Haleem season in Hyderabad: Come, tease your taste buds with mouthwatering dish

For all the Hyderabadis, Haleem is not just a dish. It is an emotion that one can't let go of. It is a taste that we all crave for more. The season of Haleem is officially here and it is time for all the foodies to rush to some of the best Haleem outlets in the city. Also, if you know someone who is new to the city, don’t leave him or her alone when you go to savor Haleem. Take them too!

Haleem: From where and how?

Haleem was introduced by an Arab Chef Sultan Saif Nawaz Jung Bahadur. He hailed from Mukalla, Hadhramaut, Yemen, and was among the seventh Nizam's court nobility. It means, Haleem is an Arabic dish. Sixth Nizam King Mahbub Ali Khan was the first ruler to taste Haleem in Hyderabad. Later, this dish became an integral part of the cuisine during the rule seventh Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan. Once Haleem started getting popular in Hyderabad, chefs started to add some local flavors to the original recipe in order to match the likes and interests of Hyderabadis.

Did you know?

Popular chef Sanjeev Kapoor has written a book called Royal Hyderabadi Cooking. In this book, he mentioned that preparing Hyderabadi Haleem is an art that cannot be copy pasted by anybody and everybody. The art is as complicated and special as the making of Hyderabad Biryani.

In the year 2010, Hyderabadi Haleem was awarded Geographical Indication status by the Indian GI registry office. It became the first meat product of India to receive a GI certification. And this means that a dish cannot be sold as Hyderabadi Haleem unless it meets the necessary standards laid down for it.

Five authentic Haleem outlets

Café 555 and Pista House always stand in the top two places to try Haleem from. Besides them, Shah Ghouse Café, Sarvi Café, Cafe Bahar, Chicha's, and Peshawar are others. Haleem from Hyderabad is popular across the world and is exported to many countries.

Café 555 has been making Haleem since 1952. Its customized recipe for making Haleem is just wow. Ali, the Proprietor of Café 555, says, “The making of Haleem is not so easy. We even add ginger and garlic as per the measurements. Only 8 mm elaichi is used. So everything that we add to the Haleem we make is exquisite in their way. We even ordered 16 kilos of saffron this year. We start making Haleem fifteen days ahead of the actual season so that people get to enjoy it a little early.”

Pista House, which even has outlets in India, the USA, and Oman, even export their Haleem across 50 other countries across the world.

So if you have not tried the Haleem this season yet, it is time to taste one!