While food festivals are not a new entity in Hyderabad, not all such events present the authentic food of the country they claim to represent. One of many cuisines often debated is Iranian food. Though it is served in several restaurants across the city, hardly any serve the actual cuisine. For the first time in Hyderabad, the Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran is going to host a food festival to celebrate the spirit and flavour of authentic Persian food.
The event has already started and will continue till 31st October 2021. It is happening at Trident Hotel situated in Madhapur. The food festival is being conducted by the Iranian Consulate, located in Banjara Hills, in association with the CD Foundation. It is going to showcase a variety of dishes including biryani, kebabs like Chelo Kebab, Osh-e-rishte, Khoreshte-khaime and more, drinks and vegetarian items as well for those who do not prefer the meat diet.
Celebrity chef Mona has flown down from Iran as the head chef in the ongoing event. People can enjoy the delicacies for their lunch or dinner, as mentioned in the hotel’s Amara dining section due to the other restaurants being shut on account of the pandemic.
Iranian food has remained one of the most relished cuisines in Hyderabad since it was introduced to the city. Several Persian restaurants now stand tall in the city with several regular foodies visiting them. However, many food items claimed as the original dishes of the country aren’t really so, as per some Persian families.
The infamous ‘Irani chai’ is actually a concoction of special tea leaves, water and sugar cubes or ‘nabaut’- giving rise to an ultimate black tea with no hint of milk, whereas the one served in the city contains milk- changing the ingredient list of the tea.
As for the Irani Haleem too, while several restaurants offer various forms of the delicacy based on their own take of the food item, the authentic Haleem made in Iran does not contain meat, sources said. It is a mixture of many vegetables mashed to form a paste-like consistency- very similar looking to the one served here. A meat variant exists too, but it is completely different from the Hyderabad Haleem.
The food festival in Trident is a good way to discover the cuisine and understand the spices that bring out the unique flavour in them.
