HYDERABAD: Once a widely consumed food at every Irani hotel, Lukhmi, a once-iconic delicacy is quietly vanishing from the city’s menus and memory. This flaky, crunchy, savoury dish, once a staple in every Irani café and a must-have starter at Hyderabadi weddings, is now being nudged out by the faster, trendier snack foods of a changing city. Once loved for its rich flavour and a perfect pairing with a steaming cup of Irani chai — be it for breakfast or evening nibbles—Lukhmi now sits ignored behind glass counters.
At Madina Hotel near Charminar, a place synonymous with old-world Hyderabadi charm, Lukhmi’s decline is clearly visible. Faisal Jabri, the owner, remembers better times. “Until the early 2000s, we used to sell 300 to 400 pieces every day. Now it’s come down to just 30 to 50—and even those sometimes don’t sell,” he said. “People now prefer Osmania biscuits, samosas or bun maska with tea,” Faisal said.
Made with a shortcrust-like pastry and traditionally filled with either spiced minced meat (kheema) or a vegetable mix, Lukhmi was once hailed as a ‘royal dish.’ Faisal noted that while a few families still request it at weddings, especially the older generation, most youth have turned to popular alternatives like bun maska, onion samosas and alu samosas. “Lukhmi has become a memory for most,” he said.
It’s a sentiment echoed across Old City eateries. At Al-Harmain Hotel, owner Mohammad Azeemuddin said they still offer both vegetarian and non-vegetarian versions—priced at `15 and `20 respectively—but admitted that sales have seen a steady decline. “It’s not that people don’t like it, it’s just that other options are quicker, lighter or trendier. Lukhmi is heavier, more traditional. It’s not an Instagram snack,” he remarked with a smile.
The fading presence of Lukhmi is not just a culinary shift, but a cultural one. Author Mohammad Abdul Mannan, who has written extensively on Hyderabad’s food traditions, recalled how Lukhmi was the only starter served at weddings during his childhood. “It was the pride of every feast. Today, it’s rarely seen. Only a handful of Irani hotels in the Old City still prepare it—and they too are becoming fewer,” he said.
Historian Dr Mohammed Safiullah traced Lukhmi’s origins to Persian cuisine, noting that it gained prominence during the Asaf Jahi period and became an integral part of Hyderabadi culinary heritage.
“Lukhmi and kebabs were once the standard starters at any grand celebration. But with time, people’s tastes changed. Though demand has come down, old-timers still prefer it over samosas,” he added.
