Hyderabadi Spice

London’s Best South Indian Restaurants Serve Kerala and Hyderabadi Food | Eater London

"Being one of the very few venues in London to showcase the exquisitely complex cuisine of Hyderabad, means this small, modest-looking East Ham café attracts large family crowds. So be prepared to wait. There are many classics from the region, such as nizami gosht, kuska bagara, and haleem — but the one thing everyone comes here for is the generously portioned, excellent-value biryani. It more than lives up to expectations: cooked dum style, but served without the theatrics of a pastry lid, the golden grains of rice are generously studded with beautifully spiced lamb, chicken, seafood, whole boiled eggs or vegetables, then topped with a tangle of crisp caramelised onions. This is also one of the few places to find khubani ka meetha, a classic pudding of stewed dried apricots and apricot kernels steeped in cream; and ‘Irani chai’, a strong, slow-brewed Persian tea made with reduced milk solids that’s ubiquitous in Hyderabad, but not widely available in London." - Sejal Sukhadwala