HYDERABAD: Against the backdrop of illuminated streets, groups of rozedars come together to delight in the post-Iftaar festivities. In contrast to the view, a group of about 15 explorers convene in a massive playground. They aim to explore parts of the Old City on foot, particularly some of its oldest and newer culinary hotspots teeming with the season’s finest delicacies. CE decides to tag along!
We gather outside Alawa-e-Sartauq Ashoorkhana, right next to Darulshifa football ground, where Md Sibghatullah Khan from The Deccan Archive Foundation provides us with an evocative portrayal of Darulshifa.
Built by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah in 1596 as a state hospital for Golconda, Darulshifa housed hakims (doctors) from across Asia who practised Unani (Greek) medicine. “Apparently, they were so good that just by reading your pulse, they could tell what was wrong with you,” said Sibghat Khan.
“During Abdullah Qutb Shah's reign, a relic from the events of the Battle of Karbala was brought to Golconda and housed in the Hospital to bless the sick. After the Mughal conquest in 1687, Aurangzeb dedicated jagirs (land grants) to the shrine. In the 1930s the Unani hospital moved to Charminar leaving the old Darulshifa building unoccupied. The last Nizam Osman Ali Khan built the modern Ashurkhana building in the 1930s,” he added.
Currently, being used as a school, a library and other random purposes, the actual hospital complex would have sprawling gardens enclosed in a boundary wall that continues to exist but runs a risk of being demolished, thanks to the upcoming metro construction in the area.
“On the 10th day of Muharram, we have a sea of people coming in to visit this religious shrine,” Khan said. The neighbourhood is also named after the hospital, which means ‘house of healing’.
After that brief dose of history and condemning the loss of centuries-old heritage, we move to our first spot for culinary exploration: Khadeem Munshi Naan, established by an accountant of the Nizam in 1851, who learned the skill after seeing how it was prepared at the Nizam’s palace. The Golden coloured, square-shaped ‘naan’ or bread is made with maida and curd and baked in an underground furnace. This naan, costing only `20 each, is hugely popular among the locals, who prefer to have it for breakfast along with paya soup.
With this, we move to our first major spot: Nayaab. While the group grabbed the longest table on the first floor of the restaurant, little did they know that this was also going to be their first haleem spot for the day. With great excitement, Navin Sigamany of The Hyderabad Walking Company explained the historical significance of the restaurant and why haleem is the most popular dish during Ramzan.
“Where we are sitting right now marked the outer walls of the Salarjung estate. A lot of small shops existed along those walls which have now developed into something big, like this restaurant, a 200-year-old building,” he said.
He further engages the group in the history of haleem, brought in by the Iranis, but Indianised and further Hyderabad-ified to give its present unique character. The GI-tagged dish is distinctive in taste and texture and yet within Hyderabad, one could find any number of kinds.
Peace descends upon you after indulging in a hearty portion of hot and comforting haleem, a necessity as we strolled down to Hussaini Alam, at a bustling street lined with stalls and teeming with people on both sides. There, we relished some patthar ka ghosht and marag served with rumali roti, which warmed both our palates and souls. The journey culminated at an Arabi Kahwa stall, where we savoured a sugary, milky brew infused with natural herbs—a perfect conclusion to our evening escapade.