Here's a Hyderabadi word for this: http://samosapedia.com/entries/12657/dhed%20dimaag

dhed dimaag
Noun.
A stupid person who thinks he is really quite smart. This person thinks that as long as he pretends to be smart, others will consider him smart, while everybody around him sees that he is a complete idiot.

Kitta dhed dimaag hai re unon! Khaali peeli internet pe kuch to bhi baatan karte. Aur pooche to idhar udhar ke be-matlab linkaan chipka dete.

Craving juicy kebabs, lip-smacking biryani and mouth-watering sweets? Head to Jashn to satiate yourself. Jashn, (opposite M.S. Ramaiah Hospital) a pure Nizami restaurant, promises to melt the hearts of the most hardcore food critics.

Launched last year by two young entrepreneurs V. Shiva Reddy and Shivaram Krishna, the restaurant offers authentic Nizami dishes, including kheema biryani, Shikampuri kebab, Haleem and Paya curry. “We realised that there were very few restaurants in the city that offered authentic Nizami food in a fine-dining setting. We chose chefs from Hyderabad and brought them to the city. The interiors were also designed specifically to mirror the opulent style of Nizams and the aristocrats of that era,” Shiva Reddy says.

Nizami cuisine is different from the other Mughlai styles, he explains. While Afghani cuisine is very dry, Kashmiri and Lucknowi cuisine are more sweet-based as lots of dry fruits are used. In contrast, Nizami (or Hyderabadi) cuisine is tomato-based and lots of spices are used. “Nizami cuisine is rich only in flavour and not calories.” And to substantiate his claim, he promises that you will not need soap to clean your hands after this meal.

He suggests we try the Tandoori Pomfret (whole pomfret marinated with Indian spices and cooked in a tandoor) and paneer tikka (cubes of paneer marinated with Indian spices and cooked in a tandoor). The fish is delightfully succulent and fresh, without being overpowered by the spices, while the paneer is just as soft and juicy.

We then try the specially ordered Rann-e-Murgh (chicken leg pieces cooked in a spicy gravy) and Methi Torai (ridge gourd cooked with cumin and fresh herbs) along with rotis, both of which are light and spicy.

Shiva Reddy says the meal is not complete without the Dum Ka Murgh biryani (saffron-flavoured dum, cooked with Basmati rice). He is right. Unlike the other biryanis on offer at the various Andhra-style restaurants, the Dum biryani is neither oily nor too spicy. The restaurant also serves wine. Red wine, he says, complements Nizami cuisine really well.

To finish off the splendid meal, he suggests we try Double ka Meetha (fried bread slices dipped in sugar syrup and served with condensed milk and candied fruit) and Kubani ka Meetha (an apricot-based sweet served with whipped cream). True to his earlier claim, we did not require soap to wash our hands.

The vegetarian buffet is priced at Rs. 225 plus tax, while the non-vegetarian buffet is Rs. 255 plus tax. A meal for two (without wine) will cost around Rs. 700. Call 9742929292.

http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/Food/article2611904.ece

A tribute to Nizami cooking

Aish at Hotel Park is an ode to the Nizami style of cooking
PHOTO: K. RAMESH BABU

DESIGNED FOR ROYALTY At Aish if the d‚cor intimidates, the food will impress you
You cannot walk in casually into this place and not feel intimidated. Everything from the d‚cor to the cutlery oozes royalty. It is difficult to decide whether to admire the marble floor with mirror finish or the silver-framed mirrors or photographs that adorn the walls. The restaurant, based on a modern monochromatic theme is inspired by the legendary style of the Nizams of Hyderabad, who were known for their exquisite taste in sensory objects and their ability to own them all, from jewels to objet d' art to the cuisine. And designer Tarun Tahiliani has given the theme a co-ordinated designer touch to the restaurant.

As you sip water from the solid silver goblet you cannot help but admire the interiors designed in shades of cream to mother-of-pearl. The restaurant at times looks like an opulent setting in a period movie. Against the backdrop of the dark ceiling with crystal block lights to mother-of-pearls inlaid floors in clusters of floral sprays and from a dazzling Osler centrepiece, which casts a dull glow on the guests, the focus is on detailing. The private dining area has been cordoned off by solid silver on teak trellis patterns.

The ceiling has an aged and antique finish to it. It is studded with Swarovski lights to set the mood for an exotic experience.

What probably makes Aish a hit with food lovers is that the food isn't `designer stuff'; it's truly Hyderabadi. For coolers they have the likes of nimbu-gud or santra-pudina juice or even a doodh ka sherbet. The starters rock with a combination of a few fusion and authentic Nizami dishes.

Here's a shocker, this restaurant has more than a few tempting exotic vegetarian dishes. The khajur-paneer dhol is one of them. And there is a hari gobi ki tikki too.

The servings come in mini handis and lagaans and no marks for guessing what they are made of. The Murg Muttabbak is the most interesting of starters. It is a layered chicken, egg and meat pie. This dish is not international and was very much a part of the Nizam's musthave.

The flavour of the vegetarian dishes is such that it can divert one's concentration from the meat on the table. The bhaji ki katli is one such dal, it is a dal made with a combination of tangy leafy vegetables along with spinach and finished with a jeera and onion tadka. You cannot ignore this one. Nor can you look the other way from the colourful dum ki bhindi.

The biryani is tempting and is adequately spiced and non greasy. You are also saved from the torture of separating the whole spices from the biryani. Here it has to be the gosht ki biryani. For the vegetarian brigade there is Kothmiri Annam, which can be had with any main course curries.

Dessert could be anything from double ka meetha to semiyaan if you want to stick to the usual fare, otherwise there's ghee-rich badam ka halwa and the maple, walnut and ricotta kulfi too. And in true local flavours Aish also has munakkaya mamsam (mutton cooked with drumsticks).

http://www.hindu.com/mp/2011/04/18/stories/2011041850340400.htm

Nizami Restaurants in Bangalore


Jashn

Plot no - 82, 80 Feet Road, R.M.V. 2nd Stage.
Cuisine : Nizami, Muglai Price : Rs.250-Rs.500



Sufi

103, 5th Floor, Empire Building, 5Th Block, Koramangala, Bangalore
Cuisine : Indian, Nizami, Parsi, Persian Price : Rs.250-Rs.500



The Biryanis
# 39, opp IBP Petrol Pump, Above Coffee Day, Jeevan Bhima Nagar
Cuisine : Nizami Price : Under Rs.250



The Biryanis
# 2, Shakthi Complex, Kaggadaspura Main Road (near Nilgiris) Bangalore
Cuisine : Nizami Price : Under Rs.250

http://eveningflavors.com/Nizami/Restaurants/Bangalore/Cuisine/

Bhopal Revives Nizami Cuisine

Jehan Numa Palace, heritage property in Bhopal organised a four-day ‘Hyderabadi Food Festival’ last week to revive the culinary perfection and gastronomic refinement of the erstwhile Nizams of Hyderabad.

Gourmet chef of the Nizams, Mir Hussain Ali Moosavi laid out a spread of the best in exotic Hyderabadi cuisine, tickling the taste buds of foodies by rediscovering the lost recipes of Aimra-E-Khas (the banquet kitchen of Salar Jung and Nizams.

N K Podar, manager Jehan Numa stated that the delicacy and sophistication of Nizami traditions was translated into the Hyderabad cuisine - an elaborate, delicious style of cooking based on scientific proportion of spices.

According to him, the festival was an attempt to revive the Hyderabadi food fast fading into oblivion like most other traditions and Bhopal, ruled by Nawabs and Begums in the past was the perfect city for the festival.

Chef Mir Moosavi who inherited the art from his uncle, Mirnasir-ud-din Hyder, who was in charge ‘Amira’ (the Nizami department which looked after food, banquets and guest houses) prepared as many as 40 Hyderabadi vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, which were in vogue in ‘Nizamshahi Dawats’ (banquets in the days of Nizam).

The elaborate menu at the festival included the celebrated haleem, dum ka murgh asifi, dahi baingan, paneer sia mirch, qubani ka meetha and lots more. All dishes were prepared with a rare blending of ‘Mughlai’ and ‘Lucknawi’ food traditions, according to Chef Mir Moosavi.

“It’s a dying art,” lamented Chef Moosavi, who has been instrumental in organising similar festivals in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and other major cities of the country. “I endeavour to make these dishes so popular to be included in the daily menu of every elite hotel,” he stated.

http://www.expresshospitality.com/20020923/events4.shtml