Handmade ‘Real’ Hyderabadi ice Cream From Moazzam Jahi Market: Magical Flavour of Hyderabad

Hyderabad is not only for Dum ki Biryani, Iranii Chai, Osmania Biscuit, Irani Samosa with Hari Mirchi, Khoobani ka Meetha. Hyderabad has one more magical flavored treat ,that is : “Handmade ‘Real’ Hyderabadi ice Cream”.

 

Moazzam Jahi Market has grown up as a largest hub of this Handmade ‘Real’ Hyderabadi ice cream. The open space next to the market is lined up with plastic chairs, and always has a crowd enjoying these Handmade Ice creams.

 

Moazzam Jahi market, named after Prince Moazzam Jah, the second son of the last Nizam, was constructed around 80 years ago using granite stones and has a clock tower to boot.

 

The vision behind the Moazzam Jahi Market was to offer ‘universal stores’ like in the West where people can buy everything under one roof. However, over the years the structure, made of granite stone and lime plaster, deteriorated. The main circular courtyard, which houses several kirana shops, has been restored under the first phase of the work. ‘Ittar’ stores at the market’s exterior side facing the road, and grocery shops at its interior are fully functional.

 

Moazzam Jahi markets have many shops now, but most well-known among these are the old ice cream outlets; serving hand churned seasonal fruit ice creams loved by one and all. From a time much before the proliferation of modern ice creams, these hand churned ice creams had made a name for themselves in Hyderabad.

 

In 1951, Mohammed Haleem set up an ice cream shop at Moazzam Jahi Market known as Famous Ice Cream, which really caught the fancy of Hyderabadis for offering fruit ice creams at affordable rates.

 

The handmade ice creams are prepared using fresh fruit pulp, along with milk and sugar. Mango, litchi, sapota, custard apple, fig and muskmelon are some of the seasonal fruits which provide a touch of variety during different parts of the year. Unlike the modern ice creams, the variety from Moazzam Jahi Market lacks a little creaminess.

 

However, they retain the original fruit flavors very well and given their value-for-money pricing emerge as clear winners.

 

You can find a range of ice creams that ranges from mango, strawberry to chocolate. In fact you have an elaborate rang of chocolate ice creams here. Also try the ice cream shakes and ice cream soda with mixed flavors that will remain on your tongue for a long time.

 

Apart from Famous, the other three places who are sought-after are Bilal, Gafoor, and Shah. The ice creams, which are also known locally as pot ice creams, are usually prepared in the shops itself and has pricing as low as `35. Over a period of time, with competition from many modern ice cream parlours in the city, as well as national ice cream brands launched in Hyderabad, some of the shops have started offering sundaes and frozen desserts too.

 

It does sound like an alien term but what you get in there is exactly an ice cream lover’s dream. So this is how the process goes, you choose your flavors, the topping (which has delicious salted almond nuts, cashew nuts, gummy bears, gems, chocolate sticks, chocolate fudge, chocolate sauce, blueberry sauces, strawberry sauces and so on), then they weigh the cup you have purchased and bill you accordingly. They have no concept of a cone. They do make a mean cup of ice cream cakes too.

 

True to its name, the ice cream offered here are all fresh with seasonal fruits and you can actually find bits and pieces of your flavour choosen. I actually found mango, Sitaphal,Anjeer,Jmun,lichi, chikoo, muskmelon, watermelon, coconut with such similar taste that it felt as if you are the actually eating a fruit which is frozen. It does have a nice little place to sit where you can enjoy a quiet time with yourself.

 

The cold stone ice cream is the most wanted thing these days and there are numerous number of places that serve it. It’s exciting to see the whole mixing process on the counter with the flavors of your choice! Give a treat to your taste buds by trying out the various flavors they have to offer.

 

The menu is categorized into Regular Flavors, Special Flavors, Real Fruit Ice-creams, Sorbet, Special Faluda, Stick Kulfi, Cassata, Stone Sundae, Ice-cream Cakes, Fruit Cream, Italian Gelato, Sundaes, Ice-cream Sodas, Shakes, Special Shakes, Real Fruit Shakes and Diet and Lite Shakes.

 

Production of the ice creams has also become mechanized with use of a motor for churning. Some of the products even come from factories set up by these shops away from their location.

 

Inexplicably, none of them have yet set up shop in the cash-rich Cyberabad. However, people throng here still to get the old world charm of the place and enjoy the traditional fruit ice creams, especially during summer and the holy month of Ramzan.

 

A little away from this part of the city, tucked away in a narrow lane of Sindhi colony is another ice cream haunt, Sri Radhe. If you judge the place by its name, then you will certainly miss the creamy, natural flavoured ice creams. “natural ice creams. Ice creams made out of custard apple, black plums or chappan bhog are extremely popular among our customers,” says Ajay Mehta the manager of the shop. They have another outlet in Abids.

 

Even the afternoon sun doesn’t deter some of the customers from enjoying the fruit salad ice cream. Many prefer to sit inside their autos while enjoying their ice creams.

 

So this summer, maybe its time to move away from Bavarian chocolates or choco rocco and explore the local ice cream flavours. You will be surprised with what the city has to offer.

The End