Taliban's takeover of Kabul to push up the price of Hyderabadi biryani

Indian importers of dry fruits are optimistic that the suspension in trade from Afghanistan will resume in a matter of days.

Hyderabadi Dum Biryani, a file photograph. Photo: Arunkumar V N

An unlikely fall-out of the military takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban is an impending steep hike in the prices of the famed Hyderabadi biryani. The much-loved rice preparation, mastered in the kitchens of the erstwhile Nizams of Hyderabad,has been part of the elaborate Hyderabadi cuisine for nearly 400 years.

But with its preparation needing dry fruits, including almonds, raisins, figs, cashews and pistachios, and a wide variety of spices that mostly come from war-torn Afghanistan, the cost of Hyderabad’s favourite food is bound to go up very soon, say restaurateurs. Most of the dry fruits used in the preparation of Hyderabadi Biryani is imported by a few Afghan traders settled in the city and then sold to restaurants and hotels.

The crisis in Afghanistan and the stoppage of trade with India, has already caused an increase in the prices of these dry fruits across the country, with traders citing the rising almond and cashew prices, besides that of spices over the last few days. Prices of dry fruits have gone up by 15-20 per cent ever since the crisis broke out in Afghanistan and there is also a shortage in supplies, say traders.

With winter and festivals like Deepavali approaching, prices could further harden. Indian importers of dry fruits are optimistic that the suspension in trade from Afghanistan will resume in a matter of days.