“Savour Royalty, Served on a Platter….”said the ad! See what we found on Nawabi platters…

The Rainbow restaurant at the Raintree has always prided itself for its innovative cuisine! Come April, and Rainbow was all set to host the Hyderabadi food festival, introducing Nawabi cuisine to Chennai-ites!

There is a saying in Hyderabad, that cooking patiently is the key to delectable Hyderabadi cuisine! You could see it holds good even today! Every dish had been lovingly cooked to perfection, at the Rainbow. The buffet service too followed the dictum, and kept running out of the finger lickin’ good food, testing our patience as they replenished handis and platters with more!

Hyderabadi food is a legacy handed down by the Nizams and is a fine blend of Persian and Moghul cuisines. Every ingredient is carefully selected and cooked to the right degree and every spice added, gives each dish a signature aroma. At the Rainbow, we were informed that traditional cooking utensils is what gave the Hyderabadi food its distinct taste, and they had used earthen pots as well as brass / copper handis to cook this gastronomic feast, simmered to perfection.

Khade gosht ki biryani boasted of long grained rice and succulent lamb pieces, decorated with silver varq (edible foil). The texture of almonds and the flavour of Basmati rice blended well with the spices and tender lamb. Murghi Korma was a delectable combination of marinated chicken simmered in a coconut and yogurt gravy. Haleem is a porridge of sorts: tender boneless mutton is cooked with whole wheat to a perfect consistency till the juices and spices become one! A feast for non-vegetarians, Hyderabadi cuisine has less to offer vegetarians: Mirchi ka Salan, Baghara baingan and tamatar katt

Hyderabadis obviously have a sweet tooth, from the range of desserts on display! Sheer Khurma, double ka meetha, daal ka halwa and kheer. But what deserves a special mention is Khumani ka meetha! Stewed and pureed apricots (khumani) simmered in sugar syrup, decorated with slivers of apricot nuts and served with dollops of fresh cream…

I could go on and on, waxing eloquent about this unbelievably delicious cuisine! The kebabs, the Lukmi (crisp keema samosas), Daal Gosht, the pasty Dalcha, Nihari (simmered, tender beef) syrupy sweet Malida decorated with rose petals, the sweetened naan or sheermaal, crisp tandoori roti and naan…. dil maange more!