Fasting, Feasting

Hyderabad has become synonymous with biriyani. But I believe a more worthy contender would be haleem. Prepared only during Ramzan, it’s a delicacy made from broken wheat, mutton, dal, ghee and aromatic spices, cooked together over a slow fire for eight hours (the word haleem itself signifies ‘patience’). The end result is that you don’t know where the meat ends and where the wheat begins; it has a rich, silky mouth-feel and simply slides down your throat, aided by a seasoning of browned onions, crushed pudina and a squeeze of lime. Hundreds of little eating joints in Hyderabad offer their own ‘special’ haleem, but none is more famous than Pista House.

Every Ramzan, it hires an army of cooks and prepares several tonnes of haleem every day. You can join the crowds at Pista House itself, or buy a takeaway pack from about 40 retail stalls they’ve set up all over Hyderabad. You can also order online from www.pistahouse.in and fresh haleem will be couriered to you anywhere in India. Pista House has haleem kitchens in the Middle East, and hopes to make its debut in Chicago soon. Meanwhile, the savvy owner, Mr Majeed, is trying to get a global patent on his haleem recipe.