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Begum chef who bowled celebrity gourmets
Murag soup - thespian Dilip Kumar; Achari murg - jumping jack Jeetendra; Handi ki kheera - bad boy Prem Chopra; Kaachi ghosh ki biriyani - hunky Salman Khan and Sunny Deol; Paathar ka ghosh- sizzling siren shilpa shetty.
You must be wondering, what is this gobbledegook! Well it is not a Bollywood pot-boiler. These are just a small list of fans that swear by Hameeda Begum's Hyderabadi cuisine with their favourite dishes, cooked in ethnic style.
The Begum chef is now in Vizag to tickle the taste buds of the gourmets of the city with true Nizami food at the `Hyderabadi food festival' currently on at Dolphin Hotel. It will last up to July 24. The front lawn of the hotel gives the ambience of the royal past.
Hameeda's induction into the realms of Hyderabadi cuisine began 25 years ago, when she was married to Mohammed Yusuf, at the tender age of 14 years. Her mother-in-law, Zahara Begum, who used to work at the royal kitchen of the Nizams, taught her the finer points of cooking that is associated with the famous Nizami food.
"The Nizams, along with their wealth and history also inherited a unique and rich cuisine and were very fastidious about the culinaries that were served. They would spend almost two hours along with their family at the dining table. This gave me the opportunity to learn the variety and the etiquette of food habits," Hameeda said.
Her baptism into the hospitality industry was by fire. Having studied up to Std. VI in Urdu medium, she did not have any professional qualification. But one day a friend, who was well versed with her qualities, introduced her to the management of the Krishna Oberoi group and she had to pass the test by cooking 11 varieties of Hyderabadi dishes. Her performance was immediately appreciated, and the appointment letter was served across the table.
From then on there was no looking back for Hameeda. From one hotel to another, jumping grades with every shift, she is now with Hotel Sitara at the Ramoji Film City as Master Chef, heading the Hyderabadi cuisines.
Having the distinction of being the first from Andhra Pradesh and one among the few women in this field, she is today the exponent of more than 165 varieties of the royal cuisine.
She also had the rare opportunity of serving to our former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, on one of his visit to Hyderabad, who not only appreciated her `Double ka meetha', but also carried home a pack. "Such appreciation and recognition from people motivate me to carry on and on," said Hameeda, mother of four.
* * *
Recipe of her favourite
Kachhi ghosh ki biriyani
Ingredients.
Mutton 1 Kg
Rice 1 Kg
Salt 50 gm
Elaichi powder half table
spoon
Mixed garam masala -do-
Curd 300 gm
Lemon 2
Bay leaves one
Mint and Coriander one
tablespoon chopped
Pinch of dry rose leaves,
meethi leaves and jaypal.
Fried brown onions 200 gm
Ghee 100 gm
Rosewater 2 spoons
Haldi quarter spoon.
Process:
Properly clean the rice and
the mutton and half boil them separately. Marinate the mutton with the masalas prescribed, adding the curd and little lemon juice.
Spread the marinated mutton inside a copper handi (preferably a closed necked one) then gently spread the rice on top. Add a little oil, two cardamom pieces and a few cloves, lemon juice and salt to taste. On the sides, place the fried brown onions, a little milk and rosewater.
Cover the vessel with wheat dough and press the lid, to arrest the steam inside. Keep the container for 30 minutes in mild flame. Serve it hot.
S.B.
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