The changing face of Iftar fare in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: It's the season of Iftars which quite naturally translates into sumptuous asal Hyderabad fare - haleem and biryani. But what with the influx of people from across the world, Iftar spreads are turning multi-cuisine at several dos in the city. The Dakhni gastronomic delights are sharing space with exotic dishes such as the cold cuts, Mezzeh delicacies and even the sushi platters.
Many fasting Hyderabadis this year are busy digging into Middle East snacks like tabouleh (a dish like haleem made with broken wheat and meat) and baashamel (pasta with meat) or even Italian dishes. Mansoor Syed, an employee of Delloitte is planning to host an Iftar party soon, keeping in mind his clients from Saudi Arabia on an official visit to the city. "There will be shorba (soup), sambusak (Middle East version of samosa), gemat (sweet dumplings), hummus (mashed chickpea) with pita bread and hareera, a meaty shorba that is an integral part of Iftar in Morocco. This is something I have seen when I visited Saudi in 2010 in Ramzan and while I thought I could make my clients feel at home, it would also be a great introduction to these delicacies for my friends from the city," he said. To ensure authenticity, he is even flying down a chef friend of his all the way from Jeddah.
His friends are also not complaining. "Since childhood, it's been biryani and haleem in Ramzan. So this is a pleasant change where we get to experiment with our taste buds," says Aamir Tameem, an actor, who can't stop raving about an 'Italian' Iftar party hosted by his friend and engineer Moin Khan. "While we broke the fast with dates, what followed was a complete surprise. There was not only spaghetti with pesto sauce but also nachos which added a Mexican touch to the spread," said Tameem who feels there is no harm as these dishes are less oily and hence healthy after a day of fasting.
Agrees nutritionist Hameeda Sayeed, who says, "Ideally an Iftar meal should start with dates and fruit juice to help stabilize possible low sugar (hypoglycemia) and provide the much needed hydration. It is better to follow this with baked or grilled foods and since most Italian or Middle-Eastern snacks are not deep fried, they are a good option. Haleem usually comes next but spaghetti is a perfect alternative as both are basically boiled dishes. The final biryani is no way healthier than a slice of pizza, but since by that stage our body recovers from the day-long fasting, there is no harm in having either."
Ankita Sharma who is trying to gain a foothold in showbiz feel that Iftar parties today have become a big status symbol in most households in upmarket areas of the city, where the guest list reflects power. "These parties, especially in the film industry and in the houses of businessmen, are more about making connections and less about breaking fast. So it is only natural that the parties will have a different decor and menu from the traditional ones," she says.
But there are still some who in spite of enjoying the thought of an alternative Iftar party, term these as non-Hyderabadi. Maisam Abedi, a professional from Banjara Hills says, "If we want to eat these, we can just go to a restaurant. For me Iftar is ghar-ka-khana. How can it be complete without good old biryani?" For him, an essentially Hyderabadi Iftar is not complete without khubuli (boiled chick pea with black pepper and coriander), haleem, paya and the humongous mound of basmati rice topped with a generous quarter of chicken or chunks of mutton, fondly known as the Hyderabadi dum biryani.