Hyderabad: Haleem, like a patent food item of Hyderabad, goes viral during the month of Ramzan. In Hyderabad the dish has become so popularly synonymous with Ramzan that often non-Muslims wait when month of Haleem is going to arrive.
Nearly 6000 plus unorganized Haleem makers do about 1 billion rupees business in the month of Ramzan only in the city of Hyderabad. In the last few years Haleem rates have gone up to nearly 100% but this doesn’t halt people of Hyderabad irrespective of their religion to get in a line near a Bhatti from narrow streets of old city to the Hi tech sprawls of new city to get the taste of the season.
Preparation of Hyderabadi Haleem is no less an art than the Hyderabadi biryani, because of the obvious long history it possess and the plural composite cultural which the dish represents. Haleem originally an Arab and Irani dish landed in Hyderabad during the reign of Nizam-ul-Mulk by the way of Arab diaspora settled in Hyderabad. Yemenis in the Nizam’s Army were in forefront of popularizing this thick paste as source of good nutrition. Through centuries of mutual co-existence and local influence this spicy dish got its own special touch and flavor and Hyderabadi Haleem became a spicy thick south Indian cuisine distinct from any other haleem in the world.
Hyderabad is the only city which provides Haleem in all its forms; during the month of Ramazan one can find Beef, Mutton or chicken haleem in every nook and corner of the city. One more reason this recipe has bounded different religions together is Haleem makers don’t forget their vegetarian customers, as there is vegetarian Haleem made from different fruits and vegetables are available for Veggies who don’t want to be left out in having the taste of the season.
Due to this intense connection of city with Haleem, in 2010 Hyderabadi Haleem was awarded Geographical Indication status by the Indian GI registry office. It became a first non-vegetarian product of India to receive a GI certification. Hyderabadi haleem’s GI tag means that this dish cannot be sold as Hyderabadi haleem unless it meets the standards laid down for a flavored Hyderabadi haleem.
Recipe
But it is not an easy task for the Haleem makers in the city to meet the rising demand of Haleem, so Haleem joints in the city are booking marriage halls to facilitate making of Haleem. Haleem is cooked on a low flame of firewood for up to 8 hours on hundreds of bhattis (a cauldron covered with a brick and mud kiln). Two men are employed to stir a single Bhatti continuously with ‘Ghotni’( a wooden hand masher is used to muddle meat and wheat while cooking haleem until it becomes a thick paste) throughout its preparation.
After the Iftar devout especially youngsters turn up in huge number for this dish as highly nutritious and must for a ‘Rozerdar’. The essential ingredients of wholesome Hyderabadi Haleem are meat; (either mutton, beef or chicken), pounded wheat, ghee, milk, lentils, ginger and garlic paste, turmeric, spices; (cumin seeds, caraway seeds (shah zeera), cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, black pepper, saffron, jaggery, natural gum, allspice (kabab cheeni) and dry fruits; (pistachio, cashew, fig and almond). It is served hot topped with ghee based gravy, pieces of lime, chopped coriander, sliced boiled egg and fried onions as garnish. The above constituents make this dish full of proteins, high calorie and nutritious dish which gives instant energy. It is also regarded as anti-ageing and anti-oxidant.
Export of Hyderabadi Haleem
Hyderbadi Haleem due to its flavor and GI certificate is so popular among foreign countries especially in gulf countries that in 2011, about 28% of the Haleem produced in Hyderabad got exported to 50 countries around the world. Every day Haleem joints with different brands export tones of Haleem via airlines to different foreign nations mainly to satisfy the desire of Hyderabadi diaspora throughout the world who want to have the taste of Ramzan even in a foreign land though how much its goanna cost them.
Local Hyderabadis now can also get Haleem at their door steps by way of 24 hours SMS delivery system started by mega Haleem points in the city.
Haleem as job creator
The heritage of Hyderabadi Haleem doesn’t end here; during the month of Ramzan this brand of Hyderabad also take a role of an employment creator. Hundreds of Haleem points employ thousands of youngsters at attractive salaries to manage ever growing number of customers for the whole month of Ramzan. From a chef to the Mushers or even the sales boys everyone is getting rewards which they find difficult to think of in the normal course. A chef in the mega Haleem mart can fetch around Rs 1 lakh for whole month. The workers are paid anywhere between Rs.200 and Rs.300 for a six-hour shift excluding tips. Pista House, the biggest and most popular Haleem brand claims to pay Rs.10,000 to Rs.15,000 to the young seasonal workers. Mostly youngsters or even some college going students opt for this seasonal employment to earn some pocket money before the Eid.
Haleem of Hyderabad takes many shapes and comes in different varieties and forms but one thing it represents at best is the bound of communal harmony between different communities and most of all the celebration of being a Hyderabadi.
SOURCE:Two Circles.net
No comments yet.
