Food feast in Ramzan: 'Eat streets' have sprung up all over city to tickle foodies' taste-buds

Hyderabad: During the month of Ramzan, the Old City becomes the go-to destination for Hyderabad’s foodies. With glittering lights, a sea of people, and plenty of food joints peppered. From Hyderabadi dum biryani to lip-smacking delicacies such as haleem, kebabs, tala huagosht, mutton marag, malaipaya, warqi paratha, and pathar-ka-gosht, hundreds of foodies queue up to satisfy their cravings.

During Ramzan, people come together to pray, fast, and feast. It is during Iftar, after a long day of fasting, that family and friends bond together over a warm meal. This significant tradition is what makes Ramzan in Hyderabad very unique.

The striking delicacies are served in various areas of the city, including Charminar, HussainiAlam, Mallepally, Azampura, Tolichowki, Lakdi-ka-pul, Malakpet, and Banjara Hills. Dozens of temporary food stalls are set up for a month, offering a vibrant scene filled with the sights and aroma of dishes, bustling crowds, and the lively chaos of it all.

From around 7 pm, there is a rush towards the food stalls as hundreds of customers savour the dishes. The most popular street food dish trending nowadays is pathar-ka-gosht. After Haleem, this dish steals the show as it is not available in other months of the year.

"After Iftar, the top favourite and mouth-watering dish for our family is pathar-ka-gosht. At least three times a week, we go to have this dish after Iftar," said Murtaza Mohsin, a food enthusiast.

Besides perennial favourites such as Al-Akbar’s chicken 65, Shahran’sseekh kebabs, Royal’s fish, and Nayab’skheema-gurda-kaleji and malaipaya, the mutton marag and pathar-ka-gosht at Taj’s in Azampura, Babji Ka Ghota in Mallepally, Al Farooj in Hussainialam, and the kebabs in Tolichowki are the most famous for serving these delicacies.

Several streets, including Mallepally and Tolichowki, have their own stories to tell through their flavours, and now Azampura has also turned into a hub for food joints.

Taj’s KK Restaurant in Azampura, Chaderghat, offers a variety of dishes for patrons to enjoy. Among the top favourites are pathar-ka-gosht, cooked slowly over a stone fire, and various kebabs. Kareem Bawazir, the owner of Taj’s KK Restaurant, said that alongside these, they offer dishes such as mutton marg, malai mutton, sheek kebab, reshmi kebab, malai kebab, mutton fry, achari chicken, malai chicken, sticks, rolls, and many other items for patrons to savor. “We serve the best of delicacies, including vegetarian snacks, on our menu,” added Kareem.

Mohammed Amjad, the owner of Al-FaroojSonu Kebabs, who has been serving for the last 17 days, said, “These delicacies are attracting huge crowds. We have realised that although we primarily serve Muslims in the city, most of the visitors are non-Muslims and food enthusiasts. We have noticed an increasing number of people from other communities coming to enjoy dinner or an Iftar party with us.”

There are several groups of friends and families enjoying the Ramzan feast outside. They say, “We eat home-cooked food daily for the rest of the year, but during Ramzan, there are several dozen dishes that are only available now and cannot be missed,” says Balaji, a resident of Yousufguda.

S Suhas, a foodie, said “From vegetarian delicacies to the dozens of non-vegetarian dishes available only during Ramzan, there is something for everyone. If one eats a dish or a platter each day, then a month is not enough. Whenever I am on my food walks, I try to find something that I have not tried before. But eating kebabs is a totally different feeling.”

This year, the majority of restaurants and hotels in the city are also serving sehri, a pre-dawn meal. Malaipaaya and tandoori roti, Hyderabadi khichdi with kheema and khatta, bagarakhana with tala huagosht, mutton dalcha, and khatti dal are the favourite dishes of this sehri feast.

Hotel Nayab and Shadab near Madina, as well as Shah Ghouse in Tolichowki, are favourite outlets, along with Pista House, which pulls in huge crowds.