21 days to go for Ramzan

The magrib azaan rings out from a thousand minarets near Madina and its neighbourhoods, the faithful in their skull-caps, pyjamas folded above the ankles, rush in to bow their heads in prayer as the sing-song intonation continues. A little later, the troop of devout march to the nearest stall selling fruit salad, falooda, and oh yes! haleem. Across the city in Toli Chowki, you can hear the same sound having the same effect on people.

The calm piety of the day disappears in the razzle dazzle of shopping for clothes, shoes, caps, burqas and sevain.

Move on from Madina to the inner lanes of Patherghati, Charkaman and Mitti ka Sher and you get meat on stick, coloured ice lollies, phirni, pathar ka gosht and a zillion other temptations costing from 50 paise for the lollies to the expensive but perfectly spiced and cooked pathar ka gosht.

But what is an iftar in Hyderabad if it is not topped up or at least get a smell of haleem? Nothing (we have been told a similar haleem is sold on the streets of Karachi across the border, but then bullets also fly there, no?).

We start the gastronomic trip from Garden in Secunderabad. This year the servings are smaller, the restaurant has chick interiors and the waiters wear smart checkered jackets. At Rs 28 the haleem isn’t cheap, though a Rs 5 vanilla ice cream is served free. Meaty, wheaty.

A little ahead is Paradise. The souped up joint is on the other side, haleem is served in a make-shift godown kinda place. It is Rs 25 for the haleem and Rs 28 if you want a mini Coke to wash it down. Rich with layers of flavour.

Stop by at an unnamed joint where just the block of mud for cooking haleem is there and the pot is being stirred by two toughs using ladles that are taller than the men. This got to be interesting. The haleem is cheaper at Rs 25. Spicy, there is a cardamom in almost every bite.

Bawarchi is the bigger of the larger haleem addas in the city. There is almost a queue before you can get your spoonful of delight. Greasy, sweet.

“We cannot say how many haleems we sell,” says the owner of Shadab Md Khaja Pasha. The place is packed as the fasters feast on haleems, biryanis, shorba. How much meat do you get? “We get large quantities, the work begins right from 2 am,” he says. The haleem? Well there is a topping of ghee, crisp-fried onions, coriander and it tastes wow. But the falooda is better we think.

Cross the road, there is Madina. No glitz, no hardsell, the haleem does the talking. Spicy with layers of aroma and flavour.

Ah the biggest, brightest and the most expensive: Pista House. You can literally swim in the fat floating on top. There is a queue to get the tokens and there is a queue to get your serving. This year Abdul Majeed has unveiled a veg version of his haleem on an unsuspecting people and competition. The veg haleem is the killer with its appeal and full bodied aroma.

End of the day, there is Niagra near Toli Chowki. Do all these haleem makers have a single formula which they tinker according to the price? Maybe, they almost taste the same, except a dallop of fat here, an ounce of spice there or a chunkier wheat flour.

The insha namaz (night prayer) is in progress near Shaikpet Nala. And it is 21 days to go for Eid.

SERISH NANISETTI