Zafar's recipes

Biryani has a long history in Hyderabad. Some dishes were made of rice with spices before the Mughals arrived. The oldest traces are to the Bahmani Sultanate and the Qutb Shahi rulers in Golconda. These dishes were similar to the pilafs of the Persian and Turkish courts. The rule of the Nizams in 1724, during the reign of Asaf Jah I, introduced "dum cooking", a technique in which the pot is sealed and the food is cooked slowly on a low flame in its own steam. The royal house favoured this...

This has been a favourite recipe at home for decades. Although it takes a bit of time to make, it is a simple recipe. I remember having...

Summer is all about tomatoes - bright, colourful, and juicy. Tomatoes come in hundreds of varieties and sizes. Here, I focused on the...

Bagara baingan, or eggplant curry, is an iconic dish in Hyderabad. Its history can be traced back to a dish served in Tashkent and...

Pasande is a very traditional Hyderabadi dish, one that is being forgotten. Mutton Pasanda dates back to the 16th century and became a...

I recently took a trip to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, where this shake was on the breakfast table. On the first sip, I wanted the...

Thu pk a is a rice porridge from Arunachal Pradesh. It is not to be confused with the Tibetian noodle soup Thu pk a Red rice is one of...

The Northeast of India has numerous varieties of rice that are endogenous to the region. These rice varieties are crucial to the...

Watercress is now available in India. It is part of the nasturtium family and has a mild peppery flavour that is delicious. It is most...

A good friend, Nilesh, found out I was cataloguing my mother’s recipes and reminded me of this dish from about 20 years ago that he had...

A cheela, also called chilla, is a lentil pancake found across India. These pancakes are made out of lentils only rather than rice. The...

At the luxurious Timilo Resort in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, I was greeted with these delicious pancakes for breakfast. They are part of their traditional breakfast offering. Millets are essential in the region, and the farmers grow it in conjunction with rice. Millets have been cultivated in Arunachal Pradesh for generations and are vital to the state's food security and dietary practices. Studies have documented 11 types of millet-based food recipes from the ethnic tribes of Arunachal...

Chutneys play an important role in Hyderabadi cuisine and all over India. They are the pop on the table and complete every meal. This is...

Tahari or Tehri is an ancient dish that dates back to Ayurvedic cooking. It is a dish of rice cooked with vegetables and other...

Khatti translates to "sour", and this is the predominant flavour of this dish. The sourness comes from tamarind, a souring agent commonly...

Purslane, known locally in Hyderabad as kulfa, is a favourite. It is a seasonal crop and floods the market during the summer months when...

Farfalle, also known as bow-tie pasta, originated in Northern Italy in the Emilia-Romagna and Lombardia regions in the 1500s. T he word...

I had visited my sister-in-law a few years ago, and she had brought these little bites out in the evening while I enjoyed a beer. And I...

Haleem originated in old Persia as a dish called Harees. This dish and its variations are still eaten today in many parts of the Middle...

I grew up loving this recipe and have always thought it was Hyderabadi. On a recent visit, I asked my mother to make it for me and...