The very thought of Hyderabadi cuisine reminds us of delicious biryani, haleem and juicy Shikampuri kebabs. In fact, Hyderabadi biryani defines the cuisine of the state at the global food platform. But if you thought the food culture restricts to these few royal dishes, then we afraid, you are wrong. Hyderabadi cuisine has a rich, extensive and an unabridged royal saga that lies in the history of the Nizams. The cuisine borrows its rich legacy from princely legacy of the Nizams. At the same time, due to its location in the southern part of India, the cuisine also sees a strong influence of the South Indian cooking techniques. This union of two rich food cultures make Hyderabadi cuisine a popular choice among the foodies.
While exploring the Hyderabadi cuisine in depth, we came across another rice recipe (besides biryani) that left a strong impression on our palate. It is called bagara khana (or bagara annam).It is basically a spiced rice (masala rice) prepared widely in Hyderabad and Telangana. For the unversed the word 'bagara' stands for tempering (tadka). Here, we prepare the biryani rice, without meat, vegetables or masalas; the recipe only adds a basic tadka of whole spices to the rice.
As per food experts, this dish is widely prepared during weddings and social functions and holds a firm position in a vegetarian spread. Yes, Hyderabadi cuisine includes a wide range of vegetarian recipes too. Traditionally, bagara khana is paired with popular Hyderabadi bagara baingan or dalcha. We have found the recipes of these popular side-dishes too.
Click here for bagara baingan recipe. Click here for mutton dalcha recipe.
How To Make Bagara Khana | Hyderabadi Bagara Annam Recipe:
Bagara annam follows different cooking techniques in different households. While some fry the rice along with the whole spices, others directly put it for boiling. In terms of spices, some like adding garam masalas, whereas others add haldi and some red chilli powder. We bring a simple recipe that will help you prepare the dish hardly in an hour.
All you need to do is fry the whole masalas with onion, ginger-garlic paste, green chilli. Then fry the rice along. Add garam masala, salt and pour water to boil. Always add hot water to avoid stickiness. Finally, put it on dum for some time and serve.
Click here for the step-by-step recipe.
Try this dish today and let us know how you like it in the comments section below. And if you know any such unexplored recipes from Hyderabad, do not forget to share with us.