Osmania Biscuits are unique soft tea biscuits that are best served with Irani chai (tea). With a sweet and salty flavour, these melt-in-the-mouth biscuits are a must-try in the city famous for its cuisine culture. Legend has it that the biscuits are named after Mir Osman Ali Khan, who was the seventh Nizam of Hyderabad. The ruler used to love the biscuits served at a popular restaurant in the Abids and they named them after the king. Another tale recounts that the biscuits were first made at Osmania hospital and thus have been named so. A group of dieticians are said to have prepared this delicious recipe to give it as an energy booster to patients.

This typical Hyderabadi dessert is made using dried apricots, cream and rose water. It is a popular dish served at weddings and is one of the best delicacies in the royal kitchens of Hyderabad.

A favourite during Eid-ul-Fitr, sheer korma is a special Hyderabadi dessert made with vermicelli fried in ghee (clarified butter) and then slow-cooked in sweetened milk with dates, other dry fruits and then topped with saffron. The word 'sheer korma' literally means milk with dates.

A unique dish, mirchi ka saalan is a spicy gravy of green chilli cooked in a peanut-and-sesame-seed curry. Coconut and khus khus (poppy seeds) are also added to the curry for flavour and texture. It is said that this dish was one of the favourites of Mughal emperor Akbar. Even the Ain-i-Akbari mentions it.

Malai korma is a flavourful vegetarian dish made with spices and malai (cream). It comprises koftas (deep-fried dumplings of mainly paneer or cottage cheese) cooked in a mildly spiced gravy. It is best enjoyed with roti (Indian flatbread).

The Keema samosa is a unique take on the common Indian snack. These fried dough pockets are stuffed with spiced minced meat instead of the usual potato-and-pea mixture and served with a spicy mint chutney.

Hyderabadi haleem is a hearty preparation of mutton, lentils, cracked wheat, yoghurt, spices, dry fruits and mint cooked over a slow fire for almost 12 hours. This flavourful dish, which is thick in consistency, is enjoyed during festivals.

Iconic in Hyderabad, this milky concoction of tea leaves, whole milk, sugar and khoya or mawa (milk reduced to a solid form) is a must-try. This tea is best enjoyed with the special Hyderabadi Osmania biscuits. It is believed to be brought to Hyderabad by Persian immigrants who landed at Mumbai port and then migrated to Pune and Hyderabad. The preparation of Irani chai is different from that of normal tea. To make this rich tea, tea leaves are boiled in a separate container and milk in another. While serving to customers, milk is poured first and then the tea leaves concoction.

Double ka Meetha is a delightfully sweet treat prepared with lightly toasted or fried slices of bread that are doused in a sugar syrup and topped with saffron-and cardamom-infused milk. The dish is then garnished with cashew nuts, chandi ka barq (fine silver foil), almonds and raisins. It is also called Shahi Tukda. It is popularly served at weddings and parties in Hyderabad. The term 'double ka meetha' points to the milk bread that is called 'double roti' as it swells to double its size on baking.

A delicious dessert, firni is prepared using broken rice, dry fruits and sweetened milk. It is a popular sweet dish had during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan but is also enjoyed on other auspicious occasions. It is usually likened to a sweet rice and milk pudding.

Biryani defines the culture of Hyderabad. Just like the city, this iconic royal dish, is a subtle amalgamation of rice, meat and flavourful spices; where no one ingredient overpowers the other! Hyderabadi biryani stands apart from other varieties available across the country due to its method of cooking and the mild but sophisticated spicing. There are two types of biryani cooked and served in the city. The first is kachhi biryani, in which marinated meat is cooked together with rice. The second variety, which is more common, is the pakki biryani, in which the meat is cooked separately and then layered with half-cooked rice. Both varieties are prepared on dum (a traditional steam-cooking procedure) till the meat is tender and the rice fragrantly cooked, with each grain standing apart. In both these biryanis, the spicing is subtle, with stress on fresh cardamom. There is also a hint of green chilli, ghee (clarified butter) and saffron.