Hyderabad: Once known as a cousin of Biryani, mutton Tahari in Hyderabad is now becoming a hit amongst youngsters in the city.
Patronage is increasing for the dish, resulting in mushrooming of hotels serving Tahari. Moreover, its popularity also resulted it in being available in different versions. You can get Hyderabadi Tahari, Kalyan Tahari, Gulbarga Tahari and even Nanded Tahari.
The madness for the dish can be measured through the fact that the hotels open up as early as 4.30 am in some places and are jam packed. Mahboob Tahari Centre at Darulshifa opens its doors for people at 4 am and the business continues till 8 pm. “We have been making Kalyani Tahari for almost 45 years and our hotel attracts lots of people,” said Mohd Razi from the joint.
At Nampally, the crowd makes its way to a hotel ‘Darwaze ka Tahari’ where people squat on benches to savour the Tahari. There are also hotels that put curtains and partition the space for family sections. “Families visit our hotel and enjoy it. Parcel services are available too,” said Muqeed ul Haq of Saudagar Kalyani Biryani and Taheri, Phoolbagh.
A reminder of home
The reason for different versions of the Tahari being available in city hotels is that people from Karnataka and Maharashtra settling in Hyderabad, said Mohd Nayeem, a food blogger. He added that people yearn to eat the dish that reminds them of their hometown or native places.
“Tahari is usually a mixed rice recipe usually mixed with either mutton or chicken. It’s the style of cooking that is different to some extent, so different names in accordance to the method adopted for cooking,” said Nayeem.
Earlier Tahari hotels were limited to Nampally, Purani Haveli, Khilwat and Golconda only in Hyderabad. “Now in every commercial area of the city you have a couple of hotels selling the dish. The craze for this dish that was originally prepared by mixing beef with rice is growing in the city,” said Mohd Arif from Nimath Taheri Centre, Shaheennagar.
Arif has been running the hotel at Khilwat for the past 60 years and started another hotel at Shaheen Nagar 21 years ago.
A plate of Tahari costs between Rs 80 to Rs 100, while the special full plate is priced between Rs 100 and Rs 150. “In Nanded and Gulbarga, the plates are small, similar to a saucer and they charge Rs. 30 a plate. In Hyderabad we have bigger plates, hence the price is more,” said a hotelier.
