“We are the Kalaiwalas of Hyderabad. Not very long ago, you would hear our calls in every gali, moving from lane to lane, looking for work. Today, in this age of ‘use-and-dispose,’ those sounds have almost faded. Our trade, which has been part of Hyderabad’s kitchens since the time of the Nizams, is slowly disappearing.

This is not just my work. It has come down to me from my forefathers. It’s our ancestral craft, something we grew up watching and learning from a young age.

Back then, almost every home had copper and brass vessels. Every six months, we would coat them with a layer of tin—what we call ranga. That process is called kalai.

I’ve been doing this for 30 years now. It’s not easy work. When we handle the large cooking vessels used for Hyderabadi dum biryani or haleem, it often takes a few of us working together, standing over the fire and intense heat. By the end of it, you’re covered in sweat and soot, but the vessel shines like a mirror.

We clean the surface, heat the metal, and carefully spread the tin evenly. It’s something you learn with experience. There’s no shortcut to it.

Over the years, things have changed. People moved to aluminum, then stainless steel—easier to maintain and less effort. Slowly, our work reduced. Many of our people shut their shops and left the trade.

But these old vessels have a soul. The taste of food cooked in them, especially in Hyderabad, is something else. They just need people’s support.

Hyderabad has always been a city that respects people and their work. We’ve seen that kindness for years. We just hope it continues, because when people support us, this craft survives… and so do we.”

— Khayyum