HYDERABAD: Among all the regional Indian cuisines available in Hyderabad beyond our own Telugu and Hyderabadi food, Punjabi is the most popular. We have a large number of Punjabi restaurants all over the city, ranging from small dhabas to fine dining restaurants. Many of these have localised the food to the Hyderabadi palate, often with excessive spices. However, a few still maintain the original swaad of Punjabi food. A few months back we had talked here about Sagar Papaji Ka Dhaba, which is located in the older part of the city. Another place which is new and has made a name for itself in a very short time is Dildaar, which is a favourite of the North Indian population in the IT corridor.
Dildaar is located in a small bylane off the 100 ft road in Madhapur and is a bit difficult to locate. The place is a brainchild of Rishi Kapoor, who is a Punjabi settled in Hyderabad for a long time. After completion of his education in hotel management, he worked for a few years in star hotels and premium restaurants, before he decided to branch out on its own. His native Punjabi food seemed to be an obvious choice for him. The restaurant is themed like a typical dhaba from Punjab, with a rustic look and unfinished edges, minus the charpoys that you find at the ones on the Punjab highways. Including the outside seating area, the restaurant can accommodate close to hundred diners.
The cutlery has also been brought in from Punjab. The place has carved out a name for itself within two years of its opening, with a large number of North Indians patronising it. The signature dishes of this restaurant are Amritsari Kulcha Chhole, Peshawri Kheema Naan, Chur Chur Naan, Patiala Lassi, and Dal Makhani, apart from the usual tandoori chicken, Punjab-style kababs and butter chicken. Multani Paneer, a stuffed paneer preparation, and Rara Gosht, a boneless mutton dish are quite popular with the diners. No artificial colour is used in any of the food. The kitchen staff members are all brought in from Punjab and trained in preparing traditional food. During the weekdays, you have an economical thhali available for both lunch and dinner providing limited quantities of many of the popular dishes here.
As per Rishi, the locals were slow to come to the restaurant, but now a chunk of his diners are the original inhabitants of this state. With time, he has also introduced live singing of Bollywood numbers in his place. Expansion into other areas is on his mind, but nothing is planned in the near future. If you are in the Hi-Tec City area and are looking for good Punjabi food, Dildaar is the place to go.
Sabyasachi is a food enthusiast and blogs at www.foodaholix.in