HYDERABAD: The Barkas area in Old City is home to many Hyderabadis whose forefathers were from Arab countries. The name of the place originated from the word “barracks”, as the area served as the barracks for Nizam’s army. The then army had a large number of Arabs, especially from Yemen. Thus, it is no surprise that the cuisine of the area is replete with localized versions of Yemeni food.One of the Yemeni preparations, a dish which has become popular in Hyderabad is their traditional Mandi.
A rice dish, usually with mutton, (known as Laham Mandi) it is also available with chicken, quail and even grilled fish. Initially, this was available only in the Barkas area, but now, restaurants in Tolichowki and Hi-tec City are also serving the delicacy to their customers. For any food lovers visiting Hyderabad, tasting the local Mandi has become part of the must-try list.
Mandi is a rice and meat dish with spices like saffron and nutmeg, as well as pinenuts, almonds and raisins. The name of the dish in Arabic means “dew”. The moistness of the dish is also due to the fact that the rice is cooked in meat stock. The authentic Mandi in Arab countries is prepared in a pot which is put inside a specially dug pit in the ground. The meat is put on top of the rice, often separated by a rack or mesh. The pot is then sealed and mandi is slow cooked inside, often overnight, along with the meat and spices. It is said that the juice dripping from the meat adds further taste to the rice.
However, most restaurants serving Mandi here in Hyderabad now cook it in firewood inside a usual tandoor. Nuts and raisins, as well as Arabic spices, make the dish flavourful. However, in many places, there is a tendency to make the dish quite localized to the Hyderabadi palate by adding excessive spices. The dish is served with a special tomato chutney, and sometimes a mint chutney as well as garlic mayo.
Mataam-Al-Arabi at Barkas is the best-known place to try out Laham Mandi in Hyderabad. Food lovers prefer to travel more than an hour to eat their favourite dish here. The restaurant offers a typical Arab style seating on the floor, where people sitting cross-legged share the dish with friends from the same plate.
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Seasons in Tolichowki was also one of the first places to serve this dish. Now, there are many other small places where Mandi and another Arabic dish Khabsa are available. Al Qaswa near Masab Tank, Yum Yum Tree in Madhapur and Al Zaara Mathbaq Al Mandi in Tolichowki are some of better known among these.
Sabyasachi is a food explorer and blogs at www.foodaholix.in