Patience is a key ingredient in this dish

The famous 'Hyderabad Haleem' from Pista House in Hyderabad can be delivered to your home till the end of the month. Its owner on why we should be proud of the dish we 'borrowed' from Arabia

Patience is a key ingredient in this dish

The famous 'Hyderabad Haleem' from Pista House in Hyderabad can be delivered to your home till the end of the month. Its owner on why we should be proud of the dish we 'borrowed' from Arabia

Every year, in the month of Ramadan, the city of Hyderabad is fragrant with the aroma of a legendary dish that has its origins in Arabian cuisine.

Since 2010, however, the 'Hyderabad Haleem' is as much part of India's culinary heritage as the biryani, after being awarded GI status (Geographical Indication) by the government, taking its place next to 'Nagpur Oranges', 'Bikaneri Bhujias' and 'Kohlapuri Chappals'.

There's one man who's taking special credit for the honour: Mohammed Abdul Majeed, proprietor, Pista House, Hyderabad. "It is a matter of great pride for us," says Majeed over the phone from Hyderabad.

It's only fair. Pista House is renowned for its rendition of the over-1,000-year-old dish made with meat, wheat and lentils, that's similar in consistency to a thick stew.

Spice is nice
When Majeed first tasted the 'original' dish, he found it "bland",u00a0 and decided that it needed a healthy sprinkling of "Indian masalas" to truly sing.

"In 1997, when I opened Pista House, there were not more than 100 roadside vendors selling it, in and around the city," says the 47-year-old, who was in the textile business before he made his foray into food.

It would, however, take him two years to perfect the recipe for which Pista House is now famous. "We would regularly conduct taste trials with family, friends and diners to understand the proportions that would work best."

While trials might have included family and friends, selection was far from random. "We tried to ensure we had representation from different age groups.
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We found that those under 35 favoured versions made with more ghee, whereas those in the above-50 category would ask us to make the dish with less ghee," he explains.

Cue from the weather
Depending on whether Ramzan falls in the winter or summer months, will also determine the quantity of spice and fat used.

"In the summers, we make a less spicy version and use less ghee," explains Majeed.

Ask him what sets the Haleem in Pista House apart from other versions and Majeed is quick to reply that it's the quality of ingredients they use. "We use only Basmati rice," he says.

Besides quality, the cooking process cannot be rushed, as the dish can take up to 12 hours for the flavours of the meat and lentils to meld, over a wood-fire to maximise flavour.

An emphasis on quality also means having to decline orders, offers Majeed. "We received over 26,000 orders from abroad, but we cannot accept all of them."

Pride of nation
What Majeed is most proud of though, is that a dish that was "borrowed" from Arabia is now routinely "returned" to its place of birth, via Hyderabad.

"Yeh bahut khushi ki baat hain ("This is a matter of great happiness")," he says.

Till August 31
For Rs 300 per kilo (delivery charges extra)
Log on to www.pistahouse.in
Call 0-9885258786

Haleem, Harees and Khichda
'Haleem' is a derivative of the Arabic word 'lahm', which means 'meat' (mutton or beef). The main ingredients in Haleem and Khichda are the same: meat, lentils, wheat and spices. The difference lies in cooking times.

Haleem is cooked overnight over a low flame some believe that the 'perfect' haleem needs to be cooked for up to a week and therefore takes a much longer time to cook than Khichda.

Khichda takes less time to cook than Haleem. Pic/ Pradeep Dhivar

As a result of the long cooking process, the meat blends into the lentils, resembling a sort of thick stew. In Khichda, the lentils and meat are separate.

Harees is a version of Haleem. To make Harees, the wheat is crushed and soaked overnight and then simmered with meat the following day.

Healthy Bhi, Tasty Bhi
Every year, for the past 25 years, Sayed Nasir, with the help of two others, starts cooking Hariss from eight in the morning, during the month of Ramadan.

The elaborate dish that uses meat, lentils, milk, and spices, including the expensive 'zafran' (saffron) is ready by late afternoon.
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The 45-year-old Sayed Nasir has been serving Hariss to hungry
diners for the past 25 years. Pic/ Satyajit Desai

"We tried the dish on a visit to Hyderabad and wanted to replicate it back home," explains Nasir, in Hindi. The 45-year-old, who stays in the neighbourhood, sees the annual endeavour as a form of community service.

"Anybody who has the dish will not feel weak, especially after a day of fasting for 16 to 17 hours," he says, adding, "Our profit margins are not very high.

We started to do this every Ramzan, as people liked the food, and asked us to come back the next year."

From Daily 6 pm to 1 am
Till Ramzan ends
For Rs 35 (half plate); Rs 70 (full plate)
At 73, Dimtimkar Road, opp Mastan playground, Nagpada.
Call 9224383061