Haleem During Ramzan

Being an assal (original) Hyderabadi, one gets seeped in the culture, the lingo, and especially, the food! Though a biryani fest is on every day, there is a special Ramzan feast during the holy month. My favourite is Haleem, a unique concoction made of meat, grain and spices. Some suppliers even send Haleem across cities/countries, I hear.

It has a melt-in-the-mouth quality if made well, as the cooking process is day-long, and it helps blend the meat and grain finely, so you cannot separate the two. The spice flavours are mellow yet distinct, and the dish is rich, so you can make a meal out of it. Particularly if you have not fasted through the day.

This time I had an occasion to try Haleem at Pune from a Hyderabadi restaurant. Found it to be as good as the 'real' (Hyderabadi) thing.

Haleem and Husain Sagar

Hyderabad has a few quintessentials. Irani chai, for instance. It tastes like no other, and if you have had it growing up, it most likely grows on you. And there are a few Irani tea joints still left. I managed having a chai at Alpha, one of the oldest known (to me) joints bang opposite the Secunderabad railway station, and also picked up some biryani for consumption later. I was on a visit to Hyderabad on some work this time.

I did not realise that Ramzan had started. This is the time to get some Haleem, another exquisite Hyderabadi dish that is available in the holy month. Of course, its main ingredient is mutton. But it is slow-cooked with a mix of various other things, and the the taste, in the right hands, is to die for. Signature dish, like the Lucknowi tunde kababs.

The third nice experience this time was the breakfast visit to Husain Sagar, or tank bund as it is called locally. There is an eatery called Eat Street with a variety of cuisine, which is open through the day. It was deserted at 8, because it was early, and it had rained a lot the previous evening and night. The view was breath-taking, and the rava dosa was fabulous.

Also visited 10 Downing Street (of Hyd., not London) and found the music mellow, a great surprise in a pub- a pleasant one too. The food was also good.