Hyderabad‘s love for Arabic food is no surprise. From mandi to kunafa, every Arabian dish is a hit in this city and shawarma is the most loved street food. Over the years, shawarma has gone through various transformations in Hyderabad, from changing its classic recipe to its preparation style. But now, one restaurant has taken the innovation game up a notch by serving shawarma inside pani puri shells.
Exotic Grill, an eatery at Tarnaka is behind Shawarma Puri—a crunchy, bite-sized twist that fuses Middle Eastern spice with Indian street food flair. Think crispy golgappa shells stuffed with juicy shawarma meat, creamy garlic mayo, and crunchy veggies. It’s an unexpected combination that perfectly captures Hyderabad’s ever-evolving food culture.
Fusion foods are the new normal in Hyderabad
In recent years, the city has become a playground for culinary experiments. Fusion dishes are no longer rare gimmicks—they’re a trend. From haleem dosa to chocolate maggi, and now Shawarma Puri, Hyderabad’s street food scene is all about reimagining familiar flavours in unfamiliar forms.
Interestingly, Shawarma Puri isn’t entirely new to Hyderabad. It first went viral a couple of years ago when a few food stalls introduced the concept. Back then, it received bad reactions—some foodies dismissed it as a gimmick, while others weren’t ready for such a bold mashup.
While the future of this new Shawarma Puri is yet to be seen, one thing is clear: fusion is here to stay. As Hyderabad’s food culture continues to evolve, eateries big and small are embracing experimentation—mixing tradition with trend, nostalgia with novelty. And whether every dish becomes a hit or not, the willingness to try something different is what keeps the city’s culinary spirit alive.
So don’t be surprised if your next plate of biryani comes with a twist—or a taco shell.
