HYDERABAD: The camaraderie between winters and good food goes way back. Winter is the season to indulge in a hot, soothing
meal and spend quality time with loved ones. Zila at district150 offers exactly this experience with its newly launched winter menu. What made the experience all the more special was sipping a nice mocktail while relishing the Indian delicacies on our plates.
The small plates quickly became colourful with appetisers such as the Karivepaku Chicken, which was essentially a modern twist to chicken tikka. The use of curry leaves in this dish was particularly masterful and the stem sprouting from the dish added an aesthetic touch. And the taste was absolutely great too.
Moving on, we had Taco or Taco, which was essentially Malabar paratha with mutton bhuna. It was delightfully flavourful — each bite proffered a soothing flavour of mutton and spices. We also savoured the interestingly named 5G Prawns, made with Guntur chilli, garlic, and ghee.
The Patrani Machali, a Parsi-inspired steamed fish wrapped in a banana leaf, was served steaming hot. No Hyderabadi can forget Haleem, served with Sheermal Melba Toast — a perfect dish for winter.
Chaat is one of the most popular snacks across the country and at Zila, we gobbled up the typical Bengali-style chaat, Jhal Muri, made with edamame and avocado and topped with some delicious chutney. We also had Arbi, a chaat made with arbi, berry chuda, kachcha papaya, and dhanu jeera. The papita added a unique flavour to the dish — a must-try indeed!
Moving on to our big plates, we had the Papad Wale Kofta served with Sourdough Butter Naan. It doesn’t just sound innovative but tastes spectacular and pairs excellently with the Indian bread too. We then relished in yet another creatively named dish, Chickentmz, served with Pudina Kulcha, which tasted simply amazing with the chicken. Paneertmz is a yummy alternative for vegetarians.
We also had the Chicken Pepper Fry with Nool Paratha, which had just the right balance of flavours. The shredded paratha was a crispy companion to the pepper chicken. We also had the Saag Burrata, made with the popular winter Punjabi leafy vegetable, burrata cheese, and tadka garlic.
After a sumptuous meal, we indulged in some decadent desserts — Mastani and Payasam.
The star in Mastani was the seasonal sitaphal (custard apple) and we could simply not get enough, craving bite after bite. The Payasam, made with coconut, was inspired by elaneer payasam and had just the right amount of sweetness.
Winter…the season of chilly breezes, Christmas, warm connections, and most importantly, a hearty meal. Overall, Zila’s winter menu, which is on till March 2025, is completely worth tucking in — you will not be disappointed and will instead crave, crave, crave.