Who Caters Hyderabad’s Best Iftaar Parties?

Aadaab Express

The caterers at Rana Daggubati’s wedding had celebrity guests wax eloquent over their Dum ki Raan and Biryani. Tollywood legends like Chiranjeevi and Nagarjuna order from Aadaab, as do old Hyderabadi families considered the high priests of fine dining. For over 40 years, Aadaab Express was known for its dum cooking and great taste while its owner (affectionately called Waseem Seth in local circles) was something of a culinary genius. Today, the catering business is run by the enterprising Masih Khan who can work around any budget, cuisine or number. Mutton Lukhmi, Shadi ka Lal Chicken, Marag, Sufiani Biryani and Double ka Meetha — they serve every dish from the Nizami repertoire with finesse. What sets them apart? Khan says, “Our style of cooking, our recipes and our ingredients.” Their Biryani is cooked on firewood and simmered on charcoal while their kebabs are grilled in the tandoor to perfection. Need we say more? 

Paigah

Syed Amjad Ullah alias Amjad Lala was among the top 36 contestants in Masterchef Season 7 where celebrity chefs including Vikas Khanna and Ranveer Brar swooned over his Mutton Biryani. Brar conferred high praise, saying: “Yeh sirf Biryani nahi, poori ghazal hai.” Such is Amjad’s mastery over the ultimate Hyderabadi special! For almost three decades, Amjad has been serving authentic Deccani Biryani to patrons. His catering service Paigah (named after the Hyderabadi aristocratic family his wife belongs to) brings back memories of khansamas and food prepared on woodfires. Be it Lamb or Chicken Biryani, Dum Ka Bakra or Firni, Amjad’s offerings are steeped in the culinary history of the city of Nawabs and deliver authenticity with every morsel.  

USP: A feast fit for kings… err Nizams | Tel: 86884 89570 | @amjad_lala

Manger by Ankit

Thirty three-year-old Ankit Sodhi belongs to a storied family that has been in the food business for six decades. (They ran the popular restaurant Kwality  in Hyderabad’s Parklane neighbourhood since 1954, before shutting it down after a stellar run.) Ankit was keen on a business venture based on food as  consequence. Thus Manger (meaning ‘to eat’) by Ankit was born in 2020. It serves delicious home-made food across different cuisines. During Ramzan, his delicious Iftaar meals are most sought after by corporates, from Cognizant and Oracle to Amazon and Dr Reddy’s. His speciality is providing north Indian delicacies to Hyderabadis, be it Mutton Rogan Josh with intense flavours or Butter Chicken in true Delhi style. Other specials from his kitchen include Chicken Kandhari, Mutton Fry Biryani, Pepper Prawns, Tava Fish, Fusion Lamb Chops and Grilled Kasundi Fish. 

USP: From Tollywood’s finest, including SS Rajamouli and Lakshmi Manchu, to cricketing legends like VVS Laxman, everyone has sampled their finger-licking good food | Tel: 90005 99290 | @Mangerbyankit

From Chef Asra's Kitchen

Cooking By Asra

Home chef Asra Sultana started off by making free meals during the COVID-19 pandemic and realised she wanted to continue pursuing her love for cooking. Typically taking catering orders for up to 100 people, foodies swear by Asra’s straightforward and no-frills cooking, based on recreations of her mother’s and mother-in-law’s recipes. From Haleem to Dahi Vade — and of course Biryani, Asra makes delicious food that offers the perfect respite after a long day’s fast.  “The aim of my business is very simple: to empower myself with what I love doing the most,” says Asra. “As an Indian mother, I have cooked for over 30 years and have learnt from the many inspiring women before me. In the same spirit, my daughter encouraged me to share my legacy with the world, one delicious meal at a time.” The dish she’s most famous for is her Kabsa Laham, the slow-cooked chicken and rice Arabian delicacy marinated with spices and elevated to gastronomic art in Asra’s kitchen. Small wonder then, that many patrons compare her food to that of the famous Al Tazaj restaurant chain in Saudi Arabia.  

USP: Iftar boxes and homemade goodness | Tel: 99086 29786/96762 99811 | @cookingbyasra

Suhoor Express

If Iftaar is the meal taken after the fast is broken at sundown, Suhoor is the morning meal preceding it. Hyderabad's first and only home-made Suhoor delivery service since 2017 was started by Shabaz Khan to cater to people who found it difficult to wake up in the morning and cook. It has since extended the services to catering for Iftaar events as well. The start-up excels at making typical Hyderabadi homemade items like Khatti Dal, Talawa Gosht, Chicken Tahari and Khichdi Khatta Keema to name a few. Khan shares that many of their customers are from Saudi Arabia, the US and the UAE, who order for their loved ones based in Hyderabad. (PS: Check out their family packs, ideal for mid-size gatherings.)

USP: Delicious home-made food at an affordable price | Tel: 77025 62093 | @suhoorexpress