Haleem

This delightful piece was contributed by Prabalika Borah. Prabalika heads the Hyderabad operations of Blue Lotus.

Haleem

Let me introduce Team Blue to a novelty from Hyderabad. It’s called "Haleem", a special dish prepared during the Ramzaan season and eaten mostly by people observing a fast.

Let me describe to you its physical characteristics. It’s a thick, gooey substance prepared from coarse wheat flour, gram dal and urad dal (mitti ka dal), mutton, and tons of ghee. All you need to do is to add a dash of lemon and dig in, each spoonful accompanied by chunks of tender meat. Slurp!

Five years ago when I first came to Hyderabad, I was revolted at the sight of men eating something out their plates, making disgusting slurping sounds, and promptly spitting something out into another plate. Out of sheer curiosity, I asked an auto driver what they were eating. In case you didn’t know already, autowallahs are an invaluable source of local gyaan. The fellow replied, "apku nahin malum, sab logaa haleem khaa rein". I told myself that I would never ever acquire a taste for this particular local delicacy.

A few weeks later I was sitting in an Irani joint amidst pyjama and lungi clad men, sampling haleem out of a cheap yellow plastic plate. I was sick in bed for the next three days. The dish is so rich and spicy that if eaten in generous quantities, it will have you reaching for the 6X6 room again and again.

I resolved never to go near the dish again. And for the next few years I doggedly stuck to my resolution. Until the day when I was asked to do a story on the place where veteran actor Dilip Kumar gets him haleem from. It’s called "Pista House" and is located in the Old City. The Haleem from there is said to be heavenly.

I meet Majid uncle, owner of the Pista House. He yelled out to a boy, "special two plate lao ji, jaldi!" I peered into the plate and the old memories came flooding back.

I was reluctant to eat but the aroma teased and tantalized. "You’re missing something great in life", my inner voice said to me. I wolfed down the haleem, then promptly bought three kgs. for the office.

So if you’re in Hyderabad during Ramzaan, make sure you get a taste of haleem. You’ll find yourself waiting with bated breath for the next haleem season. Experts say that it goes well with Coke.