HYDERABAD: The popularity of Hyderabadi cuisine is currently at a high, with many restaurants offering local dishes beyond the usual items like biryani, haleem and patthar ka gosht. The same, however, can’t be said about Hyderabadi desserts. Khubani ka meetha, double ka meetha, or at best gajar ka halwa or kaddu ka kheer are the only local sweets you get in most of the popular Hyderabadi places. Specific shops have to be visited for special sweets such as Jouzi Halwa or Badam ki Jaali.
But the scenario is changing now. Meethe Miya, a new outlet in Banjara Hills is offering around 30 unique Hyderabadi desserts under the same roof. The owner Mirza Imran Baig, who is from a business family, had always rued the fact that while Hyderabadi cuisine is known all over the country, the desserts from this cuisine are not that popular even in the city. Meethe Miya has been started with a quest to bridge this gap.
At Meethe Miya, you can try out some Hyderabadi delicacies which were hitherto available only at homes. Ande k elauz is one of them. Also known as ande ki piyosi, the pudding-like dish with eggs, khoya and saffron was one of the popular desserts of yesteryears. Another local item available here is halwapuri, in which puris stuffed with puran or chickpea paste are typically eaten with chawal ki kheer.
Other than gil-e-firdaus, the shop has many offbeat variants of kheer on its menu, such as zaffrani kheer, anjeer ki kheer, etc. The collection of halwas is pretty extensive too. Apart from the famous Jouzi Halwa of Turkish origin, other types incorporating kaddu, gajar, anjeer and chana can also be tried. The kheer and halwa are sold in attractive glass bottles.
Hyderabad is known for its almond-based preparations – you can try badam ki kheer, badam ki kund or cookies like badam ki jali at Meethe Miya. Both the bread delicacies, double ka meetha as well as shahi tukda are also available. A special recipe here is zarda, where rice is boiled in milk and sugar, and flavoured with dry fruits, saffron, and cardamom.
The centralized kitchen at Begumpet has three chefs, each specialising on a different line of sweets. A second outlet in Cyberabad is planned in the near future. Meethe Miya also sells its desserts in bulk quantities for marriages and functions. Even in the shop, you have the option of buying the items in retail either per plate or by weight. So the next time you have a craving for sweets, go visit this place in Banjara Hills for some traditional Hyderabadi fare.
(Sabyasachi is a food enthusiast and blogs at www.foodaholix.in)