Ramzaan – It’s Haleem Time in Hyderabad!

It’s that time of the year again when I eagerly await the clock to strike 6 Pm so that I can rush to one of the Irani cafes and devour a plate of Haleem which is ‘goat meat mashed with wheat and spices, served with garnishing of ghee, coriander and fried onions’. I am told that the word literally means ‘patience’ in Arabic. This is very apt considering the fact that it takes one whole day of cooking to prepare the perfect Haleem for the starving Muslims of Hyderabad during the holy month of Ramzaan, also known as Ramadan. Since I am not a Muslim, I am spared the starving, but not the Haleem. What fun!

The excitement for Haleem is heightened by the fact that it’s available only during Ramzaan. It’s that one month only when you get to taste this heavenly delicacy. I therefore make sure that eat Haleem at as many different joints as possible. Though the recipe is the same, there is a lot of variation in the taste, this is mainly because of the quantity of spices mixed in the Haleem.

It could be anywhere between medium spicy to very spicy, but it’s never too hot. My favourite Haleem-serving joints (not necessarily in this order) in Hyderabad are:

• Bawarchi (medium spicy)
• Bahar (spicy)
• Garden (spicy)
• Pista House (slightly spicy)
• Hy-line (spicy)
• Niagara (medium spicy)

Unfortunately, due to some vehicle parking restrictions being imposed by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, Bawarchi is not serving Haleem this year. This is very sad and a gross injustice towards Haleem-lovers. Hope the problem is solved soon.

It’s also interesting to note that Haleem is not available anywhere else in India. I have asked several of my Muslim friends from other cities if they have had Haleem and almost always the reply is negative. This delicacy is a speciality of Hyderabad just like the Hyderabadi Biryani. My ideal dinner during the month of Ramzaan is Haleem followed by Biryani. I get to eat this combination on Sundays. On other days it’s just Haleem. slurrrp!

Sethusamudram Update – DMK Strikes!

The Political Drama being played out over the Sethusamudram Project just got hotter! In my previous post I had hoped that DMK’s Karunanidhi would toe the party’s anti-Ram ideology to add a bit of excitement to the goings on. And he has done just that!

“Some say there was a person over 17 lakh years ago. His name was Ram. Do not touch the bridge (Ram Sethu) constructed by him… From which engineering college did he graduate? Is there any proof of this?” Karunanidhi asked.

“Only to prevent the good scheme, they got hold of the name of a person who was supposed to have lived 17 lakh years ago,” he said.

This is, quite literally, god sent for the BJP. Not only has the DMK supremo questioned the existence of Ram, he has also referred to him as a ‘person’, that’s a double whammy! The faith of the Hindus has been questioned, what other reason does a saviour need to take his cause further? Expect more heart-wrenching acts of saving the Hindu faith. Meanwhile, the common follower is left pondering his own beliefs as parties fight for political supremacy.

Chittaranjan’s non-political take on the issue.