7 Nizami dishes that you can make regularly for dinner

Those who think that the Nizami cuisine is all about biryani and paayas, you need to take a deep look into its history. Coming from the Nizams of Hyderabad, who ruled the princely state for over 200 years, this cuisine offers a flamboyant experience to everyone. Be it the kebabs, naans or biryanis, the Nizami cuisine is rich in flavours. It is assumed that it is the spices that overrule this cuisine. However, contrary to this notion, Nizami cuisine focuses on the various flavours of the dish like sour and salty. One thing to note about this royal cuisine is that the khansamas of the royal kitchen used to add cashews in most of the dishes and that too in the form of a paste, which led to the dishes becoming creamier. Though, most of the Nizams loved eating non-vegetarian dishes made of fish, chicken and mutton; there were a few vegetarian dishes as well that gained a lot of prominence during the Nizam’s regime. Today, we list some of the popular dishes of Nizami cuisine that may seem like a luxury but can be made regularly at home. Read more to find out about them. (Image courtesy: iStock)

Also Read: 9 Popular Nizami dishes from Hyderabad

It’s a Hyderabadi speciality and is the complete opposite of its counterpart Hyderabadi Biryani. Flavoured with creamy milk and roasted nuts and minimal spices, this biryani gets its name from the way meat is cooked in milk. We can say, this biryani is like a twist in the chicken biryani recipe that brings you an unusual taste. (Image courtesy:Instagram/@khaari_)

It’s a creamy chicken preparation made with cashew paste, onion, green chillies, poppy seeds, coconut, saffron, curd, and aromatic spices. This chicken recipe is best enjoyed with rice or naan. (Image courtesy:Instagram/@royal_cooking123)

Also Read: How to make Nizami Chicken

It’s one of the most popular vegetarian dishes of Nizami cuisine and is made with baingan or eggplants. It’s a curry that’s served alongside Hyderabadi Biryani in which, baby eggplants are deep-fried. These eggplants are then sauteed in a paste of peanuts and fresh coconut, which forms a gravy. Sesame seeds are also added to this. Afterwards, spices are added along with tamarind pulp and sugar to bring the true flavour of the dish. (Image courtesy:Instagram/@foodfrolic07)

When it comes to the popular biryanis of India, Hyderabadi Biryani stands out! The reason for the same is that this biryani is incomparable. The taste and flavour of this dish are so different that biryani lovers like to call it a ‘true biryani’. There is a legend even about this dish, which says there were more than 140 varieties of Hyderabadi Biryani at one point of a time, where different kinds of meats were added in the rice like quail, deer, shrimp, hare meat, mutton and chicken.

(Image courtesy:Instagram/@all_that_nahida_cook)

You can call it Egg Bhurji as well, but the flavours of Khageena cannot be matched with it. The classic scrambled eggs are cooked with onion, tomato, ginger-garlic paste and veggies like spinach and fennel. When you add such veggies, they increase the taste of the dish while making it colourful. Mostly enjoyed for breakfast, Khageena can also be enjoyed with roti for dinner. (Image courtesy:Instagram/@butteroverbae)

This is the Awadhi-style of making bhindi or okra, where they are cooked with tomatoes, onion, capsicum, salt, turmeric and red chilli powder. When the vegetables are added in the kadhai along with spices, a layer of wheat dough is applied on the sides and closed with a lid, which prepares the dum in the kadhai. The best thing about this dish is that it can be made in just 30 minutes. Enjoy with chapati or naan as you like. (Image courtesy:Instagram/@naanhousearabia)

A crowd-puller on any occasion, this mutton recipe is an amazing sight when you encounter it. Surprisingly, this preparation doesn't require much oil. (Image courtesy:Instagram/@shehzadeimran)