HYDERABAD: Among the current trends in dining out is an increased interest in regional cuisines. In fact, enthusiastic food lovers are going beyond regional food to what is being called as micro-cuisines, the food of a particular area in a state, examples being Malwani or Coorgi food. Though Hyderabad is perceived as slightly lagging in this aspect, recent times have seen restaurants exploring much beyond the usual regional suspects such as Punjabi and Bengali.
A small place near Botanical Gardens in Kondapur is catching the fancy of the diners due to its diverse regional dishes. Mota Kababi, the 12-seater place is owned and operated by Pratyush Anand, an IT professional and food enthusiast. Interested in cooking since childhood, Pratyush hails from Araria in Bihar and has spent a significant number of years in Nagpur and Lucknow. His place thus has delicacies from all of these three places. Among the Bihari dishes is the well-known Litti Chokha, where the sattu stuffed litties are available in baked or fried versions. The potato chokha is accompanied by Baigan Bharta. You also have the option of going chicken curry along with the litti.
The signature dish here is the Bihari style Ghee Mutton. The mutton is slow-cooked over coal for hours after marinating it a special masala which is brought from Bihar. Mustard oil, ghee, whole spices, and whole garlic bulbs add to the taste. The result is pure bliss when combined with the rotis. Pratyush tells me that in the villages this preparation is usually done using cowdung cakes as fuel, which gave a different flavour to the dish. Saoji Mutton, a recipe from Vidarbha, a fiercely spicy curry from a community of weavers is another must-have.
A few dishes from Awadh here also deserve a mention too as the chef here is from Lucknow and an expert in Nawabi dishes. The Awadhi Biryani is moist and aromatic, but leave your Hyderabadi inhibitions behind when you try it. The biryanis from the two princely states are as different as chalk and cheese. Do not expect the strong masala that you are accustomed to, and instead soak in the flavours of the dish. A number of kababs such as the galouti, shammi and boti kababs should also be tried here, to be enjoyed with Awadhi sheermal and ulte tawa ke parathe. For customers who are in a hurry, Mota Kababi has kabab rolls wrapped in the paratha, and Karachi style bun kababs, where kababs are stuffed in a bun. Mota Kababi is open only in the evening now.
Sabyasachi is a food enthusiast and blogs at www.foodaholix.in