Curry in a hurry! - Curry Points galore! @ Hyderabad.

My previous two articles were on ‘Midnight Biryani’ and ‘A la carte vs. Buffet’ at restaurants in Hyderabad. Thinking and writing about food in the recent past I was reminded of the Curry Points at several places in Hyderabad and Secunderabad. And that thought is the reason for this article.

Curry Point is an exclusive outlet, a Take away, selling a few varieties of curries and other dishes like Dal, Sambar, Rasam etc. prepared to taste like home food that is according to the local cuisine. Curry Points may be exclusive Vegetarian or both Vegetarian and Non-Vegetarian outlets. These outlets open towards lunch time and are open until stocks last or late night. All dishes are made in advance and ready for sale. The items that are in great demand like some Vegetarian curries – wet and dry, Sambar, Rasam, Pappu, Curd etc. are pre-packed in quantities sufficient for two. It takes less than five minutes to pay and pick up such items and head for home. And may be another minute or two if one chooses some special or Non-Vegetarian dishes on display, as these are not pre-packed. The smaller Curry Points may cater to very common requirements but the rest serve few more varieties and even Biryani. Some of these Curry Points also sell our traditional pickles and powders that go well with rice and can be stored at home.

When not in mood to cook elaborately or there are no vegetables at home or at the end of a long day at work or too tired for a formal dinner out, a quick trip to the neighborhood Curry Point to pick up some curries is a very good solution. Most bachelors and working couples at times prepare rice at home which does not require much effort and depend on a Curry Point for the rest. A Curry Point being a very small establishment; the pricing of items is very attractive in comparison to the Take away of a large restaurant serving similar food. Food is mostly prepared elsewhere and transported to the Curry points.

The popularity of such establishments is obvious from the way they are mushrooming in the Twin cities. Some of the popular Curry points have branches spread over the city. As far as I know no other city in India has such a large scale network of low cost, local cuisine, Curry Points.