The natural instinct at the mention of Hyderabad draws us to the magnificent Charminar and a plate of special Hyderabadi biryani. Biryani, for the unversed, is a rice dish that originated in the Middle-East but is extensively popular in Asian countries like India today. Usually made with meat, rice and ghee, this layered dish is slow-cooked over a low flame. A visit to the heritage city of Hyderabad remains incomplete without indulging in chicken or mutton biryani. Hyderabadi cuisine is quite well-known for its rich and historic lineage. When the Delhi Sultanate was under the Mughal rule, the culture and cuisine of the city was highly influenced by them and till date we enjoy some of their delicacies and breads like the khameeri roti.
Similarly, the cultural landscape of Hyderabad underwent several changes during the reign of Nizams who brought in their own tastes and flavours. Haven’t you heard of how a humble kulcha made its way to the flag of Nizams? That’s how intrinsic food has been to royals and their subjects alike, since ages. One such dish that traces its roots in the royal courts of the Nizams is Patthar ka gosht. In those days, these rulers preferred lamb or mutton over chicken or any other meat. Patthar ka gosht, for those untouched by the phenomenon, is a rendition of slab-meat where the lamb meat is slow-cooked over a piece of slab and roasted to perfection. Wondering how this concept came into being?
Origins Of Slab-Meat Cooking Technique
Today, when you’ve to cook mutton, it is generally in a kadhai (a large thick-bottomed vessel) or a pressure cooker over gas. However, in the olden days, food was prepared in an open fire with firewood, or sometimes even underground. An interesting turn of events led to the invention of this unique patthar ka gosht too. Nizam Asaf Jahi VI was one of the more adventurous Nizams and going hunting was quite common in those days.
During one of his hunting expeditions, he felt hungry and ordered his royal khansamas to prepare meat for him. Unfortunately, the cooks were not carrying the required equipment like skewers and shikanjis to cook the lamb. In such a scenario, one of them devised a unique method to prepare the dish. He asked the others to grab a flat granite stone and some charcoal. He marinated the lamb with spices like ginger, garlic and chilli powder, etc. and placed the fillets on the charcoal-heated granite stone. Once it turned dry and attained a crispy texture, the meat was served to the Nizam.
The Nizam was so pleased with the flavours of the roasted lamb that he made it a regular in his daily menu at the royal kitchens. This 19th century technique of cooking meat on a stone slab led to the naming of the dish as patthar ka gosht, which literally translates as meat on stone in Urdu. Interestingly, there are other claims of the origins of this flavourful meat dish too.
The Iranians and Parsis of Central Asia state that they have been following this practice of preparing fillets of lamb on a stone slab for centuries. In fact, they consider it to be a village dish of Iran. The migration and settlement of several Parsis of Iran in India brought the dish to our country.
Whether it belongs to the Persians or the Hyderabadis, you can still find plenty of small shops cooking and serving patthar ka gosht in the traditional style. Some have adopted easier, modern methods to prepare this dish to fulfill the high demand of customers.
Here are a few dishes from the Hyderabadi cuisine that you might like to try.
1. Ande Ka Salan
Also known as egg curry, this Hyderabadi version is full of tangy and spicy flavours. The eggs are boiled and dunked in a thick gravy of tomatoes, coconut, peanuts and other spices. This is a perfect accompaniment for jeera rice or tandoori roti.
2. Bagara Baingan
In the land of meaty delicacies, this eggplant curry is a refreshing dish. Baingan aka eggplants are tossed in a creamy and thick curry made of onion and tamarind paste. The use of curry leaves and fenugreek seeds add a distinct flavour to the dish.
3. Chicken Dum Biryani
Slow-cooked over a dum, the pot is sealed with a roll of dough to prevent any moisture or air from entering in it. The chicken, rice and spices are layered and then slowly cooked so that all the flavours are infused into it.