Inspired by over 100-year-old recipes of her ancestors, Shahnoor Jehan showcases authentic Hyderabadi cuisine through Khassa. This week, for our weekly edition of Hyderabond, The Pioneer interacts with her as she shares about her fondness of cooking, and her association with Hyderabad.
Tejal Sinha
You think of Hyderabad and your mind gets popped with the rich heritage, and culture of Hyderabad. One thing that’ll never stop you from drooling is its food, Biryani especially!
But if we look at the delicacies that one finds in Hyderabad, no surprise you get the perfect Shahi and Nawabi Khaana. But little do people know about the delicacies beyond the Dum Biryani. But not anymore! Shahnoor Jehan, a home chef, who started her own catering Khassa, brings on to your plate over 100-year-old recipes from her ancestral kitchen.
Having learnt how to make these dishes with familial influences, Shahnoor’s century-old recipes are now bringing hidden elements of Hyderabadi cuisine to critical acclaim.
Not only was she born and bought up here in Hyderabad, but also got married here, and made her own remark here in the ‘City of Nawabs’. Shanoor had always been fond of cooking. She is an alumna of St. Anns High School in Secunderabad and began staying in the hostel from a very young age.
“Every time that I used to go back home, I used to stand with my mom, and she how she used to cook. My mom used to tell me all the measurements and ingredients, and I used to do according to that,” shares Shanoor, who has coming through a long journey, from cooking for her husband and sons, who’ve always been fond of food, and with their encouragement she said that she began Khassa.
Shahnoor had always had a fond of cooking, and infact Her cooking dates back to her childhood home, Shah Manzil, which is the present-day Raj Bhavan. This home, which belonged to her grandfather, was so called because he was affectionately known as Shah Nawaab. However, she shares that she’s never had any memories of visiting the now Raj Bhavan.
“Those days, I remember there were no food delivery services like Swiggy, and neither were there many restaurants,” begins the culinarian, on what she feels has changed over the years. “Those days people did not prefer to eat outside food.
They used to cook themselves or had cooks. But no be it adults or kids, all they enjoy is outside food. They rarely enjoy cooking food in home since everyone is busy working.”
However, she feels that there still are people who enjoy home-cooked food. For instance, she says, “My husband doesn’t like outside food maybe I don’t know he must be used to my food (she giggles). So whatever it is he only wants home-cooked food.
It is very rare I get food from outside. I do the cooking fresh, so I don’t freeze food. And so, I tell them to give the order to 3 days prior about when they want so I get and make everything fresh and nothing is frozen.”
What we learn in our childhood, always remains with us. And for Shahnoor, she’s always has a book with her which has all her mom’s recipes. She says she has leant alot from her mom and grandma. So that clearly sums up that she hails from a family who has always been fond of food. One of her most hot-selling recipes is Haleem, which she’d learnt from her mother-in-law.
While she brings in all the amazing delicacies of her ancestors, Biryani is not on the list of her menu. Wondered why? Let’s hear from her, “I never took up biryani in my cooking. It’s available everywhere, and I wanted to bring forward something that was different in menu, which is not commercial. You find Biryani everywhere, though with different tastes”
Out of all the recipes, she further shares, “Mutton Rosht is my hot selling recipe, then Dum ka Muragh is a very favourite and of course, Haleem is always on the top. This has been sold outside, but mine is very much preferred and I know that then in the desserts Noorani Seviyan is there, not sold anywhere that’s very old my mothers recipe that is and then there is Zafrani kheer.”
Shahnoor feels that she has managed to maintain the legacy of the authenticity of the food. Well, how does she makes it, even after years? “While people today desire to finish of their cooking in no-time, I make sure I use the same old time, be it in the high flame or low flame.”
Over the years, Shahnoor has made it to several big platforms sharing her journey, and also many interviews. And through this, she revealed, “Many people who were my mom’s friends, and who were very close to my family connected with me. I was surprised and very happy that they did remember the dishes. There were people who contacted me from Bangalore and Delhi too. And this really encouraged me throughout.”
Shahnoor is soon going to introduce more from her mom’s recipes. And with this season she shares that Kairi Ka Dopyaza is on the hit list. The home chef who is making it big here in the city stresses upon ‘originality’ in home-cooked food.
She shares, “People who cook home food, should be true to their cooking process. If they’re creating something from themselves, they can just not claim it to be an age-old recipe, because there are many old Hyderabadis who very well know about the recipes and the dish one has made.”
While as we come to the end of the interview with this soft-spoken home chef, she describes herself to be a ‘pucca Hyderabadi’. Just like how we Indians remain Indian, no matter where we go, she says, “In the same way, no matter where I go I’m going to be a Hyderabadi.”
