Chicken 65: Go to any Hyderabadi Irani café and you would hear customers shouting out “chootu ek plate chicken 65 laana” (translated into English “Hey kid bring me one plate of chicken 65”). This deep fried chicken dish can’t be explained and has to be personally experienced. It has a rich crunchy taste that the best KFC chicken can’t even come remotely come close to.
The origin of the name chicken 65 is as colorful as the dish itself. Some say that 65 ingredients are used to make the dish, some say that it is fried at 65 degrees centigrade. Some others argue saying that it was item number 65 on the menu list and it was simply titled deep fried chicken. Customers were calling out item number 65 chicken item and slowly the item number was dropped off. Any which way chicken 65 is a mouth watering dish.
Barkas biryani: A very unique Hyderabadi saying. It means that the meeting is over and every one can go home. In a traditional Muslim Valima dinner the biryani is the star serving. Once the waiter announces that the biryani is Barkas (finished) it means that the dinner is over and the guests have to go home.
Salim Pheku: Again a peculiar Hyderabadi word. It is a name of a guy who can spin yarns that are simply unbelievable but are very enjoyable. Patrons pay good money to listen to the Pheku (fellow who can tell tall tales). Sample one “I was going from Pune to Hyderabad in a lorry carrying poultry eggs. The road was very slippery. The driver braked suddenly and the lorry somersaulted. But can you believe even not even one egg got cracked. Such was the skill of the driver”. In typical Hyderabadi style one is supposed to applaud the Pheku and goad him to better himself.
Hyderabadi haleem: is a type of meat stew It is a popular dish that is only made during the Muslim month of Ramadan or Ramzan. Haleem is only second to the Hyderabadi Biryani in popularity.
It is a type of stew made from pounded wheat and mutton (or beef) made into a thick paste. It is the mainstay of the faithful during the Holy month of Ramadan. It is a tradition to break the daily fast (roza) at Iftar with a plateful of haleem.
Osmania Biscuit: The popular biscuit's name has nothing to do with VII Nizam Osman Ali or Osmania University or Osmania General Hospital. They are an invention of Mohammed Osman, a biscuit maker of Sultanshahi who used to supply salt biscuits to various hotels. He noticed that people were fed up with salt biscuits. Osman mixed milk powder and ghee in maida powder and started supplying the biscuits to hotels and within a week he noticed that the people loved the taste. Customers love to dip Osmania biscuit in tea and then eat them, Four Osmania biscuits absorb half cup of tea. The customer then has to order for another cup of tea. A Smart way of getting more business for the Irani café owners.
Each Osmania biscuit costs Rs 1. Serving Osmania biscuits to the guests along with samosa or egg puffs is the tradition of Hyderabad.
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