native and settler, of old and new.]
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Mahesh Kumar/Associated Press
People break their fast outside the Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad,
Andhra Pradesh, July 21, 2012.
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Hyderabad, the Scottish historian William Dalrymple wrote, hides "its charms from the eyes of outsiders, veiling its splendors from curious eyes behind nondescript walls and labyrinthine backstreets." But some secrets, like Hyderabad's sinfully rich food, perhaps its greatest charm, are hard to keep. And the month of Ramadan is ideal for discovering the city's most indulgent dishes.
A graceful, 400-year-old city, Hyderabad's aristocratic order has given way to wealth born of industry, real estate and entrepreneurship. Once it became the capital of Andhra Pradesh, families from the traditionally Hindu coastal belts to the east populated the infertile, rocky city; then, with the boom in software and outsourcing, people began pouring in from all over India seeking jobs. Today's Hyderabad is a curious mix of Hindu and Muslim, of native and settler, of old and new.
But the month of Ramadan, known as Ramzan in India, offers a peek into the city's culinary past. When dusk arrives during Ramadan, with a shrill siren that signals the end of fasting, the narrow streets of Hyderabad's old city fill up fast with vendors, shoppers and food buffs. What awaits the hungry are simmering pots of biryani with a distinctly Hyderabadi flavor; endless bowls of haleem -- a thick, spicy paste of lamb and wheat, cooked to perfection; dried apricots and fresh cream served together as the wildly popular qubani-ka-meetha; and other flavors that carry the richness of a sultan's sumptuous meal although they have been prepared in humbler kitchens.
Obscure restaurants light up their signboards promising the city's best haleem - certainly the most sought-after dish at this time, partly because it's not easily available for the rest of the year.
Mr. Dalrymple himself has recommended Salim, "the best biryani cook in Hyderabad," in the opening pages of "White Mughals." A decade after the book's publication, Mr. Salim is hard to find, but there's still plenty to choose from.
Hotel Shadab, a small, locally loved restaurant, is at its hopping best during Ramadan. Started in 1990, it has since added an air-conditioned upper floor for "ladies and families." Rumored to serve the best haleem and biryani in town, the menu also offers fresh, soft loaves of sheermal and a decadent qubani-ka-meetha. The delicately flavored Pakistani chicken curry is a must.
Four Seasons, a restaurant that should not be confused with the luxurious hotel chain of the same name, is best known for its kebabs and biryani. But during Ramadan, its haleem, slightly spicier than most, is a hit. Fresh garlic naan goes best with the haleem. The almond kheer - milk, rice and sugar boiled together and seasoned with saffron and almonds - is a treat.
Pista House, Shah Ghouse, Sarvi and 555 are all famous for their haleem, doing a roaring business during Ramadan, as one can see from the line of vehicles waiting for takeaway orders.
The venerable Nizam Club is restricted to members only, but it brings so much to the table that it deserves a mention, especially during Ramadan. Few can cook biryani and haleem better than the chefs at this 128-year-old club established by the prime minister in Hyderabad's erstwhile royal court. And nowhere else can you find some of the dishes on offer here, like dalcha, a sambar of meat and lentils flavored with tamarind, or the spicy, tangy mutton chutney.
But if you happen to find yourself in the city during Ramadan, do try and snag an invitation for an iftar, the evening meal after the fast is broken, or lunch on Id-al-Fitr, the day that marks the end of Ramadan, which falls on Aug. 18 this year. Hyderabad's best restaurants notwithstanding, nothing can compare to a home-cooked meal. And it's the best way to taste some of the more painstaking dishes, like sheer korma, a steaming pudding of milk and vermicelli, peppered with dates, which is considered an Id delicacy.
ATTACKER IN AFGHAN UNIFORM KILLS 3 U.S. SOLDIERS
[Details of what took place in Sangin District of Helmand Province remained sketchy, and Afghan and coalition investigators were still trying to piece together how the shooting unfolded as dusk approached. A dawn-to-dusk fast is being widely observed in Afghanistan as Muslims observe the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. ]
By Matthew Rosenberg
The American command in Afghanistan, which functions alongside the NATO-led coalition, issued a terse statement saying that three soldiers were killed by a man in an “Afghan uniform” — standard phrasing used by military authorities here when a member of the Afghan security forces kills a coalition service member.
Details of what took place in Sangin District of Helmand Province remained sketchy, and Afghan and coalition investigators were still trying to piece together how the shooting unfolded as dusk approached. A dawn-to-dusk fast is being widely observed in Afghanistan as Muslims observe the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
Muhammad Sharif, the governor of Sangin, said a police commander had invited the Special Forces soldiers to eat at his check post. He then shot them when their guard was down and fled, Mr. Sharif said. He put the number of dead Americans at four.
The coalition said the soldiers may have not arrived for the meal or any other gathering when the shooting took place. But the coalition said it could not provide additional details until families of the deceased had been notified and investigators completed their inquiry.
A prominent tribal elder in the area said he had been told by local authorities that his son, Assadullah, 25, a police officer, was suspected of carrying out the killing at a check post in the village of Khanan, which lies near a base used by American Special Forces soldiers.
The elder, Shamsullah Saharai, said in a telephone interview that his son had worked with the Special Forces soldiers for four years, and that he had not heard from him in six days, nor was he currently able to reach him.
The killings by Afghan forces of their coalition counterparts have intensified in recent years in Afghanistan, where the military’s nomenclature for such violence — it calls them “green-on-blue” killings — has entered widespread usage. The latest episode brings the total number of coalition service members intentionally killed this year by Afghan forces to 34 in 25 attacks. In 2011, a total of 35 were killed in 21 “green-on-blue” attacks.
Coalition and Afghan officials say that much of the violence is because of personal disputes between the Afghans and their foreign partners, not the result of Taliban infiltration.
But the possibility that Friday’s killing was preplanned raised the prospect of a deepening threat, either through internal plotting against coalition forces among some Afghan soldiers and police officers or Taliban infiltration.
In a separate episode on Friday, a fourth coalition service member was killed in southern Afghanistan in what the coalition described as an “insurgent attack.” The coalition, in a statement, did not specify the dead service member’s nationality or provide any other details. Helmand, a province where American Marines, British soldiers and the Afghan Army have fought for years to clear out the Taliban, saw additional violence on Friday when a car hit a hidden bomb around 9 a.m. in the district of Musa Qala, the police said. At least six people were killed.
President Hamid Karzai condemned the roadside bombing in a statement issued by his office later in the day, expressing his sympathies to the families of those killed. He did not comment about the Sangin checkpoint attack.
The killing of the soldiers there followed another attack on Wednesday, when three NATO soldiers and an Afghan civilian were killed by two bombers who detonated suicide vests as soldiers were patrolling near the provincial council’s office in the eastern Kunar Province.
@ The New York Times
