Nihad Amani
Hyderabad: Gone are the days in Hyderabad when food and dining were limited to the confines of a restaurant or a hotel. The home food agency, where dishes are cooked in a household kitchen rather than a bustling unhygienic restaurant kitchen, is here to stay.
Hyderabadi khaana (cuisine) and mehmanawazi (hospitality) have always been considered given. Right from the Dum Biryani to Khichdi-Khatta, foodie’s flock to various eateries, Hyderabadi households and feasts to have their taste buds tickled.
These signature dishes can no longer only be enjoyed at restaurants or via an acquaintance who invites you to his/her home. The home cooked-meal itself makes for good business in the city.
“We make a living even if we are enclosed in the four walls of our homes,” said Najma Khan, a resident of Gachibowli.
Women like Najma have proven their own entrepreneurial acumen through their imaginative efforts.
The demand for home food has increased over the years. It is especially so since Hyderabad has turned a new leaf in history an IT with numerous international companies making it their headquarters.
Some estimates put the figure of bachelors or the so called singles up to half a million. They crave for home food but have to live on what the restaurants dish them out.
Here comes the role of home cooked food and the new entrepreneurship.
Customers are charged according to the items and number of servings by these entities. Yet the formula is the same for all these ventures —providing home cooked food at an affordable rate.
Times have come to a stage where almost every colony has at least two such home food agencies.
Mostly orders are taken on a monthly or weekly basis. There are also occasion where one can place an order merely 24 hours before delivery time.
“We had a get together at our residence and making food for 30 people was a task. I decided to opt for a multi-cuisine restaurant but my guests did not appreciate that. Then, I called up the lady nearby who provides this service. Surprisingly she served us with a couple of dishes which were delightful and affordable,” said a Banjara Hills resident.
Offerings from these home food agencies vary from vegetarian items like dal, kichdi, idli and non-vegetarian dishes such as biryani, mandi (an Arabic rice and meat dish) and a variety of sweet dishes.
A few of these agencies are A K Zaiqa, Aleena Catering Services, Osman Shahi and Gayathri Services.
On the other hand, there are services given on a daily basis where people are served any or all of the three meals of the day. They are then asked to pay accordingly.
“I have no one with me as my wife passed away and my children are abroad. I have my account with the Jabeen Food Services and this lady provides tasty and healthy food regularly while considering my BP issues,” says Kamal Shah, resident of King Koti.
Elaborating on the health aspect of this business model, Anita Raj, a school teacher states, “There is less fear of hygiene and uncleanness compared to that of restaurants.”